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Made famous by TV vet James Herriot, the area is predominantly agricultural - you'll witness dancing around the Maypole and Morris dancing and you'll be able to taste local cheeses and real beers as well as visit potteries, mills and art galleries. The massive county is dominated by two spectacular national parks - the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. On both there's an abundance of wild flowers, birds of prey and wildlife such as red squirrels, skylarks, roe deer and black grouse. Some of the finest walking country in Britain can be found in Yorkshire from gentle walks to full-scale hikes. Both the Pennine Way and the Coast to Coast walk pass through the Yorkshire Dales and the 110-mile Cleveland Way is a horseshoe-shaped walk around the North York Moors and the North Yorkshire and Cleveland Heritage coastline. The 53-mile Nidderdale Way from Ripley to Scar House reservoir in the Dales is also quite challenging. The limestone rock features of the region have also attracted large numbers of climbers, cavers and potholers in recent years. Yorkshire's quiet country lanes are great for cycling and horse riding. The West Yorkshire Cycle route follows a 150-mile circular route through farmlands and Pennine scenery along the West Yorkshire county boundary. There are also six shorter cycle routes from Sutton Bank in the North York Moors. The regions numerous forests are also great for mountain biking and horse riding. The River Nidd, which winds its way through the Dales, has great brown trout fishing and the countless reservoirs and rivers of the Dales also provide great water sports opportunities. Whether it's a quiet break or a walking, cycling, horse riding or water sports adventure you are after, Yorkshire has it all. To the very south of Yorkshire lies an industrial area encompassing Sheffield, Barnsley, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Leeds and Bradford. Often some of the most stunning scenery lies just outside these sprawling urban areas. Such is the case in West Yorkshire where fantastic views of the Pennines can be gained from places such as Woolley Edge, north of Barnsley. Other pretty towns include Holmfirth, south of Huddersfield, the focus of the Last of the Summer Wine TV series, and Hemsworth, an attractive market town with a pretty church and a row of ancient almshouses. Eight miles outside Bradford is Haworth, the pretty home town of the Bronte sisters Emily, Charlotte and Anne, who lived in the parsonage from 1820-1861. From nearby Stanbury you can walk to the ruin of the building which inspired Wuthering Heights. There are excellent views of Halifax and the Calder Valley from the exposed moorlands of Ovenden and Oxenhope nearby. The attractive Victorian town of Ilkley is surrounded by the famous Ilkley Moor. There are a number of features to explore including the Cow and Calf rocks, gritstone crags on the edge of the moor which are popular with climbers, and Craig Tarn, a tranquil moorland lake on the lower slopes of the moor. The elegant spa town of Harrogate is famous for its antique shops and floral displays. There's a good flower show held every year in September. You can still try the sulphur spa waters - if you're brave enough! Nearby Knaresborough has ancient cobbled streets and a ruined 14th century castle sitting on a cliff top overlooking the River Nidd and surrounding countryside. The viaduct over the River Nidd is impressive and there are also pleasant walks alongside the river. On the edge of the Dales lies the ancient cathedral city of Ripon where each night at 9pm the 1100-year-old tradition of "setting the watch" assures a safe night's sleep for the citizens. Nearby the 12th century ruins of Fountains Abbey are well worth a visit. There's also a deer sanctuary. The Yorkshire Dales start in the east with Nidderdale whose main town is Pateley Bridge, a peaceful, floral town with plenty of tea rooms, pubs and shops. To the south east of the town are the Brimham Rocks, spectacular rock formations with great views across the Dales. Gromwith Reservoir to the west of the town provides good sailing.
The River Nidd winds its way past tranquil villages and old flax and corn mills. The area of Angram and Scar House reservoirs to the north is great walking and mountain biking country. How Stean Gorge is a dramatic limestone cleft which is 80 feet deep in places and at Manchester Hole and Goyden Pot there's good caving. At the bird sanctuary at Gouthwaite Reservoir you can see goosanders, oyster-catchers and golden eagles. The Southern Dales begin at Skipton where you can visit a medieval castle, shop in a large open air market or simply while away the hours on the Leeds-Liverpool canal, which passes through the town. Grassington has a busy cobbled square, Settle is a quaint market town and at Malham Tarn you can explore England's largest mountain lake. Ingleton is a picturesque town in the shadows of the mighty peaks of Ingleborough, Pen-y-ghent and Whernside. It's a great base for walking in the Three Peaks area. There's a good short walk to Ingleton Waterfalls through wooded gorges and at White Scar Cave you can see underground waterfalls and impressive stalactites. Bentham, on the banks of the River Wenning, is another good base for walking in the area. There are six dales to the north - Wensleydale, Coverdale, Bishopdale, Swaledale, Arkengarthdale and Lower Teesdale - and countless pretty stone villages. In Masham you can visit two real ale breweries, Middleham is famous for race horse training, Leyburn and Reeth are centres for antiques, arts and crafts and Hawes is where Wensleydale cheese is made. Richmond is a pretty town overlooking the steep wooded valley of the River Swale. The ancient Roman city of York is famous for its dramatic cathedral and the quaint shopping area just outside the cathedral known as the Shambles. You can also walk around the medieval city walls for a birds eye view of the city. To the north lie the Hambleton Hills otherwise known as James Herriot country. The town of Thirsk is where the real vet, Alf Wight, lived and worked for more than 50 years. Nearby is Kilburn, home of the famous white horse, which was carved out of the hillside above the village by a local schoolmaster in 1857. The North York Moors are the largest expanse of heather moorland in England and Wales and an important area for birds such as the red grouse. There are more than 2000 miles of public rights of way through the open moorland and ancient woodland with great views across the wide, open moors to the sea. The quiet roads and winding bridle ways also provide great cycling and horse riding. In parts of this remote and peaceful region you can see age-old pathways, which have been trodden by farmers and travelers for centuries, and mysterious ancient standing stones. At Danby in the heart of the moors there's a 350-year-old water mill and a 14th century castle to explore. Great Ayton is the town where Captain James Cook lived as a child. His mother and five brothers are buried in the churchyard. The 350m Roseberry Topping hill outside town is a pleasant walk with rewarding views. The North York Moors coastline is rugged and wild - a haven for seabirds such as the kittiwake. There are picturesque villages clinging to steep cliffs and colourful fishing boats tied up in pretty harbours. The holiday resort of Scarborough is where Captain Cook first fell in love with the sea and Goathland, near Whitby, is the setting for the popular TV series Heartbeat.
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