Scarborough:
Scarborough holds a lot of childhood memories for me and I always love to go back. This is a great seaside spa town that is a wonderfully Yorkshire place to visit with friends. It is a step back in time to when families would come from all around Yorkshire to spend a day at the seaside. With arcades, games, ice cream parlours and the lovely view of the North Sea and the 11th Century ruins of Scarborough Castle. This resort is somewhere you have to visit whilst studying at York – it is easily accessible by train or bus.
For any literary fans, Scarborough is where the writer Anne Brontë was laid to rest, the Brontë family enjoyed spending time in and around Scarborough due to the health benefits of the sea air.
If you visit Scarborough, it is a definitive must that you visit one of the many fabulous fish and chip shops. There are so many but my favourites are: The Fish Pan and Capplemans. There is nothing better than a tray of hot chips and scraps (small pieces of batter) with a walk on the seafront.
Castle Howard:
This beautiful stately home is only 15 miles from York and boasts amazing grounds and gardens. It’s a private residence which is open to the public and has belonged to the Howard family for more than 300 years. The building began in 1699 and took over 100 years to complete. Castle Howard has been visited by many TV productions, including the filming for Brideshead Revisited, Time Team and Countryfile.
Every year they completely redecorate the home with a Christmas theme. I visited last Christmas which was 12 days of Christmas theme. Each room that you could look around was given a day, and my favourite was the 8 maids are milking.
This exquisite, character-filled home will not disappoint. If you go in the summer, you can have a look at their well-groomed gardens. These include the walled gardens, the rose gardens and the lakes around the property that heighten the grandiosity and beauty of this North Yorkshire home.
Whitby:
Whitby is a quintessential seaside town in North Yorkshire overlooking the North Sea. From the bay, you have a fantastically Gothic view of Whitby Abbey. This was Bram Stoker’s inspiration for his world-renowned tale of Dracula. Every Halloween, Goth enthusiasts visit the Abbey to pay homage to Stoker and his spooky tale.
The beaches are constantly lined with tourists who come to get a glance at a traditional Yorkshire seaside town. It boasts the architectural Church of St. Mary which is reachable by 199 steps, and the Captain Cook Memorial Museum.
Make sure you make a stop at the Humble Pie & Mash Shop, which does the best Pies you will ever eat! And it also has a cosy 1700s era setting.
I highly recommend going to see what Whitby has to offer – it’s like stepping back into a warming time-machine, with traditional Yorkshire food and atmosphere. It’s a place to knock off your bucket list.
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I did visit Scarborough, thanks to Event with Legend & Liverpool Fan Club, to meet with the LFC legend Jamie Carragher at the Sacrborough Spa by the sea, and was able to do a little sightseeing. Hope to visit the other destinations some day. Thanks a lot to Grace for this blog.