Our guide to luxury Yorkshire holidays

Spanning 2.9 million acres and home to 5.8 million people, Yorkshire is made up of four counties: North Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire. As of 2022, there are now eight cities in Yorkshire, including York, Leeds, Sheffield, Hull, Bradford, Ripon, Wakefield and Doncaster, which was granted city status by Queen Elizabeth II as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The Bingley Arms is a public house in Bardsey, West Yorkshire. Dating back to 953 AD, it’s believed to be the oldest surviving pub in the United Kingdom. Where better, then, to drink in a spot of history – with a pint of Black Sheep, of course.

Yorkshire is also home to the highest pub in England, The Tan Hill Inn, which is located at 1,732 feet above sea level in Swaledale.

Yorkshire is well-connected by train, with daily direct services to York from stations across the UK. The train from London to York, Leeds or Sheffield takes just over two hours; from there, you can board regional services to popular destinations, including Whitby, Scarborough, Malton, and Harrogate.

The region’s largest airport, Leeds Bradford, offers domestic and international flights. If you’re keen to explore Yorkshire by car, then rest assured that the road network provides easy access around the region (though you might find some tractor traffic and wayward sheep on the rolling Dales back roads).

Traditional Yorkshire dishes include Yorkshire pudding (a classic accompaniment to a Sunday roast), Yorkshire parkin (a richly-spiced cake, made with ginger, oats and molasses), and Wensleydale cheese (a crumbly cow’s milk cheese crafted in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales).

Thanks to its impressive natural larder, Yorkshire boasts some of the finest fresh produce, with many of the UK’s leading restaurants sourcing seasonal asparagus, forced rhubarb, and crab from within its county bounds.