[SA Chris]

We've got Scottish Holidays for 3 weeks before English ones break up this summer, thinking of heading for NYMs, as it's an area I've never visited. As I've never really been there, not sure where to start though!

Ideally looking for self catering in a reasonably sized village, not massively far from (surfing) beach and some easy crags for the kids (Scugdale, Wainstones?) plus a bit of bouldering nearby I can do on my tod. Some safe cycling with the kids would be good too. eg is Pickering OK?

Thanks

[Stabbsy]

Pickering or Helmsley might work quite well, but there's maybe not a perfect solution with everything close by. Scugdale and Wainstones are on the west side of the moors and the beaches are (obviously) on the east. Most of the decent roads run north to south unfortunately. You're either going to be a reasonable distance/time from the climbing or from the surfing, I'd guess.

From Pickering, you're on the road to Scarborough for the surf beaches (not sure what the beaches further north are like for surfing spots?), but still probably 30 mins away. You're maybe half an hour from the Wainstones parking, but Scugdale would be more awkward as you've got to go all the way round the edge of the moors to the NW corner to get to the access road - short walk-in though. You've also got the mighty Ravenswick Quarry close by. There's a fair amount of bouldering on Blakey Ridge - Duck, Oak, Round and others, which wouldn't be far away.

Somewhere like Castleton or the area round Stokesley (we've stayed in Carlton before) would be better placed for the climbing and maybe the cycling too, but not so good for the surfing.

[sherlock]

Pretty much what Stabbsy said. Give me a shout if you want to know which venues to avoid.
It's an interesting place for all sorts of reasons.

[T_B]

We stayed in Osmotherley last summer and are going again this summer as we liked the YHA there. Never been to the area before so not sure it’s a good base (though it has a very good pub). Anyway, what I will say is we had wet weather and Ibex bouldering in Darlington was really good. Scugdale is a great kids crag. It didn’t seem to much of a mission to drive over to the coast.

[dunnyg]

 Surf wise theres places all over, but im a fan of cayton, easy access, loads of parking (some paid) surf shop if you need to rent, and the beach is nice. Steep hill down which is an effort after a bog session, but its only short. The other 'big' spot in the north is saltburn. Parking can be trickier there, but its even easier beach access if you can park close by! More seaside town stuff going on too.

[galpinos]

Repeating what others have said but is you are keen on Scugdale and the Wainstones, then stay in the NW of the area and surf at Saltburn.

If you go for Pickering, it's nearly an hour to the Clay Bank car park for the Wainstones and well over an hour to Scugdale but it's a nice straight drive to Cayton Bay. I also really like Scarborough. Got married near there and had fish and chips on the front pre weeding and had everyone done on the beach the day after. Full British seaside experience without being too "Blackpool".

I only really know the north bit well as my MIL lives in Kirkby. We stayed in a barn on the Urra Esate last time (before overnight stays in houses were allowed) which was lovely but expensive.

[webbo]

I lived in Kirkbymoorside for a couple of years moving last year. I can’t add much re the climbing and surfing. Cycling wise the roads seem to pretty busy at the moment, I was over there last week Pickering to Egton bridge, Danby, Castleton and Hutton le Hole. I’m not sure I would want to take my grandson out on the road even if he was capable. It’s not easy to find a steady ride as there seems to be more 33% gradient signs than anywhere else in the UK
If it’s mountain biking then there’s lots of options one being Dalby which has a full range of trails although it’s pretty busy at the moment.

[dunnyg]

Theres also some steady mountainbike "trails" at sutton bank if you end up over that way. Nowhere near as good/extensive as dalby, but another low planning/effort mtb venue.

[SA Chris]

Cheers for the info guys, lot to think about.

I only mentioned Scugdale and Wainstones as they are in RF Northern England and look good for family, but if there are other options I'm open to them. if there was somewhere with a wide selection of safe bouldering the kids actually prefer that, we are limited in that respect.

Cycling wise preference would be traffic free or very quiet / offroad cycling, probably up to about 20km. Forest tracks are good. Something like Callendar  / The Trossachs has a fantastic network in this respect, but that might be wishful thinking.

