Visit one of Yorkshire’s three National Parks this Autumn and be prepared to fall in love with some of the most breathtaking landscapes in God’s Own County.
It’s the moorland that the North York Moors are most famous for and the beautiful heather lies unenclosed and unsurpassed right at the very heart of the park. In summer, this area is turned into a purple carpet that stretches for miles across the open vistas, but autumn gives the area a whole new setting. With the change in the weather and lighting, the moors are exceptionally beautiful and have been known to inspire artists and writers alike.
The newest stretch of the England Coast Path through Yorkshire has recently opened, giving first-time public access to a fantastic new viewpoint of Staithes. It is also part of the Cleveland Way National Trail.
The North York Moors coastline forms part of the North Yorkshire and Cleveland Heritage Coast and really is something to behold. High cliffs, rocky shores and nesting seabirds await you here with over 30 miles of clifftop path to amble along.
With around 1,600 square kilometres of living landscape, the Yorkshire Dales National Park is truly unique and has a wide variety of attractions for the whole family to enjoy. If history is your thing, then look no further than the Dales’ castles. One of the most complete and well preserved of these is Skipton Castle, which is over 900 years old. Ripley Castle is slightly younger, but a no less impressive 700-year-old sibling and Bolton Castle is a magnificent fortress still standing in outstanding condition.
The Dales are quintessentially Yorkshire and with their spectacular waterfalls and ancient broadleaved woodlands, they truly are stunning. It’s not just views and beauty that make this area special, there is a rich industrial heritage to be explored where visitors can find the scattered remains of former mine workings and rural industries.
Also falling into Yorkshire’s boundaries is a large chunk of the Peak District National Park. With its pretty moorland, rolling hills and leafy forests it is just as beautiful as its two counterparts. There are two contrasting landscapes here, the White Peak which offers gentle, rolling limestone hills and the Dark Peak (of which Yorkshire has a part) consisting of rugged gritstone uplands. Designated as ‘Britain’s first National Park’, it is truly a unique place.
This article was taken from our Autumn 2016 Guide.
