Explore the area

▶  With acres of the country's best farmland, it's no surprise that Yorkshire also produces some of the country's best produce. Rare breed and organic beef, lamb and pork are all reared in the surrounding area and are available from local butchers. The area is also famous for locally-shot game, specialist cheese and traditional beer. Pick up some ingredients for a picnic or dinner back at the cottage at Beadlam Grange's award-winning farm shop or Hunters traditional delicatessen at Helmsley.

▶  English Heritage list no fewer than three major abbeys around the North York Moors, but the most spectacular of these has to be Rievaulx Abbey near Helmsley. Unlike the other abbeys, it sits in the depths of the valley of the river Rye, a seemingly unlikely location for such a magnificent building. But is was here that the Cistercian order established an abbey that was to become the most spiritually important in England. After exploring the ruins, Rievaulx is a great place to use as the starting point for a walk, either through the surrounding valleys or out on the moors. Rievaulx Terrace and Temples high above the abbey are also worth a trip while you're here.

▶  Why not start with a visit to one of the finest stately homes that England has to offer, the spectacular Castle Howard. Built by Sir John Vanburgh for the Earl's of Carlisle in 1701, the house shot to fame as the setting on film and TV for Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. You could easily spend a day exploring the house's original interiors and wondering through the landscaped grounds. To keep you there a bit longer, there's one of the area's nicest garden centres, a bakery and a butchers selling meat from the estate. As you'd expect from a house of this size, there's a calendar of events throughout the year, from the Last Night of The Proms to the Castle Triathlon.

▶  Now firmly back in the Michelin guide, the Star Inn offers some of Yorkshire's most exciting produce and cooking. Now expanded to include a base in the city in York, the original country inn keeps its traditional pub feel - and still attracts local drinkers - but serves excellent food in its attached restaurant. At nearby Oldstead, meanwhile, The Black Swan makes it two Michelin stars in a 10 mile radius. The self-taught chef uses produce from the family farm to deliver some of the world's most exciting modern food. The Michelin accolade was followed in 2017 by the announcement by Tripadvisor that The Black Swan is the world's best restaurant.

▶  York is home to the National Railway Museum's impressive collection of railway heritage from all around the world, including the famous Mallard steam locomotive, a working replica of Stephenson's Rocket, and Tornado, the first steam loco built in Britain for 50 years. Entry to the museum is free, and has daily events and activities. From its viewing gallery you can also watch modern trains coming and going from the busy York station just below.

▶  Another sight familiar to film fans, the NYMR provided the original trains and backdrop for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. And the original Hogwarts Express still plies the historic moorland line. Although replaced in future editions of the films, the NYMR stop at Goathland will, for many Harry Potter fans, always be Hogsmeade Station. Whether a fan or not, the NYMR, departing from nearby Pickering, is a great day out for all the family.

▶  A visit to Northern Europe's largest Gothic cathedral is a must for any trip to Yorkshire. Discover 800 years of spiritual history and see some of Britain's finest stained glass. York Minster is also an active church, and seat of the Church of England in the North, offering daily opportunities for worship. The minster also plays host to special events throughout the year.

▶  The area around Argil Cottage is criss-crossed by a network of footpaths, including the Lyke Wake Walk from coast to coast, and the Cleveland Way (pictured). Take the opportunity to get out into some of the best of Britain's countryside, exploring the hills and dales of the North York Moors, and the stunning scenery of the Yorkshire coast.