Cow parsley in bloom
2 people walking in path in woodland in June
Hawthorn and cow parsley in flower

We thought we’d do a round up of what’s on in the remainder of June in the North York Moors.

At the moment the weather is spectacular, and fingers crossed with be beautiful for some time to come. So this blog is being written in the garden, soaking up the rays. We don’t think that there are many places better than the North York Moors, especially when the sun is shining.

June is a great month to visit us. The landscape is awash with colour from the frothy white of hawthorn and cow parsley, to the beautiful wild flowers up on the moors. It’s also quieter outside the school holidays. 

Cliff overlooking the sea
Young gannet landing on cliff top
Wildflower meadow

As you’d expect, masses is happening here as we head into the summer. For the full list of activities, the North York Moors web site is the best place to head.

Our top 5 insider tips of things to do are:

1. Helmsley Open Air Swimming Pool is a run by volunteers and is open in the summer months. On Monday mornings, you can do an outdoor poolside yoga session. 45 minutes yoga followed by a 15 minute swim. In the summer months, is a great place to cool off and relax in. 

2 Visit RSPB Bempton which is just over an hour from us. It’s home to one of the UK’s top wild life spectacles; over half a million sea birds gather from March to October. They are there to raise a family on the towering chalk cliffs over looking the North Sea.

We visited this week and had a wonderful few hours watching the sea birds. We’d recommend going mid week if you can, going early, and heading left to the cliffs as you leave the visitors centre. You will get closer to many birds, especially the gannets. It’s also the best place to see puffins. 

We saw lots of frantic nest building with a few early gannet chicks hatching. We saw puffins along with gannets, kittiwakes, guilemots,  razerbills and fulmars.

We also recommend keeping an eye on the meadows behind the cliffs. A barn owl makes a regular appearance, out hunting over the fields. This time we watched him for over half an hour. 

For the full VIP experience, you can book a “Borrow a Sea Bird guide” who will give you a 3 hour guided tour of the site, and show you wildlife that other wise you’d miss.

Purple parasols outside the pub for an event
table surrounded by green grasses and purple aliums in sunshine
SUmmer grasses in barn courtyard

3. 24 – 25th June is the British Falconry Fair at the National Birds of Prey Centre in Helmsley. It’s the biggest falconry fair in Europe; falconers from all over the UK will be meeting to show and fly their birds.

4. 30th June is the famous Bands and BBQ weekend at our very own Moors Inn  with 3 nights of fabulous music. Friday is an evening with a “Touch of Blues” Saturday is Rock, Roll and Soul (featuring Kirkby Soul) Sunday is Big Band Sunday featuring the wonderful York Music Forum Jazz Ensemble. There is something for everyone. All proceeds from ticket sales support local charity Ryedale Special Families.

5. Our final top tip would be to stay local, light the BBQ in the Long Barn garden and relax in the sunshine.