The Clifton Hotel

Our Top 20 local attractions to visit whilst staying at our Scarborough or Malton Hotels

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1. Flamingo Land

Location: Kirby Misperton, Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 6UX

Cost : Adults £22.00

Category: Theme Park

Visitors to hotels in Malton and Scarborough are only a short distance away from Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo.

Flamingo Land is the UK’s only Theme Park, Zoo and Holiday Village, all set in over 375 acres of North Yorkshire parkland. With so much to see and do you’ll go home wishing you’d stayed for longer.

Tel: 08719 118 000
Website: Flamingo Land

2. Eden Camp

Location: Eden Camp Museum, Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 6RT

Cost : Adults £5.00

Category: Museum

Guests staying at our Malton Hotels can visit this unique Museum, Eden Camp which will transport you back in time to wartime Britain. You will experience the sights, sounds and even the smells of those dangerous years.

This is no ordinary Museum – Not another Military Museum – Not a glass showcase Museum – Eden Camp have reconstructed scenes using movement, lighting, sound, smells, even smoke machines to transport you back in time and to make you feel that you are there taking part in history.

Eden Camp is a special award winning Museum and is an original Prisoner of War Camp built in 1942. The fascinating displays hold, and reveal to you, the vital spirit which eventually triumphed in 1945. These superb and lifelike exhibits make a visit to Eden Camp a wonderful and educational day out for all the family.

Please allow 3 to 4 hours for a visit. It is the only Theme Museum to offer such an experience coupled to value for money, so don’t miss it. Eden Camp have excellent facilities and are fully accessible for the disabled and visually impaired. There is ample free parking for up to 400 cars and 30 coaches. Braille sheets and tapes are available. A great day out for all the family.

Tel: 01653 697 777
Website: Eden Camp

3. Scarborough SEALIFE Centre

Location: Scalby Mills, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO12 6RP

Category: Family Attraction

Scarborough SEALIFE and Marine Sanctuary will introduce you to many strange, beautiful and fascinating creatures of the deep. Prepare for astonishing close views of everything from humble starfish to mighty sharks, all in displays which carefully recreate their natural habitats.

Explore freshwater rivers and streams, the rugged UK coastline, the shallows and the dark depths of the North Sea and the crystal clear warm waters of the Barrier Reef. At every step there are different amazing creatures to find, to watch and to learn about.

Discover the truth about the much-misunderstood shark, the plight of the endangered sea turtle, the remarkable lives of seahorses and countless more surprising facts about these and other incredible creatures.

Tel: 08714 232 110
Website: Scarborough SEALIFE Centre

4. Castle Howard

Location: Castle Howard, York, North Yorkshire YO60 7DA

Cost : Adults £11.00

Category: Stately Home

The construction of Castle Howard took more than 100 years and spanned the lifetime of three earls and numerous architects and craftsmen. As the house was built and decorated the grounds surrounding it were filled with lakes, temples, monuments and a grand mausoleum. A thriving estate grew up encompassing several villages and acres of farmland.

The house and grounds have grown and altered through successive generations of the family, and it is this essential dynamic that has made Castle Howard so special today.

The single most significant event since the day it was built has been the fire of 1940, which destroyed the dome and nearly 20 rooms. For the next few years much of Castle Howard was open to the skies, its once splendid rooms gutted shells. George Howard, who inherited the house, after the deaths in action of his two brothers in World War Two, was determined that the house should be lived in once more, and made the bold decision to recover Vanbrugh’s architectural masterpiece.

It is largely due to his remarkable efforts that Castle Howard is today still home to the Howard family, and enjoys such popularity with the public welcoming nearly 200,000 visitors each year.

Tel: 01653 648 444
Website: Castle Howard

5. Heartbeat Country

Location: Whitby/ Goathland

Cost : Free

Category: Family Attraction

Guests who stay at our hotels in Scarborough can grab the opportunity to visit the set of the much loved TV program Heartbeat, which is a short drive from Scarborough and is a brilliant day out, you even may get to see them filming!

Goathland is a village situated in the North Yorkshire Moors due north of Pickering, off the A169 road to Whitby. It is surrounded by beautiful scenery and has the advantage of having a station on the North Yorkshire Moors steam railway line.

Fans will not be disappointed by a visit to fictional Aidensfield as many of the series landmarks are recognisable, including the stores, Garage / funeral directors, the public house and of course the railway station. Some other regular settings in the series are located outside of the village. The police house can be found about 70 miles away in the small village of Askwith near Ilkley and the police station can be found in the town of Otley, this was a real police station in past years. Now most interior shots for all the buildings are filmed in reconstructed studio’s.

