Affordable Places to Stay Near the Bangers and Cash Locations in North Yorkshire

Where to base yourself for Ryedale, Pickering and the Moors without paying Moors-view prices.

Why Ryedale is the practical base

Bangers and Cash is filmed at Thornton-le-Dale, a village four miles east of Pickering on the A170, and the surrounding Ryedale district is where most of the cars, barns and back lanes in the series actually sit. Pickering is the obvious base: it has the North Yorkshire Moors Railway terminus, a Lidl and a Co-op on the A169 approach, and trains to Malton and York. Budget double rooms in the town's small guesthouses and above-pub rooms generally run £75–£110 a night, rising towards £130 in the last week of July and through August.

Malton, ten miles south on the A64, is cheaper and has better rail links — the TransPennine route to York takes about 25 minutes. Its livestock market town centre has a cluster of pubs with rooms and a couple of small hotels, usually £65–£95 for a double. From Malton, Thornton-le-Dale is a 20-minute drive via the A169 and B1257, and you are also close to Castle Howard and the Howardian Hills. If you want one booking that covers both the Moors and the Wolds, and you are travelling by train, I would book Malton over Pickering.

Whitby and the coast: cheaper in shoulder season

The coast is 25 miles north-east of Pickering over the moors on the A169, and Whitby is the biggest concentration of beds in the area. The catch is seasonal pricing. In July and August, a double in a Whitby guesthouse near the harbour can hit £140–£180; in late April, May, September and early October the same rooms often drop to £70–£110. The town itself is worth two nights: the abbey ruins, the 199 steps, the swing bridge and the Dracula connection at the churchyard. Parking is the real cost — the council car parks on Church Street and Marina Back fill by 10am in summer.

If Whitby is too expensive on your dates, look at Sleights, Ruswarp or Briggswath, all within three miles on the A169 and Esk Valley line. Guesthouses and holiday-let rooms there are consistently £60–£90, and the Esk Valley train runs to Whitby in under ten minutes for a few pounds. Robin Hood's Bay, seven miles south, is prettier but tighter on parking and often pricier; I would skip it as a base and visit on the day instead. Sandsend, two miles north of Whitby, is a good middle option if you have a car.

What to skip and when to go

Skip Helmsley for sleeping unless you find a deal. It is a lovely market town on the A170 with a castle and the Cleveland Way passing through, but its hotels are aimed at weekenders and often quote £120–£160 for a double that would cost £80 in Pickering. Also skip the villages right inside the national park — Hutton-le-Hole, Rosedale Abbey, Goathland — where a handful of rooms sell out months ahead and prices reflect it. Goathland is worth a stop for the station, but not for a bed unless you book in January for a summer date.

The best months for value are late April to mid-June and September to mid-October. The North York Moors heather peaks in mid-August, which is exactly when prices and traffic are worst — the A169 over Saltergate and the A170 at Sutton Bank both queue badly then. If you want the heather without the premium, come in the first week of September. Book direct with small guesthouses rather than through the big platforms; many in Pickering and Malton only list a phone number and will hold a room for a deposit, and cancellations open up about a fortnight out. For a first trip, I would book two nights in Pickering for the railway and village, then two in Whitby or Sleights for the coast, using Malton only if arriving by train.

Getting around without a car

The 128 and 840 buses link Pickering, Thornton-le-Dale and Whitby, and the Moorsbus network runs seasonal Sunday services across the park — useful, but too sparse for a filming-location tour. Realistically you need a car to reach the lanes around Thornton-le-Dale, Wrelton and Sinnington where much of the series is shot. Hire from York or Malton; a small car for a week in June typically costs £180–£260. Fuel is straightforward — the A64 and A169 have filling stations at Malton, Pickering and Whitby.

If you are coming by train, York is the hub: King's Cross to York is around two hours, then the hourly TransPennine service to Malton takes 25 minutes. Pickering has no station on the national network, only the heritage line to Grosmont, so a taxi from Malton costs roughly £20–£25. Parking in Pickering is free for the first hour in the main car park off Ropery Walk and cheap thereafter. From any of these bases, Thornton-le-Dale is 10 to 25 minutes away, so no single location is wrong — the choice is really about price and whether you want the coast in the same trip.

Questions, answered

How close can I stay to Thornton-le-Dale?

Pickering is four miles west on the A170, about a ten-minute drive or a 35-minute walk on the old rail path. Malton is ten miles south, roughly 20 minutes by car.

What is the cheapest month to stay in Ryedale?

Late April, May and early June, plus September and early October. Doubles in Pickering and Malton then run roughly £65–£100, against £120–£180 in the August heather season.

Do I need a car to see the filming locations?

Yes, for the lanes around Thornton-le-Dale, Wrelton and Sinnington. The 128 bus links Pickering and the village, but services are sparse and stop early.

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