Top 10 Historic Sites in North Yorkshire, England

We've loved having you back! Please note that you need to pre-book your ticket to visit at the moment via the website. Explore a great abbey and elegant water garden at this World Heritage Site near Harrogate. Cistercian monks chose this place to establish Fountains Abbey in 1132, and the walls echo with centuries-old stories. Follow the riverside path to Studley Royal, a playful water garden designed by visionaries John and William Aislabie in the 18th century. You can spend a day amongst statues, follies and cascades before venturing beyond the lake to Studley Royal deer park, with ancient lime tree avenues and red, fallow and sika deer. Eat, shop, stay Restaurant serving select range of hot food. Picnics welcome but please leave BBQs at home. Large shop with gardening section. Stay at one of 14 holiday cottages, including a cosy waterside lodge and elegant apartment inside Jacobean Fountains Hall. No drones please. Bikes and scooters welcome for children under 5.

Selby Abbey has served the local community for over 950 years. Welcoming to all, the Abbey has a rich and diverse heritage waiting to be explored. Hosting regular services, as well as cultural events, concerts, children's activities and tours there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Visit the only Grade 1 listed building in the heart of Harrogate. Saint Wilfrid's church was designed by the famous architect Temple Moore in the early 1900's. The church is very striking architecturally, with some excellent examples of stained glass, a stunning parish hall with an unusual "lamella" ceiling, cloisters and free car parking. St Wilfrid's is open every day for visits and services.

Step through 2,000 years of history with one visit to this house of dreams, where rooms are set up and furnished to mirror the grand styles from medieval times to the early 1900s. All created as part of one man's vision for his idea of a historic house. Find out about Frank Green and his particular ways and see his unique collection from his travels. At Christmas find every room filled with scents and decorations. The cafe serves it's award winning Christmas pudding scone for a limited time - served warm with brandy butter. Completing the visit, on selected days, head onto the roof tops on an attic tour or below stairs to see the site of one of York's most famous ghost stories. The place where a legion of ghostly Roman soldiers were spotted marching along a long buried Roman road.

Discover one of the finest medieval guildhalls in the world - home to York’s entrepreneurs for 660 years – and counting. Redoubtable tales, fascinating architecture and intriguing, rare artefacts, all under a stunning 14th Century oak roof… delve into York’s entrepreneurial past, present and future following stories of the “mystery of mercers” - business pioneers who made it happen: from the medieval wool trade, via the railways, chocolate and two universities to the 21st century Science City.

Castle Howard is one of England's finest historic houses, set in a thousand acres of sweeping parkland dotted with statues, temples, lakes and fountains. Inside discover world-renowned collections gathered by succeeding generations of the Howard family. Built over 300 years ago, today it still remains a family home.

***Please book your visit in advance via the website to guarantee availability. The gardens, restaurant for takeaway drinks, toilets, play area and parkland are open for local visitors to exercise in. The hall, galleries and shop remain closed.*** Inspired by his Grand Tour, John Bourchier created Beningbrough; an Italian Palace nestled between York, Harrogate and Leeds. A working walled garden, grand herbaceous borders, sweeping lawns and a play area for children to let off steam, creates a year round garden. RHS Chelsea Gold Award winner Andy Sturgeon is working with the garden team to transform the gardens and so far they've created the ha-ha walk with 300,000 spring bulbs and the Pergola. Further developments currently paused so the Mediterranean Garden is sown with wildflower seeds to add colour and interest for nature and visitors alike. The restaurant uses the daily harvest in their menus with a selection of takeaway option for your refreshments.

York Mansion House is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of York, positioned at the heart of city society and civic life for almost 300 years. A masterpiece of 18th century architecture and a celebration of the city it inhabits, York Mansion House and its infamous residents have a colourful history, filled with scandal, decadence and outlandish feasting. Following extensive restoration, in 2018 the house opened to the public for the first time, allowing all to experience this extravagant mayoral life, and take an interactive walk through York’s Georgian past. From July 22nd 2020, we’re delighted to be reopening with a series of brand new, bookable guided tours. With visitor safety our priority, we have put a number of steps in place to ensure you feel welcome, safe and comfortable during your visit with us. Head to our website to find out how we’ve been getting ready for this new chapter.

A tour of this 17th-century manor house captivates visitors with its oak-paneled hall, Carlisle collection of miniatures and even a haunted room or two.