Days out
Days out near Thornton-le-Dale
Part of the case for staying in Thornton-le-Dale is what sits within half an hour of it: a forest on the doorstep, a steam railway three miles away, two seaside towns, a theme park and the open moor. Here is what each is, and how long it takes to get there.
Within easy reach
Dalby Forest
A few minutes up the road
The Great Yorkshire Forest starts on the edge of the village. The Dalby Forest Scenic Drive is the easy way to see it by car, with waymarked walking trails, family cycling routes and serious mountain-bike trails leading off it, and some of the darkest skies in the country after nightfall. The closest big day out to Thornton-le-Dale, and the one most visitors underestimate.
Pickering and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
3 miles · about 10 minutes
Pickering has the castle, the parish church with its medieval wall paintings, a proper market town centre, and the southern terminus of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, where steam trains run up through Newtondale and on towards the coast. If it rains, this is the day to spend. The Coastliner 840 links the village to Pickering in a matter of minutes, so you need not drive.
Whitby
About 20 miles · around 40 minutes
North over the moors on the A169, past the Hole of Horcum, for the abbey, the harbour, the 199 steps and fish and chips. It is a spectacular drive in clear weather and a slow one in fog or snow. The 840 bus covers the same route via Goathland if you would rather look out of the window than at the road.
Scarborough
About 16 miles · around 30 minutes
East along the A170 through Allerston and Snainton for the seaside: two bays, a headland castle, the spa and the harbour. The nearest full day at the coast, and close enough to go for an afternoon and be back in the village for supper.
Flamingo Land
Roughly 9 miles · about 20 minutes
The theme park, zoo and resort at Kirby Misperton, south-west of the village towards Malton. The obvious choice if you are travelling with children who have had enough of churches and footpaths, and close enough that Thornton-le-Dale works well as a quieter base than the park's immediate surroundings.
The Bridestones
Roughly nine miles
Weathered sandstone outcrops on the moorland edge above Dalby, and one of the most distinctive landscapes in the National Park. A walk rather than a drive-and-look, and a good half day for anyone who came here for the moors.
Using the village as a base
Distances here are short and the roads are mostly single-carriageway A-roads, so drive times matter more than mileage. The full verified table of distances and journey times, together with parking, the rapid EV chargers and bus detail, is on visitor information and getting here. For the village itself, start with the main Thornton-le-Dale guide.
Days out do not have to mean driving out. The village itself carries a morning easily: the Mathewsons gift shop and motor museum of Bangers & Cash fame, Beck Isle Cottage, the Ellerburn circular walk, and the ice cream and benches by the beck that regulars come back for.
For the wider National Park, the moors, the coast and the villages beyond ours, see yorkshiremoors.com. Next door, allerston.org covers Allerston, the village you pass on the way to Scarborough.
Common questions
Is Thornton-le-Dale a good base for exploring the North York Moors?
It works well as a base. The village is inside the North York Moors National Park, three miles from Pickering and the steam railway, minutes from Dalby Forest, about 16 miles from Scarborough and about 20 from Whitby, with the Coastliner 840 bus passing through for anyone who would rather not drive.
How far is Dalby Forest from Thornton-le-Dale?
Dalby Forest begins just outside the village, a few minutes by car up the road, and reachable by bike. It is the closest of the big nearby attractions.
Can you visit Whitby and Scarborough in a day from Thornton-le-Dale?
Either is comfortable as a single day out, Scarborough is about 25 to 35 minutes by car and Whitby around 45 minutes over the moors. Doing both in one day is possible but makes for a long drive and little time in either.
What is there to do near Thornton-le-Dale when it rains?
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway from Pickering, Pickering Castle's exhibition and church, the Mathewsons motor museum in the village itself, and the village tea rooms, shops and chocolate shop all work in poor weather.
Opening seasons, admission prices and Dalby Forest toll charges change from year to year, so check each attraction's own site before setting out. Distances and drive times here are approximate road estimates.