Day 1: Rievaulx Abbey and Helmsley Castle

Over 800 years ago, Rievaulx Abbey's most famous abbot St Aelred described the place as 'everywhere peace, everywhere serenity.' Perhaps this is even more true now than in the abbey's heyday, when 150 monks and 500 lay brothers lived and worked there.

The soaring remains of Rievaulx Abbey are an awe-inspiring sight. As you wander between the pillars of the old nave, you can really imagine life in this peaceful valley over the centuries. And the museum, which opened last year, has objects on display for the first time that tell the story of the abbey. There's a café with views over the ruins, so you can contemplate them with a cup of tea.

Helmsley Castle is about a two and a half mile walk from Rievaulx Abbey (here's the route). Overlooking the picture-perfect market town of Helmsley, the castle was recently revitalised to make it more accessible. There's a new visitor centre and an exhibition in the mansion range, and nearby the Helmsley Archaeology Store runs a number of behind the scenes guided tours. You can see objects in the collections spanning English history from Prehistory to the modern day. Pre-booking these tours is essential.

You could also squeeze in a visit to nearby Byland Abbey - though this is more of a bike ride or car journey away. This atmospheric ruin inspired church buildings throughout the North. Over the road, the Byland Inn has a fantastic tearoom serving light lunches, sandwiches, cakes and hot and cold drinks.

Day 3: Whitby Abbey or Scarborough Castle

 Whitby Abbey has fired people's imaginations for centuries - from Caedmon the Anglo Saxon poet to Bram Stoker, the Victorian author of Dracula. Looking benignly down on the seaside town, the views are stupendous. Of course, whether or not you bound up the 199 steps up from the town, like Dracula in the novel, is up to you.

The town is about an hour's drive from both Rievaulx and Mount Grace Priory. But you could also arrive in style on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The steam train runs daily between Pickering at Whitby (April - October) and takes around 1 hour 45 minutes - so there's time for a visit to Pickering Castle before you board.

Further south is Scarborough Castle. The ancient stronghold stands on the massive rocky headland that divides Scarborough's wide sandy bays. It's the best place to get a view of the Yorkshire coast - especially from the lookout post over the curtain wall.

The castle, which was last attacked during WW1, was one of the greatest royal fortresses of the Middle Ages. Walking up the cobbled barbican to the ruined Great Tower, you get a sense of the power which was once centred here. The expansive site is great for picnics or stretching your legs - there are 16 acres to explore, including the remains of a Roman signal station by the outer wall.

Getting there and getting around

• BY CAR: The A1(M) and A19 are the main highways running north/south. For sites around the south of the North York Moors National Park (Rievaulx Abbey and Helmsley Castle, for example) the A170 connects Thirsk and Scarborough. If you're heading for the north of the national park or the coast, follow the A172/A171.
• ON FOOT: You can walk between Rievaulx Abbey and Helmsley Castle along the Cleveland Way, for example. On the other side of the A1, it's a short stroll between Richmond Castle and Easby Abbey.
• BY BIKE: National Route 65 runs along roads close to Mount Grace Priory (as does its strenuos alternative 656). By the coast, there's the 'Cinder Track' - a 21 mile off-road route along the former Scarborough to Whitby railway.
• ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT: There are high-speed trains to York from around the country - from there, you can continue to Scarborough by train quite easily, or change to a bus. There's a good network of bus services, serving many of the main towns and villages. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway runs steam trains between Pickering Castle and Whitby Abbey, via Goathland station - which doubled as Hogsmeade in the first Harry Potter films.