The Steam Railway is a private trust that carries upwards of 200,000 passengers a year and links Grosmount with Pickering. It follows the route of the 19th century line that originally connected to Whitby and Goathland village sits 500 feet above sea level and has a history extending back to Viking times. The tame black faced sheep have a common right to graze on the village green and surrounding moorland that extends back for hundreds of years.

Tel: N/A
Website: Heartbeat

6. The Spa Complex, Scarborough

Location: South Bay, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO11 2HD

Cost : Free

Category: Entertainment Venue

Scarborough Spa Complex is located on Scarborough’s South Bay and is one of the most prestigious venues for conferences, exhibitions, entertainment and events on the Yorkshire Coast.

Owned and managed by Scarborough Borough Council, the Spa Complex aims to provide the event organiser and leisure visitor with some of the best facilities in Scarborough.

7. The Rotunda Museum, Scarborough

Location: Vernon Road, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO11 2NN

Cost : Adult Day Ticket £4.50

Category: Museum

The stunning Rotunda Museum in Scarborough overlooks the South Bay and was built in 1829. It is one of the best geological museums in the area and amongst the oldest purpose built museums in Britain that still fulfils its original role. The museum was built to illustrate the ideas of William Smith – the pioneering ‘Father of English Geology’ whose work established that geological strata could be identified and correlated using the fossils they contain.

Tel: 01723 353 665
Website: The Rotunda Museum

8. Scarborough Castle

Location: Castle Road, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO11 1HY

Cost : Adult £3.90

Category: English Heritage

High on the headland above the North Sea, Scarborough Castle occupies one of the most dramatic castle sites in the country and boasts over 2,500 years of turbulent history.

Before the castle was built, this natural fortress was favoured by prehistoric settlers before serving as a Roman signal station and Viking haven. It has endured sieges from medieval kings and Civil War armies to German naval bombardment during WWII. Now you can climb to the battlement viewing platforms for dramatic coastline views and take tea in the 18th-century Master Gunner’s House.

This is an ideal day out for people staying at our Scarborough hotels who wish to capture the heritage of Scarborough town.

Tel: 01723 372 451
Website: Scarborough Castle

9. North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Location: Near Pickering, North Yorkshire

Cost : Adult from £15.00

Category: Family Attraction

North Yorkshire Moors Railway with its magnificent steam engines and beautiful rural stations is like taking a step back in time.

From the smoke and steam pouring from the engines to the cosy wood-panelled carriages and friendly conductor service, the railway is both lovingly preserved and charmingly authentic.

Guests staying at our Scarborough or Malton hotels can use the railway as the perfect starting point for a day out, whether you’re travelling between the rugged Yorkshire villages, hiking on the wind swept moors or spending a day by the seaside in Whitby.

Tel: 01751 472 508
Website: North Yorkshire Moors Railway

10. Ryedale Folk Museum

Location: Situated in the picturesque village of Hutton-le-Hole, near Pickering

Cost : Adult £5.25

Category: Museum

Ryedale Folk Museum is Yorkshire’s leading open air museum. Set in a three and a half acre site in the North York Moors are 19 re–constructed historic buildings from the local area including shops, thatched and timber framed cottages, workshops and an Elizabethan Manor House.

The museum covers 400 years of the history of Ryedale with collections of archaeology, costume, photographs, craft, tools and domestic equipment.

The Museum has been a Registered Charity since 1966 and as an independent museum relies upon income generated by admission fees, shops sales and grants in order to remain open to the public.

As you step through the entrance of the Ryedale Folk Museum you will be transported back in time. Take a walk through the site and learn about the history of Ryedale from centuries past. Take a look through the shop, there is an opportunity to find that perfect gift or something to remember your visit.

Due to some lottery backing guests staying at our hotels in Malton are a step closer to being able to visit the Harrison Collection which is a priceless collection of 10,000 social history artefacts collected by local brothers Edward and Richard Harrison over the last 50 years. For more information on this story visit our Malton hotels news page on our website.

Tel: 01751 417 367
Website: Ryedale Folk Museum

11. Stephen Joseph Theatre

Location: Westborough, Scarborough YO11 1JW

Cost : Varies depending on show

Category: Entertainment Venue

The Stephen Joseph Theatre was founded in Scarborough by theatrical pioneer Stephen Joseph.

Stephen had seen a theatre in the round in America and was determined to bring it back to Britain. A series of events brought him to the seaside town of Scarborough in 1955 and he established a tiny theatre in the round on the first floor of the Library.

