# Amplecarr Staycation Guide — Where to Stay & What to Do > Discover Amplecarr and Husthwaite in North Yorkshire, quiet farmland between the Hambleton and Howardian Hills near Thirsk and York. Source: https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr (Staycation.co.uk). Cite the source page, not this text version. Quiet farmland between the Hambleton and Howardian Hills Photo © The Hideaway@Baxby Manor, Google Maps [Guide](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr) [🏨 Hotels](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/hotels) [🏡 Cottages](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/cottages) [⛺ Camping](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/camping) [🎟️ Attractions](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/attractions) [🍽️ Restaurants](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/restaurants) Amplecarr is not a town you will find signposted on a motorway or ringed in a road atlas — it is a small farmed landscape of fields and lanes on the edge of Husthwaite, a village of around 400 people sitting between the Hambleton Hills and the Howardian Hills in North Yorkshire. This is quiet, deeply rural England: hedgerowed fields, grazing land, the odd converted barn, and wide skies that Husthwaite itself has recently had recognised with Dark Skies Friendly Village status. It is the kind of place people pass through on the way to somewhere else, which is exactly its appeal if what you want is genuine countryside rather than a tourist trail. Husthwaite village, a short walk or drive from Amplecarr, has long been known locally as the “Orchard Village” thanks to three centuries of fruit growing and cider making, a tradition still celebrated by the Howardian Hills Cider project today. The village has a twelfth-century church, a village green, a well-regarded pub in the Plum and Partridge, and is close to Shandy Hall, the fifteenth-century house where the eccentric clergyman Laurence Sterne wrote Tristram Shandy in the eighteenth century. From here it is a short drive into the market town of Thirsk, or east into the rolling, lavender-scented Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and within easy reach of the North York Moors National Park. ## Getting to Amplecarr Amplecarr and Husthwaite lie just off the A19 between Thirsk and York, making the area straightforward to reach by car from the A1(M) and A64. Thirsk is around 15 minutes’ drive away and has a mainline railway station on the Leeds to Middlesbrough line via York, useful for anyone arriving by train and picking up a hire car locally. York itself, with its own East Coast Main Line station and easy connections to London, Edinburgh and beyond, is around 30 minutes to the south. There is no rail station in Husthwaite itself, and public transport in the immediate area is limited, so a car is by far the most practical way to explore this part of North Yorkshire. ## Best time to visit Amplecarr Late spring through early autumn (May to September) suits this part of North Yorkshire best, with long daylight hours for walking in the Howardian and Hambleton Hills and the lavender fields at Terrington typically at their best in July. Husthwaite’s orchards are at their prettiest in blossom season in April and May, and the surrounding farmland turns gold at harvest time in late summer. Winter brings a much quieter, starker landscape, but the village’s new Dark Skies Friendly status makes a clear winter night here a good reason to visit for stargazers, provided you come prepared for cold, often muddy, rural lanes. ## Where to stay in Amplecarr [All hotels in Amplecarr →](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/hotels) About staying in Amplecarr Hotels in Amplecarr itself do not exist — this is open farmland on the edge of the small village of Husthwaite, not a town with a hospitality trade of its own. Visitors wanting a hotel base for this part of North Yorkshire generally look to nearby Thirsk, a traditional market town around 15 minutes away with independent hotels, inns with rooms and guesthouses clustered around its historic square, many of them in converted Georgian buildings. Thirsk also makes a sensible base for exploring the wider area, from the Hambleton Hills and Sutton Bank to the Howardian Hills AONB, with a mainline railway station for onward travel. For a wider choice of hotels, including larger chain options and more upmarket properties, York is around half an hour’s drive south and offers everything from budget stays to boutique hotels within its historic walls, alongside easy rail links across the country. Booking a hotel in Thirsk or York and driving out to explore the Howardian Hills, Husthwaite and the surrounding