Overlooking the River Nidd, Knaresborough is a picturesque market and spa town with medieval walkways and cobbled alleys. Knaresborough Viaduct straddles the Nidd Gorge and is a prominent feature of the town, towering over the river that weaves down to Mother Shipton’s Cave. The famous cave and its petrifying well opened in 1630 and are among the main attractions of the town. Mother Shipton was a famous prophetess who predicted that the world would end in 1991.     Knaresborough Castle is another notable landmark, and its museum is a great place to learn about the local heritage.

Staithes has often been regarded simply as a traditional fishingvillage. However, the village is set in some spectacularly ruggedcoastlines, rich in marine life and boasting of a proud maritime historydating back millennia. Staithes can also fairly claim Captain Cook asone of its former residents.  Located on the “Dinosaur Coast”, Staithesis also a popular spot for fossil hunting which can be doneindependently or in well-organised local tours. Alternatively, wanderingthrough the narrow alleys and cobbled streets of the Old Town offers avivid glimpse of historic Staithes. Be aware though that parking is notallowed anywhere in the Old Town.

Just beyond the Cumbrian border with Yorkshire and a short drive fromIngleton, Ribblehead Viaduct maintains an imposing presence over thesurrounding moorlands. Comprising a massive sequence of 24 stonearchways rising 100 ft above the ground, the Viaduct most resembles aRoman aqueduct. This impressive product of Victorian engineering,however, cost the lives of hundreds of navvies toiling on itscompletion. So great was the death toll that the Settle-Carlisle Railwayactually paid for an extension to the local graveyard.