I'm about to purchase my tickets and am wondering if my plans all make sense. Keep in mind that I'm on a budget. My priorities are relaxation, country walks, some puttering about in antiques shops, and seeing some gardens.

Saturday: Arrive Manchester and drive to b&b on border of Cumbria and Yorkshire (village of Dent).

Spend Saturday through Wednesday nights in Dent, doing day trips to Lake District, Sedbergh for books, and taking lots of country walks.

Thursday: Drive to as yet undetermined b & b near York (any recommendations?).

Spend Thursday through Sunday nights in Yorkshire and visit York, Newby Hall Gardens,
Fountains Abbey, Harewood House, maybe Castle Howard.

Monday: drive from York area to Manchester airport (perhaps there's a route through the country someone can recommend) and spend night there before returning home on Tuesday.

Should the gardens be in full bloom?

Everything else sound okay?

Am VERRRRY excited!!!!

P.S. Re: the gardens. This is the 1st week in June. Thanks!

Your itinerary looks really good. Can't recommend a B&B in Yorkshire (I usually self cater for a week at a time) but there are several threads on here about York/yorkshire w/ suggestions. I might suggest someplace near Thirsk/Helmsley. This would be convenient to York, the Moors and the steam railway, Fountains/Studley, Castle Howard, Whitby/Robin Hood's Bay and lots of other great sites.

the gardens should be glorious in June.

Re gardens, have you heard of Harlow Carr at Harrogate?

http://www.rhs.org.uk/WhatsOn/gardens/harlowcarr

York to Manchester is not a good drive. Motorway busy, ordinary road alternatives slow. Avoid motorways (especially M62 and round Manchester) in peak hour.

You could always try the long way round going west on A59 to Preston then south on the motorway.

Thanks for all the good advice. Harlow Carr is definitely on my list.

Anyone familiar with the village of Burton Leonard, south of Ripon? Sound okay for a place to base myself?

Guy: I searched and found your itinerary. Looks like lots of fun. I actually flew into Heathrow last year, picked up my rental car, and drive north to York on the same day. I love the Dales: it was the best trip I ever took. I would like to go back, though this year I decided to walk half of the Offa's Dyke Path in Wales, and then spend a few days in Shropshire. I thought of one more garden that I found quite beautiful: the gardens at Shandy Hall, in Coxwold, a tiny village a few miles south of the North York Moors National Park. It's small and not as spectacular as Newby Hall, but I nevertheless thought it well worth seeing - though I went so that I could see where Laurence Sterne lived, and where Oliver Cromwell is supposedly buried (in the attic at the nearby Newburgh Priory). Ripley Castle, which is I think near Ripon, was also quite interesting. For gardens, Newby Hall is superior, but Ripley Castle is the more interesting house, with interesting connections to the Civil War. I also went to Castle Howard - it was terrific. One more thing - I was there the last week of May, and everything was in bloom, so I think you've picked a good time to go. And just after the bank holiday!

Thanks, Tracey. We'll compare notes after I return...although I have a while yet before I go!