Wrea Head Hall, Scalby

A Victorian Gothic country-house hotel built in 1881, set in parkland on the edge of the North York Moors National Park at Scalby, just outside Scarborough. The house has wood-panelled rooms, characterful bedrooms in the mansion and the old carriage house, and a fine-dining restaurant serving British food.

Scarborough's North Bay beach is about 10 minutes' drive away, and the Cinder Track walking and cycling path to Robin Hood's Bay and Whitby runs past the village. It's a good base for both the coast and the moors.