Christmas Walking Holiday in the North York Moors

Our complimentary collection will leave Malton railway station at 12:00. If you are travelling independently, you are welcome to arrive at the cottage from 14:00.

Once you have found your room and settled in, there will be time to meet the rest of the group and get comfortable. You might choose to sit in the lounge, take a short look around Goathland or visit one of the village pubs.

We’ll serve our first group evening meal at approximately 20:00, allowing those travelling from further afield time to arrive without rushing.

The North York Moors gives us plenty of choice, from open moorland and wooded valleys to historic villages and the Yorkshire coast. Rather than setting a fixed itinerary in advance, we’ll select the best walks for the weather, ground conditions and available daylight.

Most days will cover approximately six to eight miles at a relaxed pace. Wherever possible, we’ll leave time for a café stop, a look around one of the local towns or villages, or a drink in the pub after the walk.

The options below give you an idea of the places we may explore during the holiday.

Rosedale and the Central Moors

Rosedale offers a mix of open moorland, valley paths and reminders of the area’s ironstone-mining past. Old railway tracks and industrial remains can still be found across the landscape, adding some interesting local history to the day.

We’ll choose a circular route of approximately six to eight miles, with the possibility of finishing at a local pub before returning to Goathland for dinner.

Robin Hood’s Bay to Whitby

We hope to include a day on the Yorkshire coast, following a section of the Cleveland Way between Robin Hood’s Bay and Whitby.

The clifftop route is approximately seven miles, with coastal views throughout and time to explore Whitby when we arrive. You may want to wander around the harbour and old town, stop for a drink or find some fish and chips before we head back.

We may walk in either direction, depending on the weather and arrangements on the day.

Helmsley and Rievaulx

Helmsley is a small market town with independent shops, cafés and plenty of local character. From here, we could follow countryside paths towards the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey and the surrounding wooded valley.

After the walk, we’ll aim to leave a little time for a look around Helmsley, a café stop or a drink before returning to the cottage.

Sutton Bank and Gormire Lake

Sutton Bank has a good choice of winter walking routes, with views across the Vale of Mowbray and towards Gormire Lake.

Depending on the conditions, we could follow the escarpment, descend towards the lake or combine woodland paths with sections of open countryside. Your guide will choose a route that suits the group and makes the best use of the winter daylight.

Walking Around Goathland

Goathland is surrounded by moorland, wooded valleys, waterfalls and old railway paths, giving us several options directly from the cottage.

Possible routes include Mallyan Spout, Beck Hole and sections of the Rail Trail towards Grosmont. Starting from the door means no driving or organising lifts, leaving us free to finish the walk back in the village and perhaps call into one of the local pubs.

Christmas morning will begin with a leisurely breakfast at the cottage.

We’ll then head out for a short local walk directly from the door. There will be no driving or complicated arrangements: we’ll simply put on our boots and explore the paths, moorland and wooded countryside around Goathland.

After returning to the cottage, your hosts will prepare Christmas dinner while you relax. We’ll then sit down together for a full group meal, followed by a sociable evening of drinks, conversation and optional festive activities.

We’ll have an optional Secret Santa. If you would like to take part, please bring a wrapped gift costing no more than £10 that would be suitable for any member of the group. Gifts will be placed under the tree and shared out on Christmas Day. Taking part is entirely your choice.

There may also be a Christmas jumper competition. Again, this is just for fun and there is no expectation that you take part.

The evenings are intended to feel relaxed and informal.

The cottage has a shared lounge where you can sit by the fire, have a glass of wine, play a game or spend time chatting with the rest of the group. Goathland also has pubs within walking distance if you fancy going out for a drink.

There is no pressure to remain with the group throughout the evening. If you would rather spend some quiet time in your room, read a book or simply have an early night, that is absolutely fine.

We may organise a few simple Christmas activities, but everything is optional. You can take part as much or as little as you choose.

On our final morning, we’ll have breakfast and enjoy one last short walk before returning to the cottage to pack and say goodbye.

Guests using the complimentary transfer will be dropped at Malton railway station between approximately 12:00 and 14:00. As the precise time will depend on the morning’s plans, we recommend booking a flexible or open return rail ticket rather than a train-specific advance ticket.