As we reach the top of a steep hill, the smoking steel and chemical plants of Middlesbrough are still visible in the rear view mirror when the vast wilderness of the North Yorkshire Moors opens up suddenly to fill the horizon.

Swathed in a blanket of heather and stretching uninterrupted as far as the eye can see, it is as breathtaking a sight as any in Britain. I’m on the way to a cottage near Whitby, and here, improbably, with a car-load of kids and just minutes beyond one of England’s industrial heartlands, I’ve found peace.

A survey by the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England recently found only 75 places where you can enjoy 10 minutes of silence between 7am and 7pm. This part of the moors was one, making it a haven for those seeking sanctuary from the stress of modern life.

You couldn’t quite say that of Whitby itself, of course, but arriving there brings pleasures of its own. The town is by turns brash and beautiful, a collection of opposites epitomised by the penny arcades of the harbourside which stand facing the craggy old town and the magnificent ruined abbey that stands on the highest cliff.

From the little beach huts that line the sands to the glass-blowing shops in the winding streets of the old town, good things seem to tumble out of the place. On a warm east-coast day, or on atmospheric evening, it’s easy to see why Holiday Which? named Whitby Britain’s best seaside resort earlier this month.

Part of the charm of the place is its history, which positively drips off the buildings and harbourside. Whitby was one of the great centres of early British Christianity, with St Hilda establishing a monastery there in the seventh century. The remains of the 13th-century abbey can be seen for miles around.

But this, fundamentally, is a seafaring town. Captain James Cook was apprenticed here in 1746 and his great ship, Endeavour, a converted collier, was built here. Cook has his own museum, which is worth a visit, and he is still a big pull for tourists, but today a real, unspoilt working harbour is fascinating enough for children who thought fish came in a packet from Captain Birds Eye.

There are a number of ways you could chose to honour another Whitby celebrity. It was while sitting high above the town looking across at the abbey ruins in the summer of 1890 that Bram Stoker was inspired to the town in his classic novel Dracula.

These days the town is quite a centre for Goth culture, so you won’t find it difficult to pick up something dark and menacing as a souvenir of Stoker’s creation. Alternatively you could visit the Dracula Experience, which might reveal little about Victorian writing but will leave the faint of heart shaking with fright (not one for small children or weak-kneed adults). Or more simply, if you wish to contemplate Stoker’s inspiration you could sit in his memorial seat and take in the grandeur of the view.

This rugged coastline offers other delights. A few miles to the south of Whitby lies the impossibly quaint fishing village of Robin Hood’s Bay where ancient cottages cling hugger-mugger to the side of a dizzyingly steep hill. No cars are allowed on the main street, so you have to park at the top before carefully descending the cobbles which lead to a splendid rocky bay that was once rich with fossils.

Equipped with a pink net we soon joined scores of children peering curiously into the rock pools left behind by the tide as we searched for crabs among the seaweed. At times like this, you suddenly remember the attractions of a British seaside break is hard to beat. Of course, you don’t get the guaranteed sunshine of the Mediterranean, and in a matter of minutes the bright skies gave way to heavy showers, sending us scrambling back into the village for shelter.

Beyond the coastline, the moors rise up to offer other temptations. The success of ITV’s Heartbeat, which is filmed around the village of Goathland, has introduced a new generation of tourists to the wild charms of North Yorkshire. It trades heavily on the nostalgia of 1960s Britain, so what better way to arrive at the village than by steam train? Kids and all, we boarded at the beautifully restored Pickering station and settled into one of the wood-panelled carriages off a narrow corridor used in the first Harry Potter film, when the young hero makes his way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

A loud blast of the whistle, smoke billowing into the air, and we began to chug at a leisurely 25mph through the spectacular countryside. Since the 18 miles of track were re-opened in 1974, the North Yorkshire Moors Steam Railway has been a roaring success. On our visit, it was packed with a mixture of train-spotters, old folk reminiscing about the soot-filled days of steam, and families with young kids drawn by the Harry Potter connection. Goathland station was transformed into Hogsmeade for the film — so the journey’s end brings rewards of its own for Potterphiles.

As early evening beckons, it is hard not to be tempted back by the harbour lights and to the delights of Whitby. Urban myth has it that The Magpie Cafe was once the only chip shop to appear in the good food guide. True or not, it is a magnificent discovery, a local institution that fully deserves its national reputation.

Housed in a whitewashed building dating from 1750, its constant queues are testimony to its quality. Fish and chips starts at £6.95 rising to to £14.95 for a vast platter that features 4oz apiece of cod, haddock plaice and skate. There are a range of specialities too, landed fresh on the harbour side, and all served up by smart and sensible waiting staff, with a nice cup of Yorkshire tea.

At the end of it all. you’ll feel that sense of well-being that comes at the end of a fine meal, by the waterside, in a seaside town to write home about. What more do want from a holiday?

Details

Stephen Breen stayed at Low Newbiggin Estate, Aislaby, near Whitby. Call 01947 811 811 or email holidays@lownewbiggin.co.uk. For more information on what to do, where to go and stay, visit www.yorkshirevisitor.com or telephone the brochure line on 08706 090 000.

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