Visiting the North York Moors Railway!

This is the second in a series of three blog posts about a small stretch of coastline in North East England, focusing on Saltburn, Whitby and the stops on the North York Moors Railway.

If you’re thinking about exploring the UK and wondering where to go, the North East coast of England is a fantastic place to visit. With long stretches of sandy beach, rolling moor, and a sense of stepping back into the past, there is lots here to see and do – and you don’t always need a car to enjoy it. In this post I’m focusing on the North York Moors Railway, a heritage railway line running from Whitby to Pickering.

The NYMR has quite a sizeable amount of rolling stock and runs both steam and heritage diesel on the lines. It’s worth checking what’s on before you visit – not only is there a reduced timetable in service due to COVID, but on some days carriages are pulled by steam trains, other days diesels run on the line. 

The route…

The railway runs from Whitby to Pickering, passing through the villages of Grosmont, Goathland, and Levisham.

Of course, the main attraction is actually being able to take a ride on one of the trains, and if you’re able to splash a bit more cash, you can also enjoy a meal on one of the Pullman Dining carriages as you whiz through the countryside. 

For those who are on a budget and aren’t able to take a ride, just seeing the trains and exploring the local area is well worth it. One thing to note – if you’re out on a walk it’s worth taking some food supplies, as there are some cafes and shops but they may well close early, especially on a Sunday.

Seasonal Events

The North York Moors Railway holds a number of events throughout the year, from Diesel weekends to the ‘Railway in Wartime’ weekend, where visitors dress up in costumes from the 1940s and there are things going on at each of the stations on the route.

At Christmastime you can also take the Santa Special. Not only is it a pleasant and very festive journey, but if you have young ones they can go and get a present from Father Christmas. You’ll need to book in advance to avoid disappointment. 

You can find information about other events here.

Whitby

Whilst you can take a steam or diesel train from Whitby station, the start of the heritage line actually begins at Grosmont. (You can find out more about the sights of Whitby in my previous post here).

Grosmont

The first stop between Whitby and Pickering, Grosmont has arguably the most on offer for train fans, and is accessible via an adjacent mainline station if you’re visiting Grosmont by ‘modern’ train rather than by car.

Grosmont station has been frozen in time to the 1950’s, and aside from the old buildings, adverts from the time are dotted around the station which are fun to read. On the platform itself there’s a small cafe, shop, and ticket office.

Across the road from the station there’s a viewing platform and a very long tunnel through to the engine shed. This tunnel (which looks rather like the entrance to a castle) was originally used when horses used to pull trains alongside the rails. 

At the other end is the workshed, where you can see the engines the NYMR team are working on. There’s also a small shop up a flight of stairs. Here, you’ll find train memorabilia, books, toys, model railway supplies, and more.

Past the engine shed you’ll see the water tower and usually a few diesels out (deltics), however if you carry on walking along the path you’ll eventually reach Goathland. It’s a really pleasant walk just over an hour long.

Goathland

As you walk around you might find Goathland looks rather familiar! Goathland station featured in the Harry Potter film franchise, and if you remember Heartbeat you’ll recognise the village as Aidensfield from the hit TV show. You can still find the Aidensfield garage here, and if you really like Heartbeat there is merchandise for sale in some of the gift shops. 

Goathland isn’t huge but there are a few cafes, shops, hotels and a pub. There are lots of great walks you can do, including to Mallyan Spout Waterfall and Beck Hole Waterfall. Don’t mind the sheep – like with many other places on the North Yorkshire moors there are usually a few pottering around.

Goathland station itself is small but picturesque, and there’s a tearoom should you be feeling a little peckish.

Levisham

Levisham is a very small village on the NYMR route, and is the closest stop to Pickering. 

There’s not a whole lot to do in Levisham itself, but if you’re there for scenery and the hikes you are guaranteed to get some great views, and of course, there’s Levisham station to visit, which is modelled on a 1912 railway station. 

If you’re visiting in August or September you might be lucky to see the landscape transformed into a purple carpet by the heather.

Pickering

The final stop on the line, Pickering is a small market town with a variety of interesting shops, pubs, and places to eat. If you love reading, Yorkshire Quality Books on Park Street is well worth a visit. You’ll be absolutely spoilt for choice and it’s so cheap too!

If you’re feeling hungry, opposite the station is Botham’s tearoom, which offers a range of freshly baked cakes and scones. It’s also a great place to buy souvenirs for friends and family, from teabread to Yorkshire curd tarts.

Pickering castle is also a short walk from the town. It was built in the 1100s to protect the local area, and despite being nearly a thousand years old it’s still in reasonable condition. You can explore the inner grounds and old buildings.

In conclusion…

Overall, the North York Moors Railway is a unique day out and a chance to get out into the proper Yorkshire countryside and experience a real-life slice of history.

Given it holds such a dear place in my heart, I hereby award the NYMR a Golden Teabag Award (page forthcoming!) It really is a fantastic day out, regardless of whether you’re taking a ride on a steam train or hiking across gorgeous moorland!