Sutton Bank National Park Centre
Sutton Bank Thirsk YO7 2EH
It's billed as the "finest view in Britain" and, standing atop the extraordinary Sutton Bank escarpment, with seemingly half of England below you, it's hard to disagree. The excellent visitor centre here anchors the western half of the national park, and its revamped permanent exhibition – "Lime & Ice" – gives you the lowdown on the geology and history in an all-singing-all-dancing interactive way. However, nothing beats leaving the car at the centre and heading off on foot or by bike on one of the well-signposted local routes, when you can make your own mind up about the finest-in-Britain claim. Bike-outfit Sutton Bank Bikes can point you towards the family bike trail or the other trails that make use of the bridleway network around the centre. A rather nice café does the honours when you come back exhausted – some of those routes go down the dramatic hill, which (for understandable reasons, once you drive it) is banned to caravans and heavy vehicles.
