Where to Stay
Where to stay in the North York Moors
Where you base yourself shapes your whole trip. For the southern Moors — Dalby Forest, the steam railway, Bangers & Cash country and easy runs to the coast — the villages around Thornton-le-Dale, Pickering and Allerston are hard to beat.
Choosing a base
The southern villages (Allerston, Thornton-le-Dale, Pickering) put Dalby Forest, the railway and the coast all within easy reach; Helmsley and the west suit the abbeys and Sutton Bank; the coast itself is lovely if the seaside is your focus. Self-catering cottages are the classic choice, and the area is well set up for dogs.
Featured stay
Allerston Cottage
Our featured stay is Allerston Cottage, a classic-car-themed self-catering cottage in the village of Allerston, minutes from Dalby Forest, Thornton-le-Dale and the Mathewsons auction house of Bangers & Cash. It's a tasteful, comfortable base for exploring everything in this guide — walkers, families, cyclists and classic-car fans alike.
Visit Allerston Cottage →Placeholder listing and imagery — details to be confirmed with the owner.
Make it a proper break
However you explore the Moors, staying a few nights lets you do it at the right pace — a forest morning, a steam train, a coast afternoon, a dark-sky night.
Accommodation questions
- Where is the best place to stay in the North York Moors?
- For a first visit, the southern villages — Allerston, Thornton-le-Dale or Pickering — put Dalby Forest, the steam railway and the coast all within easy reach. Helmsley and the west suit the abbeys and Sutton Bank; the coast itself is lovely if the seaside is your focus.
- Is there a classic-car-themed cottage in the North York Moors?
- Yes. Allerston Cottage, in the village of Allerston near Thornton-le-Dale and Dalby Forest, is a classic-car-themed self-catering cottage — a natural base for anyone visiting Mathewsons of Bangers & Cash fame.