Goathland
Where to stay in Goathland: holiday cottages, hotels and inns on the moors
By Jon Cosson · Updated October 2026
Goathland suits visitors who want to wake up on the open moors, with sheep grazing the common, the steam railway at the bottom of the hill and walks such as Mallyan Spout and the Rail Trail to Grosmont from the door. It is a small village of about 440 people, so the choice of hotels in Goathland and cottages in Goathland is limited, and it is quiet in the evenings once the day visitors and trains have gone.
This guide is independent. We take no commission, carry no paid listings and book nothing. Where we name a business, the details come from its own website and were checked in October 2026. For the village itself, see our main Goathland guide.
Which part of Goathland to stay in
Goathland is spread out around its common, where villagers have historic rights to graze black-faced sheep, and around the village green where the Plough Stots dance in January. The shops, the post office and the National Park car park are near the centre of the village, which lies about a mile west of the A169.
The Mallyan Spout Hotel stands at the west end of the village, near St Mary's Church. Staying at this end keeps the walk down to the Mallyan Spout waterfall short.
The station lies at the bottom of the hill below the village, reached by a steep and uneven path. Staying near it suits anyone planning several days on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
Beck Hole, a hamlet down the valley and home to the Birch Hall Inn, has a little accommodation of its own and is even quieter than the village.
Kinds of accommodation in Goathland
For a small village, Goathland has a mix: a hotel, guest houses and B&Bs, and holiday cottages in and around the village. Holiday cottages are let by owners directly and by national letting agencies.
The Goathland Hotel, the Aidensfield Arms of Heartbeat, changed hands in July 2026. Its website says its rooms are currently closed for renovation, with a new online booking system due in spring 2027, so check its own site for the latest before planning a stay there. The bar and food remain open.
For more choice, Whitby and Pickering are both within easy reach by road or steam train; see our Whitby or Pickering comparison and our guide to pubs with rooms.
Goathland holiday cottages: what to check
Parking matters more here than you might expect. Goathland has one main National Park car park, near the centre, shared with day visitors and coaches, plus a private car park at the station, and parking on the verges and the green is not allowed. When the car park is full there is no legal parking left, so ask whether your cottage has its own space. Of the places we checked, The Homestead Cottage has two parking spaces. Our parking guide has the car park details.
The village has no cash machine, no petrol station and no public electric vehicle charger. The post office offers counter cash withdrawals, and the nearest public charging points are in Whitby, so arrive with fuel and charge planned.
Dog policies vary, and two of the places named below take no pets in rooms or cottages, so always check before booking. Goathland is good walking country for dogs, but sheep graze freely through the village and on the moor. See our guides to the North York Moors with dogs and to staying with dogs.
The road in is the A169, a high moorland road between Pickering and Whitby. Blue Bank is steep, and snow sometimes closes the road in winter, so allow for that when booking a winter stay.
When to book
Goathland is busiest when the North Yorkshire Moors Railway is running, through spring, summer and autumn, and above all in the school holidays and on summer weekends, when the car park fills. The heather on the surrounding moors is at its best from mid-August into September. The Goathland Plough Stots perform in early January, and the village show is held in August; check our what's on calendar for confirmed dates.
Outside the railway season the village is very quiet, which suits walkers, though tea room and shop hours vary and are often not published online.
Staying in Goathland without a car
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway calls at Goathland on its way between Pickering and Whitby, and connects with the Esk Valley line at Grosmont. The Coastliner 840 bus, which links Leeds, York, Pickering and Whitby, stops in the village on selected journeys only, so check the timetable before relying on it. The Rail Trail is a mostly level walk of about three and a half miles from Goathland to Grosmont. See our guide to getting around without a car.
Places to stay in Goathland: what each publishes
Mallyan Spout Hotel
- Type:
- Hotel
- Where:
- Goathland village, YO22 5AN
- Sleeps:
- 20 bedrooms
- Dogs:
- Not permitted in bedrooms; welcome in the Spout Bar during serving hours
- Parking:
- Not published
- Booking:
- Direct, online through the hotel's website, or by phone or email
- Checked:
- October 2026
The Homestead Cottage
- Type:
- Holiday cottage
- Where:
- Prudom House, Goathland, YO22 5AN, with The Homestead Kitchen restaurant on site
- Sleeps:
- Three bedrooms: two king size and one twin
- Dogs:
- No pets
- Parking:
- Two parking spaces
- Booking:
- Direct, online, or by phone or email
- Checked:
- October 2026
Details are what each business publishes on its own website, checked October 2026. We have no connection with any of them and receive nothing for listing them.
Frequently asked questions
Are there hotels in Goathland?
Yes. The Mallyan Spout Hotel has 20 bedrooms. The Goathland Hotel, known from Heartbeat, also has rooms, but its website says they are closed for renovation, with a new booking system due in spring 2027. There are also guest houses and B&Bs in and around the village.
Are there holiday cottages in Goathland?
Yes, there are holiday cottages in and around the village, let by owners directly and by national letting agencies. The village is small, so book early for the school holidays and summer weekends.
Is there parking at Goathland cottages?
Some cottages have their own spaces, but not all. The village has one main public car park, plus a private one at the station, which fills on summer weekends and in the school holidays, and parking on the verges and the green is not allowed. Ask the owner before you book.
Can you stay in Goathland without a car?
Yes, if you plan around the steam railway, which calls at Goathland station between Pickering and Whitby in season, and the Coastliner 840 bus, which stops in the village on selected journeys. Grosmont, on the Esk Valley line, is the nearest mainline station.
Are there dog friendly places to stay in Goathland?
Some cottages accept dogs, but policies vary and not every place does: the Mallyan Spout Hotel does not allow dogs in bedrooms, and The Homestead Cottage takes no pets. Check directly before booking, and keep dogs under control around the grazing sheep.
When is the best time to stay in Goathland?
Late summer suits walkers, with the heather on the moors at its best from mid-August into September. The railway season brings the most visitors, so book early for the school holidays. Winter stays are quiet, but the A169 can close in snow.
Sources: Goathland (North York Moors National Park Authority); About Goathland (Visit Goathland); The Goathland Hotel (The Goathland Hotel); We have big plans: from barmaid to landlady (Yorkshire Post); Hotel in Goathland (Mallyan Spout Hotel); The Homestead Cottage (The Homestead Goathland).
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.
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