Yorkshire

With a population as big as Scotland's and an area half the size of Belgium, Yorkshire is almost a country in itself. It has its own flag, its own dialect and its own celebration, Yorkshire Day (1 August).

People have long been drawn to this region for walking and cycling, framed by some of Britain's finest scenery – brooding moors and green dales rolling down to a dramatic coastline. Then there's the sheer breadth of history, from Roman times to the 21st century. Medieval York is the heart-throb of the north, but there are countless other atmospheric towns and villages to explore, via abbey ruins, craggy castles and classical gardens.

But Yorkshire refuses to fade into the past and one of its greatest charms lies in the ways innovative locals are driving its cities and towns forward. Once-derelict urban areas are seeing regeneration, and modern Britishness is being fused with Yorkshire heritage in cafes, pubs and restaurants.

Explore Yorkshire

Whitby Abbey
There are ruined abbeys, and there are picturesque ruined abbeys. And then there's Whitby Abbey, dominating the skyline above the East Cliff like a great…
York Minster
York Minster is the largest medieval cathedral in northern Europe, and one of the world's most beautiful Gothic buildings. Seat of the archbishop of York,…
Castle Howard
Stately homes may be two a penny in England, but you'll have to try pretty damn hard to find one as breathtakingly stately as Castle Howard, a work of…
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
One of England's most impressive collections of sculpture is scattered across the formidable 18th-century estate of Bretton Park, 200-odd hectares of…
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Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal
The alluring and strangely obsessive water gardens of the Studley Royal estate were built in the 18th century to enhance the picturesque ruins of 12th…
National Railway Museum
York's National Railway Museum – the biggest in the world, with more than 100 locomotives – is well presented and crammed with fascinating stuff. It is…
Jorvik Viking Centre
Interactive multimedia exhibits aimed at bringing history to life often achieve exactly the opposite, but the much-hyped Jorvik manages to pull it off…
R
Rievaulx Abbey
In the secluded valley of the River Rye about 3 miles west of Helmsley, amid fields and woods loud with birdsong, stand the magnificent ruins of Rievaulx…
Royal Armouries
Leeds' most interesting museum was originally built in 1996 to house armour and weapons from the Tower of London, but subsequently expanded to cover 3000…

Whitby Abbey
There are ruined abbeys, and there are picturesque ruined abbeys. And then there's Whitby Abbey, dominating the skyline above the East Cliff like a great…
York Minster
York Minster is the largest medieval cathedral in northern Europe, and one of the world's most beautiful Gothic buildings. Seat of the archbishop of York,…
Castle Howard
Stately homes may be two a penny in England, but you'll have to try pretty damn hard to find one as breathtakingly stately as Castle Howard, a work of…
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
One of England's most impressive collections of sculpture is scattered across the formidable 18th-century estate of Bretton Park, 200-odd hectares of…
F
Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal
The alluring and strangely obsessive water gardens of the Studley Royal estate were built in the 18th century to enhance the picturesque ruins of 12th…
National Railway Museum
York's National Railway Museum – the biggest in the world, with more than 100 locomotives – is well presented and crammed with fascinating stuff. It is…
Jorvik Viking Centre
Interactive multimedia exhibits aimed at bringing history to life often achieve exactly the opposite, but the much-hyped Jorvik manages to pull it off…
R
Rievaulx Abbey
In the secluded valley of the River Rye about 3 miles west of Helmsley, amid fields and woods loud with birdsong, stand the magnificent ruins of Rievaulx…
Royal Armouries
Leeds' most interesting museum was originally built in 1996 to house armour and weapons from the Tower of London, but subsequently expanded to cover 3000…

