The picturesque village of Goathland is situated 500 feet above sea level in the North York Moors National Park, north of Pickering. It is convenient for visiting Whitby, just about ten miles away by road. As the village is situated on the North Yorkshire Moors railways both Pickering and Whitby can also be reached by train. Goathland''s surrounding landscape is beautiful, with the heather and bracken of the open moorland never far away.
Goathland''s history goes back as far as Viking times and now, the Duchy of Lancaster owns most of the land around the village. The tenants of the Duchy have the right, going back for hundreds of years, to graze their sheep on the village green and surrounding moorland and the tame, black faced sheep are often seen wandering in the village.
Although Goathland has been a popular destination for walkers, cyclists and nature lovers for many years; it has been made more famous in recent times as the village of Aidensfield in the ITV series Heartbeat. Visitors today will recognize many of the landmarks made famous by the series. These include the Goathland Hotel, which was the Aidensfield Arms, the garage and funeral directors and the stores. The railway station is well known from Heartbeat, but also featured as Hogsmeade Station in the Harry Potter films. Goathland station is on the North Yorkshire Moors steam railway line, which is the UK''s second longest preserved line, running for most of the year along the route of the original 19th century line.
Visitors will find quaint tea rooms and old fashioned shops in this little village, and if you feel like a break from cooking, a range of options, from traditional bar meals to sophisticated al-a-carte menus, is available. You can find out more about life on the Yorkshire Moors at the Goathland Exhibition Centre and there are many lovely walks in the area, including the footpath near the Mallyan Spout Hotel that leads to the 70 ft high waterfall of the same name.
Come and discover this lovely part of Yorkshire, search for Goathland holiday cottages today.