The theatre flourished and in 1976 moved to a supposedly temporary home on the ground floor of the former Scarborough Boys’ High School.

However, a permanent home proved difficult to find and it wasn’t until 1988 and the closure of the local Odeon cinema that the theatre’s long-standing Artistic Director, Alan Ayckbourn, found a suitable venue.

The new Stephen Joseph Theatre opened on 30th April 1996 and has two auditoria: The Round, a 404-seat in the round and The McCarthy, a 165-seat endstage/cinema.

The theatre also contains a restaurant, shop and full front-of-house facilities for guests staying at our Scarborough and Malton hotels to enjoy.

Tel: 01723 370 541
Website: Stephen Joseph Theatre

12. Anne Bronte’s Grave

Location: St Mary’s Church, Scarborough

Cost : Free of Charge

Category: Place of Interest

Although over eighty miles from the traditional Bronte Country of the West Yorkshire Pennines, the Yorkshire Coast resort of Scarborough is famous as being the final resting place of Anne Bronte, who died there in 1848.

Anne Bronte’s grave can to this day be visited in the churchyard of St Mary’s Church, just below Scarborough’s castle.

Anne Bronte had many connections with Scarborough and it was a place she loved. It was also a place she portrayed in both her novels – Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

Guests staying at our Scarborough and Malton hotels can join the hundreds of people who visit Anne’s grave in Scarborough each year.

Tel: N/A
Website: Anne Bronte’s Grave

13. Go Ape

Location: Dalby Forest, near Scarborough, North Yorkshire

Cost : 18+ Yrs – £25.00

Category: Family Attraction

Go Ape began in 2001 when Tristram and Rebecca Mayhew were holidaying in France and ventured upon a tree-top adventure course set deep in the Auvergne National Forest. On their return to the UK, they promptly gave up their jobs and set about starting up Go Ape.

With the support of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (who were impressed with the Mayhew’s plans around the quality of training for instructors and how the course would be built), Tristram approached the Forestry Commission with a view to opening a course within its woodlands.

Seeing the many potential benifits of the proposal, the Forestry Commission agreed to a multi-site deal, which saw the first Go Ape course open in Thetford Forest in March 2002.

Tristram and Rebecca continue to lead Go Ape and this includes the Dalby Forest site where visitors to Scarborough are able to take part in a tree-top adventure course!

Tel: 01751 460 295
Website: Go Ape

14. York Dungeons

Location: York, North Yorkshire

Cost : Our Scarborough and Malton hotels offer discounted tickets

Category: Family Attraction

Deep beneath the pavement at locations across Europe, chilling tales and petrifying aspects of our history are reenacted, providing eerie, spine-chilling fun for anyone who dares enter the world of York Dungeons.

Delve into the blood-curdling parts of history that your teachers never taught you – learn the torturous methods used by unscrupulous characters to the grisly details of our most prolific killers. York Dungeons offer visitors a thrill like no other attraction!

Our Scarborough and Malton hotels offer discounted tickets to York Dungeons which can be purchased from any English Rose Hotel.

Tel: 01202 661 303
Website: York Dungeon

15. Stained Glass Centre

Location: Killerby Lane, Cayton, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO11 3TP

Cost : Free of Charge

Category: Local Attraction

If you’ve ever wondered about the origins of stained glass or thought about owning your own exclusive stained glass windows or lampshade, then look no further than the Stained Glass Centre near Scarborough.

At the Stained Glass Centre, Valerie Green and her staff maintain a tradition that has existed for over a 1000 years and the production methods are the same today as they were then.

If you visit the Stained Glass Centre you can learn about the history of Stained Glass and browse in the showrooms which are full of stained glass panels, lampshades, mirrors and gifts.

Tel: 01723 581 236
Website: Stained Glass Centre

16. Scarborough Art Gallery

Location: The Crescent, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO11 2PW

Cost : Adult £2.00

Category: Museum and Heritage

Scarborough Art Gallery has become well known for showing a variety of national touring exhibitions, including the Drawing on the Dramatic exhibition.

In 1947, the Council’s Libraries and Museums Committee decided to create an Art Gallery in Scarborough at Crescent House.

Originally, the Gallery did not occupy the long gallery, which currently shows eighteenth and nineteenth century oil paintings. This space formed part of the Caretaker’s quarters as well as the rooms in the basement area which are now Crescent Arts. The Caretaker was responsible for the three buildings on the Crescent: Wood End, a Natural History Museum, and Londesborough Lodge, administrative offices for the Council and the Art Gallery.

