5 days    Sunday 14th – Thursday 18th October

Originally a fishing port, Scarborough became Britain’s first seaside town after its waters were deemed to have medicinal powers in the 17th century. Known as the ‘Queen of the Yorkshire Coast’, it is as popular now as in its Victorian heyday, boasting dramatic cliffs and castle headland, award winning beaches, historic harbour and a booming town centre.  Nearby, the North York Moors National Park, home to the largest area of unbroken wild heather moorland in England provides a beautiful contrast with spectacular views.

Your holiday itinerary:
Sunday: Leaving Essex we journey northwards. With suitable stops along the way we aim to be at our hotel late afternoon giving you plenty of time to settle in before dinner.

Monday: We spend the day in the North York Moors National Park with a local guide and enjoy some of the autumn colours. We travel first to the attractive little town of Pickering, where there will be some time to explore and have lunch before boarding the  train for a ride on the North York Moors Railway for a nostalgic mix of steam and countryside, marvelling at the magnificent scenery and beautifully restored stations as we travel through forests and heather clad moorland. Leaving the train at Goathland, famous as ‘Aidensfield’ in the popular Heartbeat TV series and more recently as Hogsmeade in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, there will be some time to have a look around before we reboard our coach and return to our hotel.

Tuesday: After breakfast we visit the unique museum at Eden Camp. This is no ordinary museum as it is located in the original huts built to accommodate Italian and German prisoners of war, captured from the battlefields of Africa and Europe. You are transported back in time to wartime Britain - experience the sights, sounds and even the smells of those dangerous years. This afternoon we travel out to the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with spectacular panoramic views over the Vale of York as we visit Yorkshire Lavender, Yorkshire’s premier double awarding lavender farm. Featured on national TV and radio, Yorkshire Lavender has probably the largest collection of lavender and herb plants for sale in the north of England. Plus there is the gift shop selling quality lavender products and EJ’s Tearooms noted for the freshly baked lavender scones.

Wednesday: Enjoy a free day here in Scarborough. Explore Scarborough’s medieval castle high on the rocky headland, and look down on safe sandy beaches and traditional fishing harbours. Take a walk along the South Cliff Promenade and Gardens to the Spa complex, which was built around the original source of Scarborough’s spa waters. Many of the iconic postcard views of the resort are taken from here and the ITV television drama “The Royal” was filmed in the area. From the seafront take one of the cliff lifts to the town centre and enjoy a wide variety of shops.

Thursday: Leaving Scarborough after breakfast we drive south across the Wolds, passing the town of Beverley, famous for its Minster and crossing the Humber Bridge as we make our way to the cathedral city of Lincoln. The city is renowned for its history and heritage, centred on its world famous Cathedral, which is the third largest in the country and recently used for the filming of “The Da Vinci Code”. There will be time for lunch in the Cathedral Quarter of the city before we continue our homeward journey. We aim to be back in Essex late afternoon.

Your holiday hotel:
The Esplanade Hotel is a *** hotel occupying a commanding position on Scarborough’s South Cliff, which combines modern comfort with traditional elegance. The hotel is just a short walk from the town centre, the beach and the Spa. A striking feature of the hotel is the oriel window in the restaurant which provides a breathtaking view of Scarborough’s South Bay, the harbour and headland. A lift serves all floors and all rooms are en-suite and equipped with colour TV, direct dial telephone, radio and hospitality tray.

Price per person:    £423.00 that’s just over £84 a day.

Price includes:
Executive coach travel.
Porterage on arrival and departure.
Tea/coffee and shortbread on arrival.
En-suite rooms.
4 nights dinner, bed and breakfast, comprising of a 3 course dinner with choice of menu, tea/coffee and full English breakfast.
Excursions as outlined above including a guided tour of the North Yorks Moors with a single journey on the North Yorks Moor Railway and a visit to Goathland; entrance to the Eden Camp; a visit to Yorkshire Lavender with afternoon cream tea and time in Lincoln.
Travel insurance.