Latest Stories from Yorkshire

Food Gin, rum and vodka: Yorkshire’s best distillery experiences
Jun 7, 2019 • 5 min read
Yorkshire in northern England has become a hotbed for craft distilleries. Most are making gin, but there’s also rum, vodka and soon whisky to slosh around…
Art Gentleman Jack filming locations: follow in the footsteps of Anne Lister in Yorkshire
May 26, 2019 • 4 min read
It’s the north of England, 1832, and gutsy Yorkshire heiress Anne Lister returns to her family home after years of travel, intent on marrying a woman to…
Food The best things to do in Yorkshire in summer
Mar 22, 2019 • 4 min read
There’s no better time to plan an escape to Yorkshire than summer. The days are long, the green hills and dales shimmer in the sun like emeralds and there…
Food Say cheese! How the Yorkshire Dales are reviving cheesemaking traditions
Mar 13, 2019 • 7 min read
Cheesemaking has been part of the rural and cultural landscape in the Yorkshire Dales for centuries, with recipes passed down over the years from medieval…
Food Best things to do in Yorkshire in spring
Feb 1, 2019 • 4 min read
In Yorkshire, as in most other places, spring begins in March. Days get longer, and although snow sometimes falls as late as April, you’ll see plenty of…
History Queen Victoria’s favourite gem gets its own Yorkshire museum
Feb 1, 2019 • 2 min read
When Prince Albert died suddenly of typhoid fever in 1861, Queen Victoria was so consumed by grief that she entered a mourning period that lasted the rest…
Festivals & Events Whitby – how a Yorkshire seaside town became the UK’s gothic capital
Oct 25, 2018 • 5 min read
On a stormy night the schooner Demeter is blown into Whitby harbour. An immense black dog jumps ashore and disappears into the darkness. On board, lashed…
Art Yorkshire's best castles, cathedrals and stately homes
Sep 3, 2018 • 5 min read
There are so many fine architectural wonders in Yorkshire it can be hard to know where to begin. Colonnaded stately homes appear stuck in time. Medieval…
Food How to live like a Local in Leeds
Aug 14, 2018 • 5 min read
A born-and-raised Londoner, Lonely Planet Local Lorna Parkes left the capital in 2015 for a family-friendly life in Leeds, Yorkshire. In between travel…
Food Tapping into the Yorkshire beer scene
Apr 17, 2018 • 6 min read
In a regeneration area of old factories and warehouses, relics of Leeds’ 19th-century industrial might, a hooded monk looks down upon a makeshift beer…
Food The rise and rise of Yorkshire's food and drink scene
Dec 8, 2017 • 6 min read
The humble Yorkshire pudding may be its greatest culinary claim to fame, but England’s largest county is becoming increasingly sophisticated and…
Food Leeds: 10 reasons to visit a reborn northern powerhouse
Mar 22, 2017 • 7 min read
Yorkshire’s largest city was once defined by mills and industry, but Leeds’ Victorian centre has marched proudly into the 21st century. Its industrious…
Art Five of Yorkshire's best bike rides
Dec 1, 2014 • 8 min read
Yorkshire shot to fame in 2014 when this proudest of English regions hosted the first two stages of the world's most prestigious cycling race – the Tour…
Food Six offbeat experiences in Yorkshire, England
May 30, 2014 • 5 min read
Yorkshire is much-hyped of late, but for good reason – the four counties that make up this slice of northern England have so much to offer in terms of…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Yorkshire.

See
Whitby Abbey
There are ruined abbeys, and there are picturesque ruined abbeys. And then there's Whitby Abbey, dominating the skyline above the East Cliff like a great…
See
York Minster
York Minster is the largest medieval cathedral in northern Europe, and one of the world's most beautiful Gothic buildings. Seat of the archbishop of York,…
See
Castle Howard
Stately homes may be two a penny in England, but you'll have to try pretty damn hard to find one as breathtakingly stately as Castle Howard, a work of…
See
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
One of England's most impressive collections of sculpture is scattered across the formidable 18th-century estate of Bretton Park, 200-odd hectares of…
See
Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal
The alluring and strangely obsessive water gardens of the Studley Royal estate were built in the 18th century to enhance the picturesque ruins of 12th…
See
National Railway Museum
York's National Railway Museum – the biggest in the world, with more than 100 locomotives – is well presented and crammed with fascinating stuff. It is…
See
Jorvik Viking Centre
Interactive multimedia exhibits aimed at bringing history to life often achieve exactly the opposite, but the much-hyped Jorvik manages to pull it off…
See
Rievaulx Abbey
In the secluded valley of the River Rye about 3 miles west of Helmsley, amid fields and woods loud with birdsong, stand the magnificent ruins of Rievaulx…
See
Royal Armouries
Leeds' most interesting museum was originally built in 1996 to house armour and weapons from the Tower of London, but subsequently expanded to cover 3000…

Guidebooks

Purchase our award-winning guidebooks

Get to the heart of Yorkshire with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.