This new, thoroughly updated second edition of Bradt's North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds, part of the distinctive 'Slow travel' series of guides to UK regions, remains the only full-blown standalone guide available to this region of contrasts, from the magnificent cliffs and beaches of the Heritage Coast and rolling hills of the North York Moors to the tranquil chalk downland of the Wolds. Nestled at the heart of it all is the ancient historic city of York, with its stunning Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe. As well as featuring all the main sights, Bradt's North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds includes places and aspects of the region not detailed by other guidebooks and, while making a virtue of being selective, nonetheless covers the whole region in considerable detail. It also includes personal anecdotes and the views of local people as well as tapping into the Yorkshire-based author's considerable knowledge of the region, especially his experiences as an outdoor enthusiast, naturalist and beer connoisseur. With Bradt's North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds, discover what makes this area tick. The annual Tour de Yorkshire has helped to establish the region as a biking Mecca, while the Yorkshire Nature Triangle in the east is renowned for its birds and wildlife, from adders to barn owls, otters to dolphins. Wildlife lovers will also find details of whale-watching tours. Included in the guide is information on the 10 long-distance paths which cross the area, plus tips on the sandy beaches and rocky coves that make this an ideal family destination. Local food and drink, from seafood to meats, cheeses and breweries, is covered, too. Also included are details of festivals, steam train journeys as featured in the Harry Potter films, the Georgian opulence of Castle Howard as featured in Brideshead Revisited, sea-bird colonies along the Heritage Coast, the only mainland colony of gannets in England at Bempton Cliffs, and the tallest standing stone in Britain. Written in an entertaining style combining personal narrative with authoritative information, Bradt's North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds has all the most up-to-date information you could need for a successful visit.
About the Author: On leaving school in his home town in Lancashire, Mike Bagshaw moved to the rival county of Yorkshire and loved it so much that he has lived there ever since. After studying zoology and training as a teacher at Sheffield University, almost all of his working career has been spent in an outdoor education centre near Whitby in the North York Moors National Park. Mike's writing career had humble beginnings in the 1980's with a series of mountaineering trip logs and a collection of nature-inspired poetry subsequently published as Swift and Other Poems. Recognition in a travel writing competition led to him joining Bradt's team of authors in 2010 with the publication of North Yorkshire in the Slow Travel series, which was later re-issued as two separate volumes, also in the Slow Travel series - Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors & Yorkshire Wolds. Although officially retired he continues to explore many wild areas of the world on foot, by bike and afloat in canoes and kayaks, describing his exploits in outdoor magazines. Mike still lives near Whitby with his wife Lois and two dogs and spends his non-travelling time managing the small birch woodland they own, volunteering for the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and writing regular nature columns for local newspapers and magazines.