Stay in Yorkshire when you holiday in Britain
The North York Moors National Park was created in 1952 and is one of the finest landscapes in Britain. It covers 554 square miles and is one of the largest areas of heather mooreland in the United Kingdom. It has miles of stunning heather, towering sea cliffs, secluded beaches and grassy dales, all of which give it a character all of its own. There are over 1,400 miles of footpaths and rights of way available for walkers. But it's not an empty area. 25,000 people live and work there.
Geography
The North York Moors has cool summers and relatively mild winters. As in most parts of Britain, weather conditions vary from day to day as well as from season to season. The winds are predominately westerly bringing with them unsettled and windy weather, particularly in winter. The North York Moors are drained by two river systems. The north is drained by the River Esk and its tributaries, which meets the North Sea at Whitby. The south is drained by the River Derwent which eventually joins up with the River Ouse at Barmby on the Marsh. The rocks of the North York Moors were mostly laid down in the tropical seas of the Jurassic period, 205 to 142 million years ago. Rock types vary from shales to sandstones and limestones derived from coral. These marine and delta deposited rocks are superbly exposed on the Yorkshire coast from Staithes to Filey. About 30 million years ago, the land was raised and tilted towards the south by earth movements. The oldest rocks, the bands of shales and ironstones form the northern scarp of the moors and Cleveland Hills. The middle Jurassic sandstones form the high moors and the youngest layers of limestone form the tabular hills. During the last 2 million years, the Ice ages which ended about 20,000 years ago cut u shaped valleys through the rocks and formed a vast lake in the area around Pickering. Eventually the water cut through and drained the lake, leaving the Kirkham gorge.
Economy
The main factors in the economy of the North York Moors are now tourism and agriculture. Agriculture was the basis of the economy for thousands of years and generations of farmers have shaped the landscape of the area which attracts millions of visitors every year. The main agricultural practice was sheep and the wool that was produced in medieval times was crucial to the prosperity of the region and England generally. Today, sheep and cattle remain the prime source of farm income although making a living from hill farming has become very difficult. Grouse shooting on the heather moors provides an additional source of income. Tourism has become a dominant factor in the local economy and many farms and local pubs provide bed and breakfast and self catering. Camp sites and caravan sites can be found across the region.
History
Early peoples settle in the area about 10,000 years ago and were hunter gatherers using stone tools. Around 7,000 years ago the North Sea cut Britain off from Europe and the early farmers cleared the trees from what are now the moors. These peoples grew crops, kept domesticated animals and buried their dead in the long low burial mounds that can be found in the region. 4,000 years ago a different people moved into the area. These folk had better tools made of Bronze and they finally cleared the tree cover of the original forest. The land exposed to the elements lost its nutrients and over time became the moor land we have today. These folk buried their dead in round burial mounds and about 3,000 of these have been discovered. In the iron age (600 BC) the politics of the region caused people to build hill forts at Rudston Scar and at Boltby Scar. In AD 71 the Romans established a fort at Malton and from here reads radiated out to their other settlements at Pickering, Cawthorn, Lease Rigg and Filey. When the Romans left, the British Kingdoms of the area were gradually conquered by the Anglo Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria which dominated the north of Britain till it fell to the Danes in the ninth century. The Northumbrian Kings established Christian centres at Whitby, Lastingham and Hackness amongst others. The Danes settled heavily in the area and their language still survives in the local dialect and in the place names across the area. King William the Conqueror devastated the area when the local lords rebelled. His destruction was so complete that nothing was left for the local population to eat and starvation ensued. He imposed Norman rule in the area by building a series of castles, most notably, Helmsley, Pickering, Scarborough, Ayton, Danby, Mulgrave and Whorlton.. Later the monastic movement established monasteries at Whitby Abbey, Guisborough Abbey, Rievaulx Abbey, Byland Abbey and Mount Grace Priory and these became large landowners and grew very rich on the Wool trade. They were all confiscated by King Henry VIII, their wealth taken into the treasury and their lands and building sold off. The ruins of these lovely buildings are now major tourist attractions. In the late 19th century the railway connected Pickering, Middlesborough and Scarborough to Whitby. With the advent of the railway, Iron Ore became worth extracting and many mines and quarries were operated. Coal was extracted till the early 20th century. Most of the scars on the landscape from these activities have now been grown over or adapted.
Accommodation
There are Self Catering and Bed and Breakfast properties in many parts of the moors. Many old farmhouses and outbuilding have been sympathetically converted to provide holiday accommodation. However, given the isolated nature of the landscape, the provision of such accommodation is limited and holidays should be booked well in advances to avoid disappointment.
