Find the nearest History & Heritage in North Yorkshire
Our History and Heritage category brings all Coast Radar’s North Yorkshire listings related to looking for something to do or a place to visit together where they offer some form of historic or heritage based activity.
Finding the best things to see and do on a North Yorkshire day out with your family or friends is easy – simply explore the historic and heritage links below, hit the jump to my location button or use the search bar to plan your next North Yorkshire activity.
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- The Yorkshire Air Museum is the largest independent air museum in Britain and is also the location of The Allied Air Forces Memorial. The site is at the Second World War RAF Elvington airfield. The Museum has approximately 50 aircraft spanning the development of aviation from 1853 up to the current times. Several aircraft are operational and can be seen on special “Thunder Days” during the year. As well as the planes and archives you have a restaurant, shop, restoration workshops – an excellent day out.
- The Jorvik Viking Centre is a museum in central York in North Yorkshire. Created by the York Archaeological Trust in 1984, this world-renowned centre is one of the UK’s most popular visitor attractions outside London. Visitors can journey through time to see the streets of Jorvik (York) as they would have been 1,000 years ago. Explore one of the most amazing archaeological discoveries of our time. The remains of houses from a millennia ago and Viking-age timbers are brought to life before your eyes, as well as the matching smells and sounds! In the accompanying exhibitions, you’ll find out who the Vikings were, how they lived and why they came to Britain. The Jorvik Viking Centre is open every day.
- The Grand Opera House is a theatre in York, North Yorkshire. Originally opened as an opera house and a theatre in 1902, today the grade II listed building is home to a host of different theatrical and musical events which serve York and the wider community.
- The older part of the Scarborough lies around the harbour and is protected by the Castle Headland in the sheltered South Bay.
- Middleham castle is a compact but large structure with most of the walls still intact today. Built to a simple rectangle in plan, the castle consists of a Norman keep surrounded by a curtain wall. The build started in 1190 near the site of an earlier motte and bailey castle and was extended over the centuries.
- The National Railway Museum (NRM) is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It is the home of the national collection of historically significant railway vehicles, as well as a collection of other artefacts and both written and pictorial records.
- Byland Abbey is a ruined 12th-century abbey in the small village of New Byland, near Coxwold in North Yorkshire. The abbey lies within the North York Moors National Park. Once one of the greatest monasteries in England, the abbey is a fantastic example of medieval gothic architecture. Founded in 1135, it was absorbed into the Cistercian order in 1147. Today, visitors can see the impressive remains of Byland Abbey, now in the care of English Heritage. A lower half of a huge rose window is still in place, as well as some medieval floor tiles. The abbey is open from March to November. There is a museum, as well as a small gift shop and snack shop on site.
- The Merchant Adventurers’ Hall is a medieval guildhall situated in the centre of the city of York in North Yorkshire. Built in 1357 by a religious fraternity of men and women, they were granted the status of the Company of Merchant Adventurers of York by Elizabeth I in the 16th century. The main part of the building consists of the Great Hall, the Undercroft (originally an alms house for the poor people of York) and the Chapel. Today the Hall is home to a museum which has a fine collection of furniture and paintings. It can also be hired out for events.
- Castle Howard is a grand stately home set within 1,000 acres of beautiful countryside, 15 miles from York in North Yorkshire. The majority of this spectacular residence was built between 1699 and 1712 for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, and is still one of the finest private residences in Britain. It has been the home of the Howard family for more than 300 years and is often seen in film or TV productions, most notably Brideshead Revisited. Not a castle in the true sense of the word, the term is often used for English country houses constructed after the castle building period and doesn’t have a military function. Castle Howard is not only a visitor attraction but also a working estate, supporting farming and forestry enterprises. The grounds and on-site shops and cafes are open all year round, with the house open to the public from March to November.
- Pickering Castle, an early Norman castle, set in an attractive moors-edge market town, Pickering is a classic and well-preserved example of an early earthwork castle refortified in stone during the 13th and 14th centuries. Includes an exhibition.
- Ruin of a 14th-century Carthusian priory. More details: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
- Fairfax House is a Georgian town house situated in the city of York in North Yorkshire. A fine example of the architecture of the age, Fairfax House dates back to the 18th century. It was built as the winter home for Viscount Fairfax and its interior was designed by the then celebrated architect, John Carr. During the 20th century, Fairfax House was used as a cinema and a dance hall. But in the early 1980s the York Civic Trust saved it from falling into decay and has returned it to its former splendour. Visitors today can see how polite York society in the Georgian era entertained. There is a fine collection of furniture, paintings and ornaments which bring the house to life. Fairfax House is open daily from February to December. There is a gift shop on site.
