Dark Skies in the North York Moors

The North York Moors National Park is the perfect place to view the night skies.  From our gardens at Cliff House, on the edge of the National Park,  you can look up and see the Milky Way (the galaxy we are in) with the naked eye, something very few people can do nowadays due to light pollution. From a town or city you’ll be lucky to spot more than a handful of stars but the further away you get from street lights, the better the view – in the darkest areas of the National Park you can spy up to 2,000 at any one time.   Just up the hill from us, you have uninterrupted views in all directions of the night skies.

The Orangery at Cliff House Holiday Cottages pointing North

The big open skies of the North York Moors are breathtaking by day, and also by night when the dark sky panorama is revealed.

In December 2020, the North York Moors National Park were designated as an International Dark Sky Reserve by the International Dark-Sky Association, one of only 18 in the world. That makes the North York Moors officially one of the best places in the country to see stars, because of the low light pollution levels and clear horizons.  Why not come and stay at Cliff House and explore Yorkshire during the day and the night skies when you get back?  For more information about what to see and do, this this website.

Banner Photo – Milky Way taken at Sutton Bank (C) Russ Norman Photography_NYMNP