Places of interest:
North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Byland Abbey, Rievaulx Abbey, Rosedale Abbey, Guisborough Abbey, Cleveland Way National trail, Lyke Wake Walk, Forge Valley NNR, Farndale LNR, Helmsley Castle, Ashberry Pastures, Bridestones, Ellerburn Bank, Fen Bog, Garbutt Wood, Hagg wood Marsh, Hayburn Wyke, Littlebeck, River Seven, River Dove, River Rye, River Seph, River Esk, Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo, Eden Camp Museum
Geography
The North York Moors has cool summers and relatively mild winters. As in most parts of Britain, weather conditions vary from day to day as well as from season to season. The winds are predominately westerly bringing with them unsettled and windy weather, particularly in winter. The North York Moors are drained by two river systems. The north is drained by the River Esk and its tributaries, which meets the North Sea at Whitby. The south is drained by the River Derwent which eventually joins up with the River Ouse at Barmby on the Marsh. The rocks of the North York Moors were mostly laid down in the tropical seas of the Jurassic period, 205 to 142 million years ago. Rock types vary from shales to sandstones and limestones derived from coral. These marine and delta deposited rocks are superbly exposed on the Yorkshire coast from Staithes to Filey. About 30 million years ago, the land was raised and tilted towards the south by earth movements. The oldest rocks, the bands of shales and ironstones form the northern scarp of the moors and Cleveland Hills. The middle Jurassic sandstones form the high moors and the youngest layers of limestone form the tabular hills. During the last 2 million years, the Ice ages which ended about 20,000 years ago cut u shaped valleys through the rocks and formed a vast lake in the area around Pickering. Eventually the water cut through and drained the lake, leaving the Kirkham gorge.
Economy
The main factors in the economy of the North York Moors are now tourism and agriculture. Agriculture was the basis of the economy for thousands of years and generations of farmers have shaped the landscape of the area which attracts millions of visitors every year. The main agricultural practice was sheep and the wool that was produced in medieval times was crucial to the prosperity of the region and England generally. Today, sheep and cattle remain the prime source of farm income although making a living from hill farming has become very difficult. Grouse shooting on the heather moors provides an additional source of income. Tourism has become a dominant factor in the local economy and many farms and local pubs provide bed and breakfast and self catering. Camp sites and caravan sites can be found across the region.
History
Early peoples settle in the area about 10,000 years ago and were hunter gatherers using stone tools. Around 7,000 years ago the North Sea cut Britain off from Europe and the early farmers cleared the trees from what are now the moors. These peoples grew crops, kept domesticated animals and buried their dead in the long low burial mounds that can be found in the region. 4,000 years ago a different people moved into the area. These folk had better tools made of Bronze and they finally cleared the tree cover of the original forest. The land exposed to the elements lost its nutrients and over time became the moor land we have today. These folk buried their dead in round burial mounds and about 3,000 of these have been discovered. In the iron age (600 BC) the politics of the region caused people to build hill forts at Rudston Scar and at Boltby Scar. In AD 71 the Romans established a fort at Malton and from here reads radiated out to their other settlements at Pickering, Cawthorn, Lease Rigg and Filey. When the Romans left, the British Kingdoms of the area were gradually conquered by the Anglo Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria which dominated the north of Britain till it fell to the Danes in the ninth century. The Northumbrian Kings established Christian centres at Whitby, Lastingham and Hackness amongst others. The Danes settled heavily in the area and their language still survives in the local dialect and in the place names across the area. King William the Conqueror devastated the area when the local lords rebelled. His destruction was so complete that nothing was left for the local population to eat and starvation ensued. He imposed Norman rule in the area by building a series of castles, most notably, Helmsley, Pickering, Scarborough, Ayton, Danby, Mulgrave and Whorlton.. Later the monastic movement established monasteries at Whitby Abbey, Guisborough Abbey, Rievaulx Abbey, Byland Abbey and Mount Grace Priory and these became large landowners and grew very rich on the Wool trade. They were all confiscated by King Henry VIII, their wealth taken into the treasury and their lands and building sold off. The ruins of these lovely buildings are now major tourist attractions. In the late 19th century the railway connected Pickering, Middlesborough and Scarborough to Whitby. With the advent of the railway, Iron Ore became worth extracting and many mines and quarries were operated. Coal was extracted till the early 20th century. Most of the scars on the landscape from these activities have now been grown over or adapted.
Accommodation
There are Self Catering and Bed and Breakfast properties in many parts of the moors. Many old farmhouses and outbuilding have been sympathetically converted to provide holiday accommodation. However, given the isolated nature of the landscape, the provision of such accommodation is limited and holidays should be booked well in advances to avoid disappointment.
Places of interest:
North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Byland Abbey, Rievaulx Abbey, Rosedale Abbey, Guisborough Abbey, Cleveland Way National trail, Lyke Wake Walk, Forge Valley NNR, Farndale LNR, Helmsley Castle, Ashberry Pastures, Bridestones, Ellerburn Bank, Fen Bog, Garbutt Wood, Hagg wood Marsh, Hayburn Wyke, Littlebeck, River Seven, River Dove, River Rye, River Seph, River Esk, Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo, Eden Camp Museum
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