It’s easy to forget the nice places that sit on your doorstep. Sometimes you only realise this once you’ve been travelling and you come back to your home country.
I’ve been Exploring the North Yorkshire Moors in England. Let me show you what I found (in 14 pictures), and at the end I’ll show you some good places to camp – with or without a van.
The Yorkshire Moors is in the north of England. Here:
Welcome to The Moors…
The roads twist round the hills through small villages and farms
The small roads are best for exploring
Pink heather covers much of the land
Cattle graze freely
Much of the land is open access – free to roam
Woodland covers about 22%
It stretches right to the coast. This is whitby abbey
It has the largest concentration of ancient trees in Northern England
Home to toadstools
And toads… or maybe frogs?
This was the sunset at Dalby hill (spot 4 on the map below)
Here are 4 places to camp
- Harwood Dale Forest. Quiet spot off the road and out of view: Google map link
- Silpho Forest carparking area with access to forest trail dirt track – can drive down here: Google map link
- Wheeldale Gill. By a stream in small valley with trail through woods: Google map link
- Danby Hill. Open gravel area. Very quiet with amazing views of sunrise and sunset: Google map link
Have you been here in your van? how did you find the wildcamping? we got moved once but found that it was generally not a problem. If you have any more places to add to this leave a comment 🙂
Oh and please share if you liked this post 🙂
Other UK posts: 10 day camper van and Europe’s biggest, filthiest, muddiest festival
Great to see you’ve been wild camping south of the border without hassles…lovely pictures. Seems like vanners are much more likely to get moved on in England than Scotland, I can really recommend you come and explore the Highlands when you get a chance – September/October or May/June are the best months. So much wilderness and amazing things to see!
Hello great post, I’m from Scarborough and one of the best places to grow up with the moors on the door stop! There are loads of places to camp on or near the coast, ravenscar, car park at sandsend under the arch is good. The lion inn on Blakey ridge is a good spot land lord doesn’t ideally mind, just have a meal and few pints! All the best roger!
Yorkshire the best area of a great country, we Australians start in that area as Margrit has an uncle in the Ilkily area . twice we have purchased an old van and once we just hired a windowless Transit delivery van a put a mattress on the floor and all our cooking gear in plastic boxes from the 2 pound shop. Other times we have hired a camper. We free camp every where and have only been moved on a couple of times, shower in the forests or secluded side roads by dropping a curtain from an extendable broom handle between the back doors with a plastic ground sheet hung off it buy fence wire. All villages have toilets as well as supermarkets so there is no need for portable units. We hired a canal boat twice and that is another good way to see England for a week or two.
Easy to forget that the UK is part of Europe and should be travelled in the same way. My van nears completion ready for a January departure – would love some advice on insurance Mike if you have any?
where is the download??? I paid for ebook but haven’t found it yet. I am not sacto senior. How was that name assigned to me? I feel more like “screwed customer”.
I’d forgotten how beautiful the moors were. Thanks, Mike.
I’m really enjoying your travels & England too!
Thats a frog. Nice one dude! We’ve vanning about the UK now- I loved Yorkshire!
some nice country there
Nice!
Having lived in Leeds for a few years sometime ago, the photos evoked some wonderful memories of the Yorkshire moors and the lush surrounding uniquely rolling countryside but sadly you failed to show any photos of any of the unique characters of the area especially in their working class pubs .:-)
Cheers. Which working class pubs are you talking about? I did see some unique characters but they were mainly dressed in tweed, driving range rovers and shooting animals
I was recalling my two year sojourn in Leeds and being taken to what they called working men’s clubs replete with of course working men. Enjoyed their company,conversation,opinions which somehow personified much of the history of working class Brits
It is so difficult in England to camp. I know you did this but typical welcome at one of the spots you listed. Two large rocks with NO CAMPING and NO FIRES written on them. Officially we are not allowed to enjoy our own countryside outside daylight hours! https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.3821213,-0.7679436,3a,38.4y,120.53h,91.73t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sswfsjEwqAjz1NoyyQGVXFA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
I was lucky enough to grow up in a little village on these moors, right next to Danby where you camped.
Lovely blog and photos☺️
The heather is looking particularly amazing this year!
We do lots of wild camping with and without the van.
Remember to leave nothing but footprints people ??
I was lucky enough to grow up in a little village on these moors, right next to Danby where you camped.
Lovely blog and photos☺️
The heather is looking particularly amazing this year!
We do lots of wild camping with and without the van.
Remember to leave nothing but footprints people ??
Yorkshire the best area of a great country, we Australians start in that area as Margrit has an uncle in the Ilkily area . twice we have purchased an old van and once we just hired a windowless Transit delivery van a put a mattress on the floor and all our cooking gear in plastic boxes from the 2 pound shop. Other times we have hired a camper. We free camp every where and have only been moved on a couple of times, shower in the forests or secluded side roads by dropping a curtain from an extendable broom handle between the back doors with a plastic ground sheet hung off it buy fence wire. All villages have toilets as well as supermarkets so there is no need for portable units. We hired a canal boat twice and that is another good way to see England for a week or two.
Hello great post, I’m from Scarborough and one of the best places to grow up with the moors on the door stop! There are loads of places to camp on or near the coast, ravenscar, car park at sandsend under the arch is good. The lion inn on Blakey ridge is a good spot land lord doesn’t ideally mind, just have a meal and few pints! All the best roger!
Easy to forget that the UK is part of Europe and should be travelled in the same way. My van nears completion ready for a January departure – would love some advice on insurance Mike if you have any?
Hey Phil! Not sure if you found anything but I use these guys. Adrian Flux.
They seem to specialise in specialist vehicles, gave me the cheapest quote and put me on a conversion insurance whilst i’m converting the van, (facebook.com/wearevan ) i.e.. in-between commercial van and camper van registration. Covered for things around camper trips. European cover etc.
I’d forgotten how beautiful the moors were. Thanks, Mike.
Thats a frog. Nice one dude! We’ve vanning about the UK now- I loved Yorkshire!
where is the download??? I paid for ebook but haven’t found it yet. I am not sacto senior. How was that name assigned to me? I feel more like “screwed customer”.