About 10 miles to the North of York, in the Ryedale District, lie the Howardian Hills, a series of low ridges concealing some hidden and beautiful pastoral valleys.

The area has been declared an official Area of Outstanding National Beauty.

Here is located the stately home of the Howard family - Castle Howard, where the TV dramatisation of "Brideshead Revisited" was filmed. Malton, on the River Derwent, is a market town just to the North East of the Howardian Hills. There's a small museum here with Roman remains.

Continuing 8 miles North across the Vale of Pickering, the market town of Pickering, on the edge of the North Yorks Moors, is reached. The North Yorks Moors Railway starts from here, with the line terminating at Grosmont, near the fishing town of Whitby. On the way, the railway passes through the moorland village of Goathland, where the TV series, "Heartbeat" was filmed.

The North Yorks Moors extend about 35 miles West - East, and 15 miles North - South. The high plateau is dissected by some deep and beautiful valleys, including Farndale (carpeted with wild daffodils in April) and Rosedale, site of a very ruined abbey, and the centre of iron stone mining in the last century. Near the Northern edge is the quiet and lush valley of Eskdale, which emerges on the coast at Whitby. Much of the moors is heather-clad, turning a dramatic purple in August. The heather provides the basic food for the Red Grouse, which are shot for 'sport' in the late autumn. Dalby Forest, on the southern edge of the Moors between Pickering and Scarborough, has a forest drive and many well-marked forest trails.

To the East of the Moors lies Northallerton, North Yorkshire's County Town, and Ripon, with its 12th century catherdral and Georgian Theatre