Free Pass Yorkshire
Malham Cove, North Yorkshire
Malham CovePhoto: Andy Jamieson · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Free things to do in North Yorkshire

Plenty of North Yorkshire's best days out cost nothing. You can stand under the 80 metre limestone face of Malham Cove, watch the River Ure tumble down the three stages of Aysgarth Falls, or wander the locomotive halls of the National Railway Museum in York without buying a ticket.

The free options run from museums such as the Craven Museum in Skipton and the Captain Cook Schoolroom Museum in Great Ayton, to riverside gardens, castle ruins, reservoirs and long walks across the Dales. Spring to early autumn is the best time for waterfalls and hill walks, while the free museums make good shelter on wet or wintry days.

🗺️ See them on the map

Highlights

Aysgarth Falls
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Photo: Wehha · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Barden Tower
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Photo: Peter Church · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Battle of Byland
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Photo: Chris Sayles · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Beever Dam
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Photo: Mick Garratt · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Black Plantation
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Photo: Ian S · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Bolton Priory
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Photo: Ian Greig · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Best for rainy days

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When the weather turns, head indoors to the National Railway Museum in York, the Craven Museum at Skipton Town Hall or the Dorman Museum in Middlesbrough, all free to enter. Smaller options include the Folk Museum in Grassington, the Captain Cook Schoolroom Museum in Great Ayton and the Listening Gallery, a tiny audio gallery in an old phone box in Settle.

Listening Gallery🖼️ Art gallery📍 SettleA tiny audio gallery inside an old red phone box in Settle. Pick up the receiver and listen.Free entry · paid extrasNational Railway Museum🏛️ Museum📍 YorkGiant halls of locomotives, royal carriages and a working turntable.✓ Free · donations welcomeRipon Cathedral⛪ Abbey & priory📍 RiponGrade I cathedral with a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon crypt built under St Wilfrid's church.✓ Free · donations welcomeSelby Abbey⛪ Abbey & priory📍 SelbyFormer Benedictine abbey founded in 1069, now a parish church with the famous Washington Window.✓ Free · donations welcomeCaptain Cook Schoolroom Museum🏛️ Museum📍 Great AytonA museum or gallery near Great Ayton.Free entry · paid extrasCraven Museum🏛️ Museum📍 SkiptonA museum or gallery near Skipton.Free entry · paid extras

Best for families

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Kids love scrambling around the giant sandstone shapes at Brimham Rocks (free to explore, though non-members pay to park) and spotting royal carriages at the National Railway Museum. The Museum Gardens in York and Knaresborough Castle Grounds are good for a run-around and a picnic.

Aysgarth Falls💦 Waterfall📍 WensleydaleA series of wide, tumbling waterfalls on the River Ure.✓ FreeBrimham Rocks🪨 Rocks & crags📍 NidderdaleGiant weathered rock formations to scramble around on the moor.✓ FreeKnaresborough Castle Grounds🏰 Castle📍 KnaresboroughCastle ruins with the classic view over the viaduct and river.Free entry · paid extrasMalham Cove🪨 Rocks & crags📍 MalhamA huge curved limestone cliff with a famous pavement on top.✓ FreeMuseum Gardens🌳 Park📍 YorkTen-acre botanical Museum Gardens, around the Yorkshire Museum and set in the surroundings of the medieval ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey. Established in the 1830s by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, t✓ FreeNational Railway Museum🏛️ Museum📍 YorkGiant halls of locomotives, royal carriages and a working turntable.✓ Free · donations welcome

Best for walks and views

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Malham is a great base: walk to Janet's Foss, a small waterfall on Gordale Beck, then on to the limestone pavement above Malham Cove. For bigger views try Ingleborough or Buckden Pike, or take a gentler stroll around Aysgarth Falls, Catrigg Force or Grimwith Reservoir.

