Top 10 picturesque villages in North Yorkshire
Places you should add to your visit list
1. Thornton-le-Dale
Calling itself Yorkshire’s little gem, Thornton-le-Dale is as old as it is pretty. Highlights include the village green (complete with ancient stocks), a stunning thatched stone cottage beside the beck and a grade 2 listed church, overlooking the village.
Thornton-le-Dale
2. Hutton-le-Hole
Hidden in a hollow (or hole) in the Tabular Mountains, and close to the heather-clad moors, Hutton-le-Hole is picture perfect. It’s also home to the delightful Ryedale Folk Museum.
Hutton-le-Hole
3. Osmotherly
Tucked in between the Cleveland Hills to the north and the Hambleton Hills to the south, Osmotherly is a popular centre for walkers. It is also an enjoyable country walk away from Mount Grace Priory, House and Gardens (pictured), where you will find the best-preserved Carthusian Priory on the country.
Mount Grace Priory, House and Gardens
4. Rievaulx village and abbey
In the shelter of the abbey ruins, the tiny village of Rievaulx is a destination for lovers of landscape beauty. In the words of St. Aelred, 'everywhere peace, everywhere serenity'
Rievaulx abbey ruins
5. Goathland
The moorland village famous as Aidensfield in TV’s Heartbeat, is best visited on the North York Moors Railway Line. The station has also doubled as Hogsmeade Station in the Harry Potter films.
Goathland Moorland Village
6. Runswick Bay
This coastal village tumbles down the hillside towards the arc of the bay and its own sandy beach. It is home to the only thatched cottage on the North Yorkshire coast.
Runswick Bay
7. Robin Hood’s Bay
An ancient fishing village with a treasure trove of smuggling stories, Robin Hood’s Bay is a popular destination for visitors to North Yorkshire. It is said that contraband could be smuggled from the beach to the top of the village, from house to house, through a series of hidden doorways and passages.
Robin Hood’s Bay
8. Newton upon Rawcliffe
A cluster of Yorkshire stone cottages, a duck pond and a village green tell you that you that you are in the small farming village of Newton upon Radcliffe, near Keldy. In a glorious location between the North York Moors and the Howardian Hills, it also has a lovely, tranquil church and a welcoming country pub.
Newton upon Rawcliffe Church
Great Ayton, North York Moors National Park
10. Cropton village
Well, we couldn’t miss Cropton out could we? Next to our family forest hot tub cabin location, Cropton is a small but perfectly formed village, with a history that dates back over 2,000 years. It boasts amazing views of the moors, a magnificent horse chestnut tree that is over 100 years old and, perhaps most importantly The Great Yorkshire Brewery.
Cropton Forest