countryside, including Amplecarr, tends to work better than trying to find accommodation in the immediate area, where options are genuinely scarce. Whichever base you choose, this part of North Yorkshire rewards a car-based trip, since the villages, historic houses and walking routes around Amplecarr are spread across quiet lanes rather than served by frequent public transport. [Hilton Cambridge City Centre Downing Street, Cambridge](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/hotels/hilton-cambridge-city-centre) [Premier Inn Cambridge City Centre Corn Exchange - Lion Yard Lion Yard, Cambridge](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/hotels/premier-inn-cambridge-city-centre-corn-exchange-lion-yard) [Christs College Cambridge St Andrew's Street, Cambridge](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/hotels/christs-college-cambridge) [🏨B&B The Castle Cambridge 37 St. Andrews Street, Cambridge](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/hotels/the-castle-cambridge) [9.0 ★★★★★5 star University Arms Regent Street, overlooking Parker's Piece from £210/night](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/hotels/university-arms) [Regent by Citystay formerly Regent Hotel 41 Regent Street, Cambridge](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/hotels/regent-by-citystay-formerly-regent-hotel) [8.5 ★★★★4 star Graduate by Hilton Cambridge Chesterton Road, on the River Cam from £165/night](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/hotels/graduate-by-hilton-cambridge) [West Court - Jesus College Jesus Lane, Cambridge](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/hotels/west-court-jesus-college) ## Things to Do in Amplecarr [All attractions in Amplecarr →](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/attractions) Top things to do near Amplecarr Amplecarr itself is farmland rather than a visitor destination, but it sits within easy striking distance of some genuinely worthwhile North Yorkshire attractions. - **Shandy Hall, Coxwold** — the fifteenth-century home of author Laurence Sterne, with gardens open to the public and a small museum dedicated to his life and work, just a few minutes from Husthwaite. - **Mount Grace Priory** — the best-preserved Carthusian monastery in Britain, set in woodland near Osmotherley on the edge of the North York Moors, cared for by English Heritage. - **Howardian Hills National Landscape** — a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty of wooded farmland and quiet villages stretching from Coxwold towards Castle Howard, with waymarked walks such as the Howardian Way. - **Yorkshire Lavender, Terrington** — lavender fields and gardens set into a hillside farm within the Howardian Hills, open through the summer months. - **Thirsk Birds of Prey Centre** — based at Sion Hill Hall near Thirsk, with daily flying displays of eagles, owls and vultures. - **Gormire Lake** — a natural lake beneath Sutton Bank in the Hambleton Hills, reached by a woodland footpath and a favourite easy walk in the area. - **World of James Herriot, Thirsk** — the restored former veterinary surgery of Alf Wight, the author behind the James Herriot books, now a family-friendly museum in the centre of Thirsk. [Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/attractions/sedgwick-museum-of-earth-sciences) [🎟️Trails & Treasure Hunts Family Friendly Murder Mystery](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/attractions/family-friendly-murder-mystery) [Whipple Museum of the History of Science ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/attractions/whipple-museum-of-the-history-of-science) [Footprint Tours Cambridge ⭐ 5.0](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/attractions/footprint-tours-cambridge) [Kings College Chapel ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/attractions/kings-college-chapel) [The Fitzwilliam Museum ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/attractions/the-fitzwilliam-museum) [Lockhouse Escape Games ⭐ 4.8](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/attractions/lockhouse-escape-games) [Parkside Pools & Gym ⭐ 3.9](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/attractions/parkside-pools-gym) ## Where to Eat in Amplecarr [All restaurants in Amplecarr →](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/restaurants) Food and drink near Amplecarr The Plum and Partridge in Husthwaite is the obvious local choice, a village pub serving classic pub food to residents and visitors alike. A short drive away, Thirsk’s market square has a good spread of independent cafes, tea rooms and pubs to choose from, reflecting its role as the area’s main market town. The Howardian Hills also has a long