CLUB SITES BEECHWOOD GRANGE & WEST AYTON ATTRACTIONS n Castle Howard , York YO60 7DA. Call 01653 648444 or see castlehoward.co.uk n Clifford’s Tower , York YO1 9SA. Call 01904 646940 or see english-heritage.org.uk/ yorkshire n Eden Camp, Malton YO17 6RT. Call 01653 697777 or see edencamp.co.uk n Flamingo Land , Kirby Misperton, Malton YO17 6UX. Call 0871 911 8000 or see York Castle Museum flamingoland.co.uk n Jorvik Viking Centre n York Dungeon 9WT. Call 01904 615505, York or YO1see , York YO1 9RD. Call 01904 632599 or see jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk thedungeons.com n National Railway Museum n York Minster York YO26 4XJ. Call 0844 8153, , York YO1 7HH. Call 0844 939 0011 or see 139 or see nrm.org.uk yorkminster.org n Scarborough Castle n York Racecourse Scarborough YO11 1HY., YO23 1EX. Call 01904, York 620911 or Call 01723 372451 or see see yorkracecourse.co.uk english-heritage.org.uk/ n Yorkshire Museum yorkshire YO1 7FR. Call 01904 687687, York or n Scarborough Sea Life and see yorkshiremuseum.org.uk Marine Sanctuary n Yorkshire Air Museum Mills, Scarborough, YO12Scalby 6RP. Elvington, York YO41 4AU., Call 0871 423 2110 or see Call 01904 608595 or see sealife.co.uk yorkshireairmusem.co.uk n York Castle Museum n Yorkshire Museum of Farming YO1 9RY. Call 01904 687687, York or Murton YO19 5UF. Call 01904 , see yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk 489966 or see murtonpark.co.uk

world’s fastest steam locomotive, takes Left: the Atlas pride of place but other major exhibits Fountain in the include a Japanese bullet train, a Eurostar grounds at Castle Howard train and a massive Chinese locomotive, as well as railway carriages used by royalty and Below: one of a replica of Stephenson’s Rocket. York Minster’s YORKSHIRE There’s even more to do outside the city gargoyles walls. To the south, six miles along the A64 from Beechwood Grange, York Racecourse offers 17 days of flat racing between May and October. Meanwhile, near Elvington, the Yorkshire Air Museum, on a former Bomber Command airfield, displays more TALES than 40 historic aircraft. Even closer to the site, just off the A64 at Murton Don Jolly is overwhelmed by the variety of attractions on offer in Park, is the Yorkshire Museum historic York, seaside Scarborough and everywhere in between DID YOU of Farming, which has a large KNOW? collection of agricultural Oscar-winning actor Charles equipment as well as farm Laughton was born animals, including rare breeds, UST 30 miles separate the Club’s It is a good family site, offering a Monks Cross Park and Ride is close to the currently being restored along with the rule under Emperor Constantine, in Scarboroughand a short section of the Derwent sites at Beechwood Grange, children’s play area as well as pitches for site (it has parking bays for motor caravans, east front’s stonework. the Gunpowder Plot (Guy Fawkes was born Valley Light Railway. Jnorth-east of York, and West Ayton, boules and football. There is a dog-walking too). Parking is free and the bus reaches Jorvik Viking Centre, built on the site of York), the Black Death and other ’orrible The West Ayton site feels more laid south-west of Scarborough, but it is area provided, but if you want to go off-site the city centre in minutes. Remember, York’s Viking settlement of a thousand ’appenings. If that doesn’t frighten you, then back and peaceful than Beechwood ❖ astonishing how much there is to discover with your pooch, you must take it in a though, the last service returns at 8pm. years ago, tells you about the sights, sounds try wandering around after dark – it’s Grange, and though it has more pitches, between the two. If you have wide-ranging vehicle – the long entrance drive is shared There is such a lot to discover in York. and smells of the time. supposedly England’s most haunted city. If they are spread around a far larger area. interests and like mixing culture with coast with a stud farm and dogs and nervy Most attractions are within walking Clifford’s Tower is all that remains of the you prefer safety in numbers, take one of the On the southern edge of the North York and countryside, this is where to be. racehorses tend not to mix. distance of each other inside the city’s Norman castle while, across the way, nightly guided ghost tours. Moors National Park, it was once a quarry

