Private driven tours from York

Places We Visit

From abbey ruins and gothic coastlines to market towns, waterfalls, literary villages and haunted roads — these are some of the Yorkshire places featured across Highwayman Tours.

Yorkshire, properly connected.

Highwayman Tours links together the places that are awkward to reach without a car: ruined abbeys, coastal castles, Dales villages, literary landscapes, strange rock formations and historic towns.

Each tour is private for your group only, with Kes as your driver-guide. No coach, no car hire, no sharing with strangers — just your group, your route and a local guide.

Some places appear on more than one route, and bespoke private tours may be possible depending on timing, distance and availability.

Tour areas include:

Abbeys & ruins: Byland Abbey, Rievaulx Abbey, Fountains Abbey and Clifford’s Tower.
Coast & castles: Pickering Castle, Whitby, Whitby Abbey and Scarborough Castle.
Dales & market towns: Bolton Abbey, Grassington, Linton Falls, Pateley Bridge and Brimham Rocks.
Literary Yorkshire: Haworth, Brontë Parsonage, Penistone Hill and the moors around Stanbury.
Haunted roads: St Giles, Crayke, Byland Abbey, Helmsley and Dick Turpin’s Grave.

Places featured on our tours

Tap each place to read a short description and open it in Google Maps.

Byland Abbey Abbeys, Ruins & Reformation / Haunted Highways

Atmospheric Cistercian ruins and one of the strongest abbey stops on the private abbeys and haunted routes.

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Rievaulx Abbey Abbeys, Ruins & Reformation

One of Yorkshire’s great ruined abbeys, set in a secluded valley and central to the story of monastic power and the Reformation.

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Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Yorkshire Icons

A major Yorkshire historic landscape with abbey ruins, parkland, deer park atmosphere and memorable views.

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Brimham Rocks Yorkshire Icons / Yorkshire Dales

Strange natural rock formations, wide views and one of Yorkshire’s most memorable outdoor stops.

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Knaresborough Yorkshire Icons

A riverside town with viaduct views, historic streets, castle area and classic Yorkshire character.

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Bolton Abbey Yorkshire Dales, Falls & Market Towns

Riverside ruins, woodland atmosphere and a beautiful opening stop for the southern Yorkshire Dales route.

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Grassington Yorkshire Dales, Falls & Market Towns

A classic Dales village with stone streets, market-town character and a relaxed Yorkshire atmosphere.

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Linton Falls Yorkshire Dales, Falls & Market Towns

A scenic waterfall stop close to Grassington, adding riverside views to the Dales route.

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Pateley Bridge Yorkshire Dales, Falls & Market Towns

A traditional Nidderdale market town used as a natural pause on the southern Dales route.

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Haworth Brontë Country

The literary heart of Brontë Country, with steep village streets, moorland atmosphere and strong Brontë connections.

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Brontë Parsonage Museum Brontë Country

The former Brontë family home and one of the key literary stops on the Haworth route.

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Penistone Hill & Brontë Moorland Brontë Country

Open moorland views around Haworth, with short stops designed to give atmosphere without turning the day into a hike.

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Whitby Castles, Coasts & Gothic Legends

Harbour streets, sea air, gothic atmosphere and one of Yorkshire’s most famous coastal towns.

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Whitby Abbey Castles, Coasts & Gothic Legends

Ruined abbey views above Whitby, strongly linked with gothic atmosphere and coastal Yorkshire drama.

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Pickering Castle Castles, Coasts & Gothic Legends

A medieval castle stop on the route towards the coast, adding castle history before Whitby and Scarborough.

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Scarborough Castle Castles, Coasts & Gothic Legends

A dramatic coastal castle site with sea views, headland atmosphere and a strong finish to the coastal route.

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Helmsley Abbeys / Haunted Highways / North Yorkshire

A handsome market town used as a natural pause on abbey, haunted and wider North Yorkshire routes.

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Coxwold Abbeys, Ruins & Reformation

A quiet village stop with stone buildings, rural character and a natural place between abbey landmarks.

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Kilburn White Horse Abbeys, Ruins & Reformation

A dramatic hillside landmark carved into the Hambleton Hills, used as a memorable viewpoint on the abbeys route.

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York Minster York / Abbeys / Haunted Highways

A landmark starting point for religious, historic and haunted stories connected to York and wider Yorkshire.

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Clifford’s Tower York / Abbeys / Haunted Highways

One of York’s most powerful historic landmarks, often used to bring wider Yorkshire stories back to the city.

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St Giles Church, Skelton Haunted Highways

A quiet churchyard stop used on the haunted routes for older village atmosphere and local storytelling.

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St Cuthbert’s Church, Crayke Haunted Highways

A historic village church linked with old routes, saintly tradition and the haunted atmosphere of North Yorkshire.

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Ampleforth Abbey Haunted Highways Full Day

A striking religious site set within the Howardian Hills, used as part of the longer haunted route.

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Dick Turpin’s Grave Haunted Highways / York

A York stop tied to highwayman legend and the darker folklore thread running through the haunted routes.

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Choose your Yorkshire route

Browse the full collection of private driven tours from York, including abbeys, Dales villages, coastal castles, Brontë Country, Yorkshire Icons and specialised haunting routes.

Highwayman Tours
Private driven tours from York · Up to 4 guests
Email: keswebster@highwaymantours.com
Phone / WhatsApp: +44 7345 588905
Open 10AM - Midnight
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