July 15 - North Yorkshire Moors

Today started with what was probably the most extensive breakfast I've ever had at a B&B: fruit, yogurt, cereal, toast, bacon, sausage, eggs, fried bread, fried mushrooms, fried tomatoes, coffee, and orange juice. Pleasantly stuffed, we piled in the car and drove to the village of Pickering (much nicer than the one in Ontario) to catch the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, which bills itself as the "world's most popular heritage steam railway".

We rode the train to Goathland, which is a lovely moorland village whose train station just happened to be used as the Hogsmeade station in Harry Potter (you're welcome, Julia).

And it is a very nice station - I like these bridges a lot.

After arriving, we walked up a nearby hill to get a better view of the station, village, and surrounding moors. And while it was very picturesque, there was an adder infestation so we didn't stay too long and soon headed into the village for lunch. Goathland is lovely and quaint with sheep wandering all over the main street. It was, however, used as the town of Aidensfield in Heartbeat (a popular television program) meaning there were tourists all over the place. After a nice lunch in a tearoom we returned to Pickering to explore Pickering Castle.

Pickering Castle was built throughout the years by William the Conqueror, Henry III, and Edward II, and was fully completed in the mid-fourteenth century. Today it is largely in ruins, but many of the walls remain making it possible to appreciate the size and strength of the fortress.

Although the castle was never attacked, it was built to withstand sieges, with inner and outer walls, moats, and imposing towers built into the curtain wall. Pictured here is the main gatehouse, complete with portcullis and drawbridge. From the picture, it is possible to see how large the original arched doorway once was

This is Rosamund's Tower, believed to be named after Henry II's mistress - 'Fair Rosamund'. Set into the north curtain wall, it sits on top of a ditch running out of the castle where the postern (concealed rear entrance) is located.

These are the foundations of Constable's Hall and a few store-rooms. The constable was the military commander of the garrison, and was responsible for the castle's defense. This hall is believed to have been built by David Roucliffe, who was constable and steward (charged with the smooth running of the estate and maintaining law and order) between 1393 and 1407.

We finished our tour by climbing to the heart of the castle: the keep. It is located atop a large grassy mound and would have housed the king whenever he was present. From the top of the hill (only small parts of the original keep remain) it is possible to see the whole castle as well as the surrounding countryside.

We left town in the late afternoon and began the drive back to the bed and breakfast. Along the way we stopped atop Sutton Bank to take in some truly breathtaking views of the surrounding moors and farmland.





We had dinner at the Whitestonecliff Inn in Sutton-under-Whitestonecliff and returned to our accommodations in heavy rain. The rest of the weekend is supposed to be rainy too, which is something to look forward to as we head into York tomorrow.

GWV