This week was the 68th birthday of the North York Moors National Park – and since lockdown, we’ve never appreciated living in a national park more. Now we have to be honest here. Before we moved from Harrogate to Appleton Le Moors, the national park we spent most time in was the Yorkshire Dales. So originally, when we first decided to sell up in Harrogate and escape to a new life in the country, the Dales was where we looked first. At the risk of sounding like Kirsty and Phil, we just couldn’t find anywhere that “ticked all our boxes,” so we expanded our search and started to look at the North York Moors. The rest is history, we fell in love with  the moors,  Town End Farm, and our lovely village. So what makes “our” park so special? We think a big reason is the unique mixture of different countryside and coast that we have here. We love the atmospheric big skies of the moors, open and spectacular with one of the biggest expanses of heather moorland in the UK.

But what may surprise you, is that we are one of the most wooded of England’s National Parks (almost a quarter) which we think gives the park real character. We appreciate the seasons more than anywhere we’ve lived; seeing the trees go through the changes over the year is quite magical.

We also have dales, green lush valleys that cut into the high moorland, and remind us of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. Full of characterful stone buildings and walls (and sheep) we always feel we are properly in Yorkshire when exploring them.

Last but not least is our gorgeous coastline. From sandy beaches, sheltered coves, little fishing villages, towering cliffs and rocky shores, we’re truly spoilt for choice. Whether it’s a coastland walk, surfing the waves, or a traditional seaside visit with fish and chips, there really is something for everyone.

The coast is just 40 minutes’ drive away; the rest is within walking distance from the Long Barn. The only problem is which one to chose to spend your day in….

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