Helmsley with it's castle is located on the west flank of the North Yorkshire Moors date back to the 12th Century, the large market square has plenty of accommodation to help you visit the Ryedale and into the moors

Leaving in an easterly direction on the road towards Nawton a quite village with accommodation at the Plumpton Court, we detour from the main road to cross Hodge Beck in Kirk Dale, where St Gregory's Minster dates back to before the Norman Conquest of 1066 when it had just been rebuilt. A Saxon sundial on the Minster is rather unique, dividing the daylight hours of the day into eight tides.

Helmsley Cross

After passing through Kirkbymoorside take a detour north to Hutton-le-Hole  and the Ryedale Folk Museum which has a functioning glass Kiln and Blacksmiths shop depicting local life during the past five Centuries. It is a quiet 17th Century village where the beck flows through the middle of the thatched stone houses with open grazing for the sheep.

                  Hutton-le-Hole

Turning back towards Pickering to Lastingham where the Benedictine monks built the Original Church in the 11th Century, although altered and rebuilt the original crypt remains intact below the present church.

Lastingham

Pickering an old market town dates back to the 3rd Century and Peredurus the Celtic King, it's castle now in ruins near the 12th Century church which has old wall paintings of historic and biblical scenes. A detour at this point south to Malton and Eden Camp is of interest to all ages, a World War II prison camp converted to a museum depicting life in the 1940's.

Pickering is also the southern end if the North Yorks Steam Railway which runs through the Moors north to Goathland and Gromont, functioning as a commuting service with a daily timetable and many stops en-route, it is a must for tourists and walkers with a days pass.

Located between the Staindale and Dalby Forests through which the Forest Drive is open to the public with many picnic points.  The Bride Stones are a short walk from High Staindale, they are stones are limestone which has weathered over the years, the lower layers mores o then the upper ones producing some interesting formations.

The Forest Drive continues to Bickley where we turn east to Hackness in Trouts Dale, the neighby Hackness Hall is open to view before completing the journey with an ice cream on the beach in Scarborough or in it's old town harbour area.

www.EdenCamp.co.uk

A prisoner of War Camp from WWII which has been has been restored as an Exhibition Centre give the visitor an in-depth experience of life in the 1940s in War Time England.  This is an extensive exhibit and worthy of an extended visit if possible, each of the wooden huts of the camp offer a different theme.