Yorkshire Dales or North Yorkshire Moors with 2yo?

[Chalky04]

We are planning a week in a cottage in early September in either the Dales or the Moors, neither of which we have visited before. Having looked at distances we have decided to pick one or the other rather than try and stay somewhere in the middle and face an hours drive to everything we would want to do.

The beach would be great if the weather is good but there seemed to me to be more to do in the Dales if the weather doesn't turn out how we want it. We love walking but with a 2yo who has developed a hatred of the pushchair we are limited on that front.

The question is, which should we choose?

Do the Moors because you can be near enough to the coast that you'll have all that stuff for either very good weather or very bad weather (Scarborough, Whitby etc).
Dales are better for actual walks once the 2yo is a bit bigger. They're also wonderful for splashing around in streams and waterfalls and again, that's more fun for older kids.

Agree NY Moors. Play Pooh sticks at Hutton-Le-Hole. Can get to coast with things like Sealife Centre if rains & can still eat ice-cream in ice-cream parlour! York not far.

Thank you

see i was going to say the opposite, i love the dales, i find the scale to be much more child sized.

Disclaimer it is where I live, so am pretty damn biased.

Another vote for the moors. We stayed just outside Goathland when DD was three and had a great holiday. We did the NYM railway, visited Pickering, Scarborough, Robin Hood's Bay and Whitby and just generally mooched about.

The only advice I would give is to do the railway on a clear day because the views are lovely.

we've stayed in both, and both are great, but I marginally prefer the moors.

we stay in Pickering. it's a great little town with a few bits to do if it's wet - steam train, nice cafes, swimming pool. It's a 45 min drive to York if it's wet, and 30 or so to Whitby if you get beach weather. Dalby forest is nearby and has a lovely play area. it was also a reasonable drive to Hull for The Deep, and to Harrogate for Betty's and shopping.

sorry, pressed post too soon.

we've stayed with eastgate cottages and their properties are lovely.

We are at the moment in a brilliant cottage.

Topsy turvey at worton

Fab

We're just back from a week in Thornton le Dale, just a mile or so from Pickering. Quaint little village and so close to loads of places (coast, York, Dalby Forest).

We stayed in Gable Cottage which was perfect. More like a home than a holiday let. They had high chair and cot and a fab kitchen. Another perk of the cottage is that they provide a free pass into the forest (usually £7 per car).

We had a great time with our 8month old.

Round Whitby is tops. You have cafe/woodland walk at falling foss. Nice beaches. Robin hoods bay and thirsk. Not that keen on hull or Pickering or Filey or Bridlington.

Moors 100% with little ones as so much closer to the coast. Can also go on the steam railway to Goatland (if that's the right spelling) and go to Scarborough/Whitby. Also, for a rainy day, can go SE down to Hull (not promising, I know) to the big new aquarium, which we quite liked when down that neck of the woods a couple of years ago.