Aysgarth Falls💦 Waterfall📍 WensleydaleA series of wide, tumbling waterfalls on the River Ure.✓ FreeBeever Dam💧 Lake or reservoir📍 GrassingtonFormer mining reservoir✓ FreeBlack Plantation🌲 Woodland📍 LocktonWoodland walks in Lockton.✓ FreeBrow Wood🌲 Woodland📍 Newton upon RawcliffeWoodland walks in Newton upon Rawcliffe.✓ FreeBuckden Pike🔭 Viewpoint📍 BuckdenView of the wharfe valley✓ FreeCatrigg Force💦 Waterfall📍 StainforthWaterfall in a wooden gorge. Apparently a favourite spot of composer Edward Elgar✓ Free

Best for history

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You can walk freely round the ruins of Bolton Priory by the River Wharfe and Barden Tower, a hunting lodge rebuilt by the Clifford family around 1490. Knaresborough Castle Grounds sit on a cliff above the River Nidd, and York's Museum Gardens hold the ruins of St Mary's Abbey and part of the Roman fort's walls.

Barden Tower🏰 Castle📍 Barden12th century Hunting lodge for the Clifford family. Free entry.✓ FreeBattle of Byland🗿 Monument📍 Cold Kirby2 Metre tall rock with inlayed brass plaque✓ FreeBolton Priory🧱 Ruins📍 Bolton AbbeySubstantial priory ruins in pleasant river setting✓ FreeBombey's Barn🧱 Ruins📍 MalhamBarn extant in mid-C19th✓ FreeCavendish Memorial Fountain🗿 Monument📍 Bolton AbbeyMemorial to Lord Frederick Charles Cavendish (1836 – 1882), English Liberal politician, murdered in Dublin.✓ FreeDoric Temple🏯 Folly or tower📍 RievaulxA folly or tower to walk up to in Rievaulx.✓ Free

All free places in North Yorkshire

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Chelker Reservoir💧 Lake or reservoir📍 DraughtonHeader reservoir for pumping catchment water from Wharfedale to Airedale. Built to supply Bradford. Originally site of UK's third ever windfarm✓ FreeCod Beck Reservoir💧 Lake or reservoir📍 Osmotherleyreservoir✓ FreeCropton Bank🌲 Woodland📍 CroptonWoodland walks in Cropton.✓ FreeDales High Way🥾 Walking route📍 BuckdenRuns from Saltaire (West Yorkshire) to Appleby-in-Westmorland (Cumbria) roughly following route of Settle and Carlisle railway✓ FreeDiving Belle🎨 Public art & sculpture📍 Scarboroughlady in swimming costume about to dive✓ FreeDruid's Temple🏯 Folly or tower📍 IltonFolly, styled as though a prehistoric stone circle; built in C. 19 as a means of employing soldiers returned from the Napoloenic wars.✓ FreeEarl Seat⛰️ Hill or peak📍 BardenNow locally refered to as "Earl Seat". In fact Earl Seat is actually a rock outcrop to the NW.✓ FreeEast Field Lathe🧱 Ruins📍 MalhamBarn extant in md-C19th✓ FreeEmperor Constantine🎨 Public art & sculpture📍 YorkModern statue of Emperor Constantine in seated postion.✓ FreeFlue🧱 Ruins📍 Reethformer flue, still well visible✓ FreeGreat Pinseat⛰️ Hill or peak📍 ArkengarthdaleTrig Point pillar, located approximately 2m North of the stonewall. Flush Bracket: S4419 OSGB36 Station: NZ42/T74 Source: https://trigpointing.uk/trig/6859✓ FreeGrimwith Reservoir💧 Lake or reservoir📍 AppletreewickOriginally built to supply Bradford as a compensation reservoir. Expanded in the 1970s with new dam.✓ FreeGrotto🏯 Folly or tower📍 GrewelthorpeA folly or tower to walk up to in Grewelthorpe.✓ FreeHell Wath Local Nature Reserve🦆 Nature reserve📍 RiponGrassland and scrub adjacent to the River Skell.✓ FreeHigh Hill Castles Lathe🧱 Ruins📍 Conistoneruined barn✓ FreeHoggarth's Leap💦 Waterfall📍 MukerWedding cake style ie tiered✓ FreeHoly Trinity Church🧱 Ruins📍 ThruscrossFormer West End church and grave yard. Flooded by Thruscross Reservoir: Still occassionally visible and accessible at low water✓ FreeHoodstorth🧱 Ruins📍 ThruscrossFarm buildings and walled yard extant here in mid-C19th✓ FreeHunmanby Gate🏯 Folly or tower📍 HunmanbyA folly or tower to walk up to in Hunmanby.✓ FreeIngleborough⛰️ Hill or peak📍 IngletonDistinctive flat top hill with Brigantian (Celtic) hill fort on top. The hut circles are clearly visible. One of Yorkshire's three highest peaks.✓ FreeJanet's Foss💦 Waterfall📍 MalhamSmall waterfall carrying Gordale Beck over a limestone outcrop topped by tufa into a deep pool below. The name Janet (sometimes Jennet) is believed to refer to a fairy queen held to inhabit a cave at ✓ FreeJohn of Gaunts Castle🧱 Ruins📍 Haverah ParkStanding ruins of a royal hunting lodge. The lodge was in the king's hands until 1372 when it was aquired by John of Gaunt.✓ FreeLing Gill🧱 Ruins📍 Horton in RibblesdaleFormer houses or farm, extant in OS 18478 survey.✓ FreeLings Plantation🌲 Woodland📍 MalhamWoodland walks in Malham.✓ Free
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Upcoming free events

