About the author

Jon Cosson

By Jon Cosson · Updated 10 October 2026

I live inside the North York Moors National Park near Thornton-le-Dale. I am retired and write independent visitor guides and classic car archives.

Jon Cosson with his Jaguar E-Type at Cedar Barn

After a career in cyber security and IT, I moved north. I spend my time walking the moors, touring them in the classic cars I own and writing about both.

I run the independent guides thorntonledale.org and yorkshiremoors.com, and the classic car archives triumphstag.org, mgtseries.com, jaguarmk2.com and acaceca.com. These are free, non-commercial reference sites.

My guides and archives

My personal website is joncosson.com.

Where to stay in the North York Moors

Self-catering cottages, village inns and farmhouse boltholes right across the moors, from the southern villages to the coast.

Browse places to stay

Top answers for the Yorkshire Moors

All questions in the full FAQ hub →

Quick, straight answers to the questions visitors ask most. Each one links through to the fuller guide.

What is there to do in the North York Moors in winter?

Stargazing (it's an International Dark Sky Reserve), bracing coastal and moorland walks, cosy country pubs, and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway's festive steam services. The moors are atmospheric and empty in winter.

What's on →

What are the top things to do in the North York Moors?

Ride the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, walk the heather moors and the Cleveland Way, explore Rievaulx and Whitby abbeys, see the Hole of Horcum and Sutton Bank, visit Goathland and Thornton-le-Dale, and spend a day on the coast at Whitby or Robin Hood's Bay.

Things to do →

What can you do in the North York Moors when it rains?

Ride the steam railway, visit museums (Beck Isle Museum in Pickering, the Ryedale Folk Museum at Hutton-le-Hole, Whitby's museums), explore abbey visitor centres, or browse the shops and tearooms of Helmsley and Whitby.

Pickering guide →

What do I need to know about driving in the North York Moors?

Moor roads are scenic but narrow, with blind summits, cattle grids and sheep. Sometimes free-roaming through villages like Goathland, on unfenced roads, so drive slowly and use passing places. High routes such as Blakey Ridge can be bleak or closed in snow.

Driving routes →

Is it free to visit the North York Moors, and what does it cost?

The national park is free to enter, and most walking, moorland and viewpoints cost nothing; you pay only for parking, attractions (abbeys, the railway, museums) and refreshments. Prices vary, so check official sites.

About the Yorkshire Moors →

Can you camp in the North York Moors, and is wild camping allowed?

There are many campsites and caravan parks across the park, but wild camping is not a legal right in England and requires the landowner's permission, so use official sites.

Camping and caravanning →