Steam Railways in Yorkshire
We excitedly made our way to Skipton to travel on one of the most scenic railway journeys in England. The Dalesman has carriages which served throughout the golden age of rail and have been lovingly restored with some featuring in the Harry Potter movies. We travelled across the stunning Pennine Hills showing the English countryside at its best. We were amazed at the amount of people lining the route to take photos of the train passing on its journey and we certainly all enjoyed waving to them as we passed.
There really is nothing better than the smell of the burning coal and the chugging noise of the steam train.
The sun was shining, the perfect day to head to Whitby, known as the jewel in the crown of the North Yorkshire Coast. We took a lovely stroll down through the town with its narrow streets and the bustling harbour with a fantastic view of St.Hilda's Abbey sat high on the cliffs. The fresh sea air was starting to make us feel a little peckish and we all agreed we couldn't possibly visit the seaside without enjoying a traditional fish and chip lunch in the sunshine.
Everyone loved looking around the Lifeboat Museum and it was amazing to hear about all the incredible work that they do.
We couldn't resist our favourite American themed ice cream parlour, Billy Bob’s. There were so many delicious varieties of ice cream to choose from and a huge selection of different sprinkles and sauces for us to make our own decadent sundae! We sat outside making the most of a glorious day listening to music from the 50s and 60s.
Another day, another train and this time we started at Embsay Train Station where we boarded the steam train named Cumbria, built in 1953. With its old fashioned feel and comfy chairs we began our journey through the stunning Yorkshire countryside with the smell of burning coal and huge puffs of smoke. Before long, we had soon arrived at Bolton Abbey Station set in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. We disembarked and looked around the station and managed to watch them get the train ready for the return journey. 
A brilliant afternoon was spent at Wensleydale Creamery, starting off with the most delicious Cheese toastie, using their own Wensleydale cheese. We went into the visitor’s centre and museum and learnt how the cheese making process has developed over the years. We watched through the glass panels as the cheese makers separate the curds from the whey; it was fascinating to watch.
We managed a few photos with the cheesing loving Wallace and Gromit characters and used some of the interactive activities around the centre.
Off to the village of Skipton for a cruise on a narrow boat which would take us along the Leeds Liverpool Canal. The sun was shining as we gently cruised on the still water, waving to the passing boats and passers by. We all became nature detectives, looking for any wildlife that live on the canal itself and we all felt super relaxed bobbing along in the glorious sunshine. 
We visited Goathland, a beautiful village, famous for its connections with the hit ITV show Heartbeat. We took a lovely stroll around the village where the sheep just wander freely, and we bought some gifts and souvenirs from the quaint shops before enjoying lunch in the beautiful tearoom. We walked down to the garage known as Bernie Scripps Garage and Funeral Parlour which is a well know building in the tv show.
An amazing afternoon was spent at the National Railway Museum which is home to some iconic locomotives. We entered the Great Hall where we could get up close to the fastest, world record breaking steam locomotive The Mallard which is unbeaten since it set the world speed record in 1938. We explored the Eurostar modern engineering that connected us with mainland Europe via the Channel Tunnel, Ambulance trains that used to evacuate sick and injured troops during the First World War and many more. 
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