I can’t say I wasn’t warned. I was told that Pickering, North Yorkshire, is extremely hilly – they asked, “How are you going to manage with a broken ankle?” I ignored every naysayer and said, “Of course I’ll be able to manage – it’s an aircast boot, made for walking. I’ll be fine.”
We’d saved hard for our week in the most beautiful cottage in the centre of Pickering, which is such a friendly little town, to be followed by a weekend at The Stables (a newly refurbished doggy-friendly hotel in Whitby). Our dog, Rollo, had been invited to ‘test out the facilities’ and my husband and I tagged along as well.
Pickering was so quaint. While it had a couple of well-known supermarkets, it also had a Monday market, loads of independent shops, a castle (up what seemed like a million cobbled steps), and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
We’d been determined to take a ride on the train, but with no day tickets it was far too expensive for us. I feel like they’ve missed a trick here. What visitor wants to pay £50 for a season ticket, when most likely they’ll never visit Pickering again? I heard a lot of other would-be train riders complaining too.
We contented ourselves with a cup of tea in the station tea room while we watched the steam train chuffing through. Rollo stood on the platform bridge over the rails, tail wagging madly, and was delighted when one of the drivers blew his whistle at him.
Steam train pulling into Pickering Station. Courtesy of Janet Gordon.
Then, whilst Rollo and my husband gaily skipped up the cobbled steps to the castle, I laboriously heaved myself up with the aid of the handrail – oh and an oxygen mask at the top!
The weather was glorious – we’d driven to Pickering in a continual downpour, but now it was brilliant sunshine and definitely T-shirt and shorts weather. You may remember that on two occasions earlier this year, I’ve gone away but been confined to the barracks because of torrential rain – so this made a pleasant change!
One of the delights of our trip was the discovery of a second hand book shop where the chatty owner, Les, told me he sells over 2,500 books each week. It was jam-packed with books and was around the corner from the market.
Les told me that he knows where to find every book in his absolutely crammed shop. Well, of course I couldn’t let that boast go to waste, and so we had a book-off – I fired authors and book titles at him, and he raced around the shop showing me where to find them. Readers, he didn’t get one wrong.
But, my favourite thing we did was a day trip to Rievaulx Abbey, which is about a 30 minute drive from Pickering and set in a beautiful hollow amidst green fields. What a peaceful and tranquil place.
Because the school holidays had ended, it wasn’t at all crowded and there was so much room to wander around. Rievaulx was the first Cistercian monastery in the north and, in its heyday, there were 140 monks and hundreds of lay brothers living a strict life of prayer, self-sufficiency, and solitude here. Rievaulx was eventually abandoned when Henry VIII sacked the church in 1538 and sold Rievaulx – its treasures were taken and the building fell into ruin. Today, it’s looked after by English Heritage.
Rievaulx Abbey. Courtesy of Janet Gordon.
Honestly, with a Scotch egg and a glass of rosé, I could’ve stayed there all day. We eventually packed up to drive the 30 minutes or so to Whitby – home of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Our next accommodation, The Stables (part of the Inn Collection Group), was easy to find. It had ample parking and was surrounded by loads of grass, decking, and a pond with a mad moorhen scurrying around. Refurbished in an industrial style, the dining area was comfortable and had plenty of seating, a varied menu, and loads of dogs sitting calmly under the tables.
Rollo was in his element and wagged his tail hello to everyone as we were shown to our room.
Upstairs, whilst Rollo glued himself to the floor to ceiling window to watch the doggies running around the grounds, my husband and I explored our room in Four in a Bed style. Though, I couldn’t run my hand over the top of the wardrobe as I was too short! I smoothed our own cuddly throw over the giant six foot bed – we always bring this throw wherever we go as Rollo likes to sleep on the bed with us, however much the ‘rules’ ask him not to.
Following a leisurely and lovely supper downstairs, we opted for an early night sprawled in the big big bed. Rollo enjoyed his ‘Sleepy Bones’ snack which was left as a welcome treat for him. The Stables actually sell a range of ‘Sir Woofchester’ dog meals and treats, all of which Rollo naturally had to sample.
Rollo and his treats. Courtesy of Janet Gordon.
In such a comfortable bed, the three of us slept like logs. The next day, after morning ‘walkies’ in the grounds where Rollo made friends with a friendly white Labradoodle called Monty, we tucked into a beautifully cooked breakfast. I had scrummy scrambled eggs and bacon whilst my husband predictably had a full English.
And off we went to Whitby Abbey! It’s quite a hike from the car park to the Abbey – nothing for a veteran of the Pickering steps though – and, whilst it’s impressive, perched on the headland with sea views, personally I much preferred Rievaulx.
Our next stop was Robin Hood’s Bay. Again, I’d been warned about the dizzying steps leading down to the bay but, luckily, there was a handrail, so with plenty of moaning and groaning, I managed to get all the way down to the beach. I did stop halfway down though to browse another second hand book store (and, yes, of course I bought some!).
Sadly, doggies weren’t allowed in – the owner told me that they had been until a family had come in with two large dogs. They browsed, didn’t buy anything, and left in a hurry. The next customer had a small child with her, who promptly stepped in the poo that the two large dogs had left behind. Cue tears of rage from the shop owner and unhappy tears from both Mum and her child. Hence the ban on dogs in the shop.
Finally at the bottom and one doggy-friendly ice cream and two wonderfully creamy Whitby ice creams for us later, we began chatting with an American couple who’d hiked their way along the coastal walkway. They were thrilled to discover that my husband was a former London black cab driver and peppered him with questions about the Knowledge.
Soon it was time to haul myself back up to the top. Four-legged Rollo found it easy and my husband wasn’t too shabby but, I’ll be honest, I had loads of people offering me a helping hand, or asking if I wanted to borrow a walking stick as I staggered around like a drunken Popeye. Eventually I made it and sank gratefully onto a bench whilst my husband got the car.
Back at The Stables, I’ll admit I needed a cuppa and a lie down. I simply hadn’t realised how tiring it would be to wear an aircast boot – it made my back ache.
After a three-way cuddle in the big bed and another terrific breakfast the following morning, we were on our way home. Unbelievably, after all the wonderful weather we’d had, it was torrential rain all the way home.
A big thank you to The Stables for hosting Rollo and us for the weekend – there must have been at least 12 or 13 doggies staying there (with their owners naturally) and lots more doggy families popping in for meals during the day. It’s obviously well-known as a dog-friendly venue and I can’t recommend it enough. Pleasant staff, comfortable and spacious rooms, good food, and a warm welcome for your doggy best friend. What’s not to love?
The only thing missing from Yorkshire were some bookmarks. I love collecting memory bookmarks, but we couldn’t find one anywhere!
Have you been to Pickering or Whitby? Which places in the UK are on your travel bucket list? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.