Goathland Tourist Information
Goathland is a pretty little village in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire. It lies within the North Yorkshire Moors National Park and is the ideal holiday destination for people who want peace and quiet, amazing moorland views, fresh air and to experience the Yorkshire countryside. The area is also great for families, and Goathland's central location allows easy access to the nearby towns of Whitby, Pickering, Scarborough and York.
» Find Accommodation in Goathland
If you want to learn about the local history of Goathland and North Yorkshire in general, you're in luck! Goathland is rich in history, as the village dates back to Viking times. There are loads of stone footpaths to discover and museums to wander around. If you like nature, the national park is the perfect place to observe birds, otters, foxes, grass snakes and more.
Outdoor Activities in Goathland
The North Yorkshire Moors National Park also provides literally hundreds of walking routes for you to try out. You can experience the amazing landscape up close by walking in the Esk Valley or the Kilburn Woods, for example. Many of the routes are accessible by public transport as well, so you don't feel up to a long walk you can go halfway on the bus.
Many of the walking routes around Goathland lead you to one or more of the waterfalls in the area, one of which is the Mallyan Spout Waterfall in Goathland itself. The waterfall is just about half a mile from the village and includes climbing up a reasonably steep hill. The Mallyan Spout is the tallest waterfall in the North Yorkshire Moors and is an astounding sight.
If you want to take in some history at the same time, you can walk along the ancient road in Wheeldale, which is just a fifteen minute drive away from Goathland. The road is thought to be Roman, but experts believe that it could be even older than that. It stretches for one mile and still has its original drainage ditches along the sides.
Any fans of the television series Heartbeat should visit Goathland, as it is where the show was filmed. You can walk around the town centre and see all of the shows landmarks, like the pub, the local shops, the railway station and more.
Activities for Families in Goathland
If you are looking for places to take your children for an exciting day out around Goathland, Flamingo Land is perfect! It's a theme park and a zoo all rolled into one, so you can go on one of the thrilling rides and then go and check out all of the animals they have - over fifty in total.
Goathland Railway has a connection with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. You can step back in time and experience riding on an authentic and fully operational steam engine. The railway passes through a range of different scenery and is a great way of getting an amazing view of the Yorkshire landscape. Harry Potter fans will be interested to know that the station was featured in the films as Hogsmeade Station!
Goathland does not have any museums itself, but Whitby has a fantastic one that you should visit. The museum is just a twenty minute drive from Goathland and has over twenty constant exhibitions, including fossils, natural history and weapons and military items.
For a museum with a difference, Eden Camp is the place to go. The museum has exhibits and information on modern history and it makes for a cheap day out too - admission is not expensive at all. The exhibitions are arranged in huts, and there are more than thirty altogether.
Places to Eat in Goathland
After your day out taking in the local attractions around Goathland you will want to relax and have a delicious meal. Ditto Restaurant in Whitby is an intimate and friendly restaurant where you can choose from a one, two or three course meal for a set price, which saves you money in the long run. The food is created with locally sourced ingredients and is always tasty and filling.
If you are staying in a hotel and you don't feel like going out for a meal you can take advantage of the restaurant. Nowadays, nearly all large hotels have in-house restaurants, and some even allow you to have your food brought up to your room for an extra cost.
If you want to go for a quiet lunch visiting a tea room is a good idea. At Goathland Tea Rooms & Gifts, situated in the heart of the village, you can enjoy one of the freshly made dishes on the menu, such as soup, jacket potatoes or sandwiches. As the name suggests, you can also buy some nice gifts for friends and family at the Tea Rooms.
Somewhere that you wouldn't expect to find a tea room is atop the magnificent Falling Foss waterfall. The Falling Foss Tea Garden is in a beautifully preserved eighteenth century building that has masses of character for such a small building. Inside, you can sample one of the cakes and scones, served with jam and cream. All food is baked the same day and contains local ingredients.
Photo Credits
Station image contributed by 'Subarite' (no real name given). Garage image contributed by James Hearton. Old vehicles image contributed by Adam Simpson. All images are copyrighted but licensed for further reuse under the Creative Commons License.