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Tue13OctGhosts in the Gardens Sculpture Trail🔎 Trail📍 YorkA free trail through York of translucent wire 'ghost' sculptures of people from the city's past, set in gardens, ruins and streets. Runs until 1 November.✓ FreeMon26OctThe Little York Ghost Hunt🔎 Trail📍 YorkAn evening hunt in half term for hundreds of little toy ghosts hidden in the old streets around York Minster. Free, with no tickets needed.✓ FreeSat7NovBedale Fireworks Display🎆 Lights & fireworks📍 BedaleBedale's community fireworks display in Bedale Park, with Bedale Hall as the backdrop. Free to attend, with a bucket collection on the night.✓ Free · donations welcomeThu12NovYork Christmas Market🛍️ Market📍 YorkYork's big festive market on Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square. Free to walk round; closed every Tuesday.Free entry · paid extrasFri13NovWhitby Christmas Festival & Market🛍️ Market📍 WhitbyWhitby Town Council's yearly Christmas market weekend by the harbour, with local traders, festive food and live entertainment.Free entry · paid extrasFri27NovScarborough Sparkle🎪 Festival📍 ScarboroughA free Christmas weekend at Scarborough Open Air Theatre with a festive market and entertainment. The community lantern parade opens it on Friday evening.Free entry · paid extras

Getting there and around

York is the county's main rail hub, on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh, with branch trains to Scarborough and to Harrogate and Knaresborough. The Settle to Carlisle line serves Settle and the western Dales. Most countryside spots need a car or a bus: DalesBus runs Sunday services into Wharfedale and Wensleydale (the 874 to Bolton Abbey and Grassington runs all year), with single fares capped at £3. Many rural car parks charge, including Bolton Abbey and Brimham Rocks, so check before you set off.

Questions people ask about North Yorkshire

What free things are there to do in North Yorkshire?

Free highlights include the National Railway Museum in York, Malham Cove, Aysgarth Falls, Brimham Rocks and the Museum Gardens in York. There are also free museums in Skipton, Grassington and Great Ayton, plus castle ruins at Knaresborough and priory ruins at Bolton Abbey.

Is the National Railway Museum in York free?

Yes, admission is free, though the museum recommends booking online at busy times. It is open daily from 10am to 5pm (closed 24 to 26 December) and is on Leeman Road, close to York station.

Is Brimham Rocks free?

The rocks are free to explore all year. The National Trust car park charges non-members, and National Trust members park free.

Is Bolton Abbey free to visit?

The Bolton Priory church and ruins are free to visit on foot, but the estate car parks charge. You can avoid the parking fee by arriving on the DalesBus 874, which stops at Bolton Abbey on Sundays.

Cities and towns in North Yorkshire

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