Scarborough Art Gallery did not have much of a collection of fine art when it first opened. Though the Scarborough Corporation already owned the Sir Meredith Whitaker collection, which came in 1937, two works by John Jackson, and watercolours by HB Carter.

The original exhibition Scarborough through Three Centuries occupied the whole available display space at that time. Reports describe how the exhibition was hung over both floors and works by Francis Nicholson filled a whole room whilst HB Carter was represented by ‘more than a dozen works’. The journalist at the time noted that it was John Piper’s watercolours that provided ‘a striking contrast to the strictly conventional note of the exhibition as a whole.’ The exhibition was shown for a relatively short time, from 17 November 1947 to 4 January 1948. Perhaps the reason for this was because major works were borrowed from the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Gallery has since become well known for showing a variety of national touring exhibitions as well as originating major new shows.

Scarborough Art Gallery occupies two floors of a nineteenth-century Italianate Villa on Scarborough’s beautiful Crescent. With views of South Bay from its first floor, the Gallery is an ideal location to show a variety of historic and contemporary visual art. Expect to see high-quality national touring exhibitions and original shows, as well as a fascinating historic art collection.

Tel: 01723 374 753
Website: Scarborough Art Gallery

17. JORVIK Viking Centre, York

Location: Coppergate, York YO1 9WT

Cost : Adult £8.50

Category: Family Attraction

Visitors to our Scarborough or Malton Hotels are only a short distance from the world famous JORVIK Viking Centre in York.

JORVIK is a ‘must-see’ for visitors to the city of York and is one of the most popular visitor attractions in the UK.

The centre has had over 14 million visitors over the past 21 years and visitors can enjoy a journey through the reconstruction of the Viking-Age streets, as they would have been in the year AD975.

JORVIK Viking Centre also offers three exciting exhibitions and the chance to actually come face to face with a Viking!

Tel: 01904 543 400
Website: JORVIK Viking Centre

18. North Bay Railway, Scarborough

Location: Burniston Road, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO12 6PF

Cost : Adults £2.80

Category: Family Attraction

Visitors to our Scarborough Hotels are only a short distance from the North Bay Railway. The line has been operating since 1931, running for around 3/4 of a mile from Peasholm Park in Scarborough (pictured below) to the Scalby Mills station and offers beautiful views of Scarborough’s North Bay.

The line is now operated by the North Bay Railway Company Ltd, and as well as a railway, there is plenty more now on offer, including a newly built bistro and shop.

Visitors to our hotels in Scarborough can also visit the historic water chute that is now operated by the North Bay Railway Company. It is one of only two left in the Country, the other being the original one in Wicksteed Park, Kettering.

The historic water chute will re-open at the end of May 2009 for the Whit school holiday and will then be open on weekends throughout June and early July and then daily throughout the summer.

Tel: 01723 368 791
Website: North Bay Railway

19. Beningbrough Hall and Gardens

Location: Beningbrough, York, North Yorkshire YO30 1DD

Cost : Adults £7.60

Category: English Heritage

If you are staying in one of our Malton Hotels then you are only a short distance from the beautiful Beningbrough Hall.

Beningbrough Hall is a grand 1716 Georgian mansion with an impressive baroque interior and set in a park and gardens. There are more than 100 18th-century portraits on display and seven interpretation galleries, designed in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery.

There is also a fully equipped Victorian laundry, with wet and dry rooms, and a delightful walled garden which supplies The Walled Garden Restaurant, a perfect place for refreshments. There are many family facilities, including a wilderness play area and throughout the year Beningbrough Hall has various events for the whole family to enjoy.

Tel: 01904 472 027
Website: Beningbrough Hall

20. National Railway Museum, York

Location: Leeman Road, York YO26 4XJ

Cost : Admission is FREE for all visitors except for certain special events when charges may apply

Category: Family Attraction

At the National Railway Museum in York you will be able to discover over 300 years of history and over a million wonderful objects.

Guests visiting our Malton Hotels can marvel at the record-breaking Mallard, watch engineering work in progress in the Workshop, see locomotives moving on the turntable or let off steam in the outdoor play area.

The Museum is also home to the nation’s favourite locomotive, the Flying Scotsman.

The locomotive is currently undergoing a full restoration at sites around the country but you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the restoration work in the Workshop at the Museum.

At the National Railway Museum there really is something for everyone!

Tel: 08448 153 139
Website: National Railway Museum

For more details on what to see and do whilst staying at our Scarborough hotels or our Malton Hotels visit the Local Attractions and What’s On sections of our website.

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