Paris to North Yorkshire

We had five peaceful nights in the sleepy village of Lastingham, an hours drive north of York. On the night of our arrival we had a hearty pub meal at the friendly Blacksmith’s Arms. The only other establishment in the village is a rural hotel, The Grange, who also own the holiday cottage we were staying in.

Located up the hill from the cottage, the hotel had lovely gardens and an adventure playground we were able to use. An unexpected treat was complimentary cream tea (tea with scones, jam and clotted cream) in the hotel gardens one afternoon.

Situated on the very edge of the North York Moors, Lastingham is a place to base yourself to do the numerous walks in the area. We didn't manage any walks across the moors but used it as a quiet spot to stay from which to explore some of North Yorkshire. Lastingham itself has the unique St Mary’s Church with it’s beginnings in AD 725. It's most notable feature is the Norman Crypt which is accessed from the church nave down some stairs. It has been described as a “special place” but I found it a bit eerie.

When in a place for a few days, the challenge is to choose exactly what to do when there is so much on offer. After a day in the village soaking in the rural scene and enjoying the cream tea and playground at the hotel, we chose a few nearby attractions for the remaining three days.

First off we visited Eden Camp Museum, a modern history theme museum housed within the grounds and huts of an original WWII

Prisoner of War camp. Built as a tribute to all those who endured the realities of the war it does an amazing job of recreating scenes of wartime Britain. The original huts have been transformed into mini museums focussing on different aspects of this war. William in particular loved the experience. As a result another category has been added to our "guess the..." game where we now have "guess the war bomb”!

On a previous trip to Yorkshire Alex and I had visited the seaside town of Whitby. This time we travelled there via the North York Moors Railway. We rode a heritage diesel train from Pickering to Whitby (18 miles) and visited the Captain Cook Museum. Whitby was where James Cook trained to be a seaman and the museum is located in the 17th Century house where he lodged as an apprentice. A visit to Whitby is incomplete without fish and chips eaten harbour side. A particular delight for Emily :)

With our Heritage NZ membership we were able to take advantage of a reciprocal arrangement with both English Heritage and the National Trust, making hundreds of historic properties available to us during our time here. If only we had more time!

So, in Yorkshire we visited Rievaulx Abbey and explored it’s extensive ruins and medieval artefacts in the adjacent museum. Taking in the grandeur of the place in such a tranquil setting made the suppression and destruction of the monasteries under King Henry VIII come alive for me and show just how devastating it was.

While we didn't get to walk on the North York Moors much I raced up there to take some photos on the gorgeous morning we left. Hopefully these will be enough to remind us of our peaceful little escape here and inspire our return.... one day.