From Steam Trains to Fossil Shores: A North York Moors Weekend Inspired by Robson Green
We have just finished watching Episode 11 of Season 4 of Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes on the BBC, and it felt very close to home. In this episode, Robson Green spent time with former footballer Chris Kamara, exploring a series of places that sit right at the heart of what makes a stay in this part of North Yorkshire so appealing.
A classic start on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The programme opened with a journey on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, starting at Grosmont (pronounced Gromont) and winding its way through the North York Moors National Park to Pickering. It is one of those routes where the journey is as much a part of the experience as the destination, with wide views, wooded valleys, and stations that feel unchanged by time.
Pickering is just a short drive from Cliff House Holiday Cottages, making it an easy day out for guests who want to combine a stay with a steam train experience without the need for long travel days. Did you know that Cliff House has been many things over years, from a farm, to a race horse stud farm and lots more besides?
Fossil hunting on the Yorkshire Coast
From the moors, the Robson Green and Chris Kamara moved to the coast for a morning of fossil hunting at Saltwick Bay, just south of Whitby. This stretch of coastline is well known for its geology and its sense of scale, with big skies, layered cliffs, and a shoreline that invites slow exploration.
It is the kind of outing that works just as well for families as it does for couples, especially outside the busiest summer weeks when there is space to explore and time to linger.
A step back in time at Ryedale Folk Museum
The final stop was Ryedale Folk Museum, a place that captures everyday rural life in Ryedale across centuries. From old shops and workshops to rescued buildings that have been carefully dismantled and rebuilt on site, it offers a layered picture of how people lived, worked, and traded in this part of the country.
As a former farm ourselves, Cliff House Holiday Cottages has a strong connection to that agricultural past, so it was particularly good to see the museum featured as part of a weekend that balanced landscape, coast, and local history.
Staying close to it all at Cliff House Holiday Cottages
Cliff House Holiday Cottages sits on the edge of the North York Moors, placing all of these locations within easy reach. A steam train journey, a coastal walk with fossil hunting, and a museum visit can all sit comfortably within a short stay, without feeling rushed or overplanned.
It is this mix that many of our guests value most. Space to return to at the end of the day, time together, and access to places that feel rooted in the landscape and its history.
If the episode sparked ideas for your own North Yorkshire escape, Cliff House offers a base that keeps you close to the moors, the coast, and the stories that shape this part of the country.
And you can watch Robson and Chris explore North Yorkshire, on the BBC iPlayer.