association with cider making, and small-scale local producers continue that tradition using fruit from the area’s orchards, a nod to Husthwaite’s own history as the “Orchard Village” of North Yorkshire. [Carluccio's ⭐ 3.7](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/restaurants/carluccio-s) [Honest Burgers ⭐ 4.4](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/restaurants/honest-burgers) [Corn Exchange ⭐ 4.4](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/restaurants/corn-exchange) [Bar Oh ⭐ 4.8](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/restaurants/bar-oh) [Rudy's Pizza Napoletana - Cambridge ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/restaurants/rudy-s-pizza-napoletana-cambridge) [Pint Shop ⭐ 4.3](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/restaurants/pint-shop) [PHO ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/restaurants/pho) [Sticks 'n' Sushi ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/restaurants/sticks-n-sushi) ## Attractions Near Amplecarr [All attractions in Amplecarr →](https://staycation.co.uk/attractions) Worth the trip — within 50 miles of Amplecarr. [0 mi Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences Cambridge · ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/attractions/sedgwick-museum-of-earth-sciences) [🎟️Trails & Treasure Hunts 0 mi Family Friendly Murder Mystery Cambridge](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/attractions/family-friendly-murder-mystery) [0 mi Whipple Museum of the History of Science Cambridge · ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/attractions/whipple-museum-of-the-history-of-science) [0 mi Footprint Tours Cambridge Cambridge · ⭐ 5.0](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/attractions/footprint-tours-cambridge) [0 mi Kings College Chapel Cambridge · ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/attractions/kings-college-chapel) [0 mi The Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge · ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/attractions/the-fitzwilliam-museum) [0 mi Lockhouse Escape Games Cambridge · ⭐ 4.8](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/attractions/lockhouse-escape-games) [0 mi Parkside Pools & Gym Cambridge · ⭐ 3.9](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/attractions/parkside-pools-gym) ## Camping in Amplecarr(1) [All campsites in Amplecarr →](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/camping) About camping in Amplecarr Camping directly at Amplecarr is not an established option, and it is worth being clear that wild camping without the landowner’s permission is illegal in England, including on the farmland around Husthwaite — this is all privately owned agricultural land, unlike the more permissive access rules in parts of Scotland. That said, the wider area around the Hambleton and Howardian Hills has a good selection of proper campsites and glamping sites, particularly around Ampleforth, Coxwold and the Howardian Hills AONB, many offering bell tents, shepherd’s huts and treehouses alongside traditional pitches, set within the rolling farmland and woodland that defines this part of North Yorkshire. The terrain here is gentle, undulating farmland and low wooded hills rather than the open moorland further north and east, which makes it a comfortable spot for family camping and an easy base for walking routes like the Howardian Way between Coxwold and Kirkham Priory. Ground can get soft after rain, particularly on farm tracks and permissive paths, so it is worth checking conditions with any site directly before you travel, especially outside the summer months. May to September is the most reliable window for camping in this part of North Yorkshire, with long evenings, generally drier ground and the Howardian Hills at their most colourful once the lavender fields near Terrington come into bloom in July. Husthwaite’s recent recognition as a Dark Skies Friendly Village is a genuine draw for anyone camping nearby in the shoulder seasons, when clear nights away from urban light pollution make for excellent stargazing, though autumn and winter camping here means being prepared for cold nights and wet, often muddy, rural ground. For those who want the countryside setting without the tent-pitching, glamping sites in the surrounding villages offer a more comfortable way to experience the same landscape, from bell tents with fire pits to more unusual stays such as treehouses with hot tubs. [Cherry Hinton Caravan and Motorhome Club Site ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridgeshire/camping/cherry-hinton-caravan-and-motorhome-club-site) [Cambridge Camping and Caravanning Club Site ⭐ 4.5 · from £33/night](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/camping/cambridge-camping-and-caravanning-club-site) [Highfield Farm Touring Park ⭐ 4.7 · from £24/night](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/camping/highfield-farm-touring-park) [Gayton Farm ⭐ 4.9 · from £150/night](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/camping/gayton-farm) [Bounds Certificated Site ⭐ 4.8](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/camping/bounds-certificated-site) [Toad's Acre Park Home Estate ⭐ 4.1](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridgeshire/camping/toad-s-acre-park-home-estate) [Lodeside Glamping ⭐ 5.0](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/camping/lodeside-glamping) [Orchard Farm Certificated Site ⭐ 4.3](https://staycation.co.uk/cambridge/camping/orchard-farm-certificated-site) ## Self-Catering Cottages in Amplecarr [All cottages in Amplecarr →](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/cottages) [🏡Cottage The Limes 6 bed · sleeps 14 · from £1,675](https://staycation.co.uk/south-cambridgeshire/cottages/the-limes-syk1082933) [🏡Cottage The Studio, Horseshoe Cottage 1 bed · sleeps 2 · from £313](https://staycation.co.uk/south-cambridgeshire/cottages/the-studio-horseshoe-cottage-syk5631) [🏡Cottage 25 Resbury Close 2 bed · sleeps 3 · from £423](https://staycation.co.uk/south-cambridgeshire/cottages/25-resbury-close-syk1162548) [Woodpecker 1 bed · sleeps 4 · from £393](https://staycation.co.uk/east-cambridgeshire/cottages/woodpecker-syk1175616) [The Heron 1 bed · sleeps 4 · from £411](https://staycation.co.uk/east-cambridgeshire/cottages/the-heron-syk1175833) [Barn Owl 1 bed · sleeps 4 · from £411](https://staycation.co.uk/east-cambridgeshire/cottages/barn-owl-syk1175834) [🏡Cottage The Pink Cottage 3 bed · sleeps 6 · from £637](https://staycation.co.uk/east-cambridgeshire/cottages/the-pink-cottage-uk49984) [🏡Cottage Beaumont's Cottage 2 bed · sleeps 4 · from £501](https://staycation.co.uk/south-cambridgeshire/cottages/beaumonts-cottage-syk984689) ## Common questions about Amplecarr How many campsites are there in Amplecarr? We list 1 campsites in and around Amplecarr, of which 1 take tents and 1 offer glamping. Are there dog-friendly campsites in Amplecarr? Yes — 1 of the 1 campsites we list in Amplecarr accept dogs, including The Hideaway at Baxby Manor. Which campsites in Amplecarr have electric hook-up? 1 of the 1 campsites we list in Amplecarr offer an electric hook-up. ### 🏨 Find Hotels in Amplecarr Search hotels, B&Bs and self-catering on Booking.com. [Search Accommodation →](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101762279-15734754?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fsearchresults.en-gb.html%3Fss%3DAmplecarr%252C%2BUnited%2BKingdom) Affiliate link ### Explore Amplecarr - [🏨 Hotels & B&Bs](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/hotels) - [🏡 Cottages](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/cottages) - [⛺ Campsites & glamping](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/camping) - [🎟️ Attractions](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/attractions) - [🍽️ Restaurants](https://staycation.co.uk/amplecarr/restaurants) - [🗺️ More in North Yorkshire](https://staycation.co.uk/north-yorkshire) - [🧭 All of the Yorkshire and the Humber](https://staycation.co.uk/regions/yorkshire-and-the-humber) ## Staycation ideas for Amplecarr [All staycation ideas →](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas) [The Best Last-Minute UK Staycations Six well-connected UK towns and cities worth booking at short notice, chosen for easy travel and a decent spread of accommodation once the school-holiday crowds have thinned.](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas/best-last-minute-staycations) [Rainy Day Staycations: Best UK Breaks for Bad Weather When the forecast turns grim, these UK cities and spa towns keep their appeal indoors, with museums, galleries and grand architecture to fill a wet weekend.](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas/rainy-day-staycations-uk) [The Best Dog-Friendly Staycations in Britain From Cornish coast paths to Lake District fells, these six British destinations offer the open beaches, moors and forests that make a staycation genuinely enjoyable for dogs and their owners alike.](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas/dog-friendly-staycations) [The Best UK Staycations for Families with Young Kids From New Forest ponies to Cornish rock pools, these six UK destinations combine easy logistics, safe beaches and family-friendly attractions for a stress-free break with young children.](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas/best-staycations-for-families)