Ordnance Survey Landranger Beechwood Grange is handily placed by Across the roundabout at the end of the ancient walls, but you’ll still need at least the Castle Museum, once the prison in Beside the river Ouse next to Lendal (not that you can tell from its lush Maps 100, 101, 105 York’s A64/A1237 outer ring road, the one drive is the nearest eatery, a Toby Carvery. two days to get the most out of this which highwayman Dick Turpin was Bridge, the beautiful Yorkshire Museum greenery) and is laid out in three tiers. It drawback being, despite screening trees A fish and chip van also calls at the site beautiful city. One must is the Minster, incarcerated before his execution, features Gardens were formerly the grounds of contains mainly hardstandings, although and hedges, some traffic noise. A very busy three evenings a week during the summer, the biggest medieval cathedral north displays of life in Victorian York. now-ruined St Mary’s Abbey. The museum there are also 35 grassy pitches. site, it has a high daily turnover even otherwise, the city centre has plenty of of the Alps. As well as this claim to Nearby, the York Dungeon features itself contains numerous historic artefacts. Like the other site featured here, it outside the main holiday season, and dining options. Like most cities, York is fame, it also contains the world’s largest attractions depicting significant events and Perhaps more popular is the National caters well for families and has two play advanced booking is definitely advised. best avoided by car. Conveniently, the Gothic stained-glass window, which is periods in the city’s history, including Roman Railway Museum. The Mallard, the areas, including a ‘commando course’ >>

20 The Caravan Club Magazine January 2010 The Caravan Club Magazine 21 CLUB SITES BEECHWOOD GRANGE & WEST AYTON

Clifford’s Tower – all that remains of York’s Norman castle

and a boules pitch, as well as a pavilion Immediately below the church, the containing pool and table tennis tables. harbour is devoted more to pleasure boats INFORMATION It is well-suited to dog-owners, too, and than fishing boats these days. There’s an SITES there are walking trails from the site impressive lighthouse on Vincent’s Pier, Full details can be found on p220 (West Ayton) and p223 through Forge Valley Wood and along the alongside a sculpture, The Diving Belle, (Beechwood Grange) of the Sites Directory & Handbook 2009/10 Derwent Valley to Hackness. If you prefer celebrating the resort’s longevity. to cycle, you can peddle along quiet lanes From Scarborough, there’s excellent in much the same direction, or through coastal walking along the cliffs using the nearby Wykeham Forest and farther afield Cleveland Way, north to Whitby and south in Dalby Forest. to Filey. This stretch is renowned for its At the end of a strenuous day, why not Jurassic geology and many finds from the recharge the batteries with a meal at Ye area are displayed in Scarborough’s Olde Forge Valley Inn in West Ayton or the recently refurbished Rotunda Museum. Denison Arms in East Ayton? Alternatively, About midway between Scarborough TOURISM Scarborough, five miles away, has more and York, around the market town of n Malton TIC – Malton Museum, Market Place YO17 7LP. Call 01653 600048 or email [email protected] places to eat out. Malton, several attractions are easily n Pickering TIC –The Ropery, Pickering YO18 8DY. Scarborough, known to the Victorians as reached from either site. Topping the list is Call 01751 473791 or email [email protected] ‘the Queen of the Watering Places’, has Castle Howard, the grand 18th-century n Scarborough TIC – Brunswick Shopping Centre, been welcoming visitors for more than 360 stately home that provided the backdrop Westborough YO11 1UE. Call 01723 383636 or email years. It has sandy beaches in North Bay – for Brideshead Revisited. [email protected] home to a sealife centre at Scalby Mills – Just north of Malton, Eden Camp is a n Visit York – Exhibition Square, York YO1 7HB. Call 01904 550099 or email [email protected] and the more refined South Bay, which has Second World War prisoner-of-war camp its Spa Complex and gardens. transformed into a museum focused CYCLING Overlooking both bays from a particularly on the war’s home front. n From Beechwood Grange: you can choose from National rocky headland are the remains of Young children, though, will probably Cycle Network Route 66 from York to Stamford Bridge or Scarborough Castle – climb to the keep’s prefer Flamingo Land, the theme park Route 65 from York to Beningbrough. ramparts and you’ll enjoy extensive between Malton and Pickering, which n From West Ayton: the Yorkshire Moors and Coast Cycle Route is just a short distance from the West Ayton site. Pick it up at views. Nearby St Mary’s Church is a features numerous gentle rides as well as Scarborough and head north for a pleasant traffic-free ride. significant landmark. Here you will others designed to test the nerves. There is See sustrans.org.uk for more information on both routes. find the grave of Anne Brontë, who died also a zoo with exotic wild animals, birds, in the town, aged 29. reptiles, amphibians and farm animals. n

22 The Caravan Club Magazine