Scarborough to Carlisle ...

..... via the Yorkshire Moors.

Once again Brian has provided us with some top travel tips that we followed until the light faded, at which point the moors started to seem a bit desolate and foreboding and we hightailed it on to the motorway for Carlisle pronto!

Leaving Scarborough, our first port of call was Ebberston.  Just a quick stop, mainly to take a few pictures because it was pretty and the sky was blue!

Ebberston main street

And then it was on to the delightful Thornton le Dale, with it's lovely Autumn colours and beautiful houses, hotels......

and this gorgeous old thatched cottage.....

After Thornton le Dale it was on to Pickering, where we discovered some fabulous bakeries and indulged in a Yorkshire curd tart, a caramel custard donut and not one, but two brilliant vanilla slices!  Mmm Mmm.  Plus we found Em a new scarf.

Note the dogs welcome bit on the sign, wish we had Lucy Loo :)

Helmsley was the next stop with a visit to the ruins of Helmsley Castle, where the kids ran and ran and ran.  Jeremy, who had to be coaxed out of the car, was the keenest of all........

Although it was cold, the kids soon warmed up with all the running, climbing and jumping that went on.

But who exactly lived in a castle like this?

And one final picture of the castle

The surrounding Autumn trees were stunning.  Autumn is my favourite season and this is exactly why.

Autumn colours

And our last stop for the day was the moated Middleham Castle, dating back to the 12th Century and once home to Richard III.  

Middleham Castle with statue of Richard 111

It was such a pity the weather was poor, with the grey skies and the end of daylight savings we started to lose light around 3:30pm, just as we drove through some of the most stunning scenery imaginable.  All this means is we will have to come back in summer!

ps - thanks for the itinerary Brian, it worked a treat J