[Will Hunt]

I only mentioned Scugdale and Wainstones as they are in RF Northern England and look good for family, but if there are other options I'm open to them. if there was somewhere with a wide selection of safe bouldering the kids actually prefer that, we are limited in that respect.

Armchair view:
All the Moors people I know say that Scugdale is rubbish and that the rock quality is among the worst on the Moors. You have to take that with a pinch of salt as they are Moors connoisseurs. The obvious attraction of Scugdale and the Wainstones is that they're friendly and accessible crags which look a bit like Slipstones in their vibe. Nice bouldery/micro-route sort of places that are easily reached from the A1. I know people who've been and they've all had a great time.
A lot of the traddy Moors crags away from the likes of Ravenscar and Highcliffe look quite awkward to access to me. The kind of place you go to do specific routes rather than just turn up and have an easy day pottering about. Some of the bouldering on the Moors looks great, with some obviously brilliant individual problems (Sleepy Hollow, Stoupe stuff etc), but I can't think of many crags that appear to have a good circuit of Font 6s and low 7s to pull in visitors from outside the region.

ENORMOUS caveat: I've never been.

[dunnyg]

Do some work Will, I dont pay my water bill for you to post rubbish on the web.
I've been to scugdale a few times, including puntering about and it has been good. Slipstones like setting with different rock.
Wainstones has nice easy trad, and I havent done any bouldering there, but looks like there are a few nice looking lines, and enough easy bits if required.
Park nab is pleasant if nearby and has some pleasant solos/steady trad. The kind of place you could head to for an hour or 2 if nearby.

The guidebook is boss if you havent already got it.

[T_B]

I will get the guidebook as it definitely sounds like the kind of place where you need to do research.

And Grandmaster Flash at Scugdale looks as good as anything in Northumberland/Churnet of that ilk. Rest of crag perfect for family fun.

[dunnyg]

I enjoyed new dimensions next door GMF, which is lower and an easier grade.

[T_B]

Yes that entire buttress looks great.

[Bradders]

Only been to Scugdale once but had a great time. Loads of very easy short routes/solos and I didn't think the rock was bad at all.

[Will Hunt]

The gist of my post wasn't to try and discourage a visit, by the way. More to say that if you go and think it's shit then don't write off the Moors as it isn't representative of what else is out there in the area.
I'll shut up now because my view is completely irrelevant (I mean that sincerely).

[dunnyg]

The joys writing on the web vs nattering over a beer eh?

[webbo]

As Steve Ramsden author a fair new routes on the NYM once said “ It’s a pity that there’s one good problem at crag x or y as there’s fuck else there to making it worth going for.

[Franco]

Saltburn for surfing.

Best family beach is runswick bay. One of the nicest walks is to park at the parking for maidens Bluff and take the coastal path to runswick bay. It's about 2 miles and feels like you're in Cornwall. You descend this Robinson crusoe style stream to arrive at the less busy end of the beach. The village of runswick bay is lovely and there are car parks there if you don't want such a walk. If you want to go early, park in the village. If you want to go late, do the walk.

Best quiet road cycling is around fryup and danby dale. Quite a few hills, but it's lovely. There's the Moors centre, danby castle and cycle hub there too. Busier than it's ever been, but still well quiet.

For forest tracks, its guisborough,  dalby, or you can do the old mineral railway across the moor from ingleby greenhow to the lion inn on blakey. Great views on the latter.

Best bouldering is stoupe brow for hardish stuff, wainstones and Clemmitts for mid and easy. The bridestones is great for a family day out.

I'd probably base myself on the coast or around castleton if I were you. Between staithes and whitby is still fine for getting to scugdale and wainstones, and you can easy scooch  down the coast road to other seaside spots like robinhoods bay. I wouldn't stay in Pickering if you want to be beaching it.

Hope you have a nice time.

[SA Chris]

It's about 2 miles and feels like you're in Cornwall.

Not selling it!

Cheers for the info. Feel it's an area lacking from my "Knowing the UK" CV so hopefully rectify that. In spite of living in Leeds for 3 years, plus other times intermittently, I never went to that part of the country, either Lakes, N Wales, Peak, Yorkshire Dales or W Yorks for climbing. And visited Northumberland a lot while living in Scotland. Now just need to find a reasonably priced self-catering that isn't owned by a daylight robber.