North Yorkshire

Helmsley

Helmsley is a small market town in North Yorkshire. Located in the North York Moors National Park, it’s a very quaint town with, filled with small boutiques and also boasting some impressive castle ruins.

My visit here with friends was only short, but we found this bench with these beautiful words on.

Whitby

Whitby is a beautiful seaside resort in North Yorkshire, famous for being the location on which Bram Stoker based his famous gothic novel Dracula.

The ruins of Whitby Abbey stand proudly on the clifftop alongside the parish church of St Mary, both of which can be reached by climbing the (very steep) 199 steps to the top, and which make a beautiful view through the impressive Whalebone Arch (pictured above).

Fish and chips are also a must when visiting Whitby – though beware the seagulls, who are usually just as hungry (if not more so) than the tourists!

There are a lot of memory benches in Whitby, several of them based on the hilltop by the Whalebone Arch, overlooking the beach and sea.  Even when busy, it seems a calm and tranquil place, and is clear why it has been and still is such a popular destination for so many people.

The sea wall in Whitby is also worth a walk along, and there are lots of beautifully written memory benches placed along the way.  The view along the beach is spectacular, and you can see why people regard this one of their favourite places.  

York

I’m pretty sure I write this about every place I’ve visited on this site, but York really does have a special place in my heart. Since spending a week there for a primary school trip, to getting engaged there (when I genuinely thought I was being broken up with :D), and spending my friends fabulous hen do there, I will always have some really special memories of York.

Most of the benches below were around the Minster and in the garden just behind. It’s a real suntrap and however busy the crowds are, it seems a really peaceful place to just sit and watch the world go by.