Visitors to the North York Moors in November will witness the gentle change from autumn into winter. The flame-bright trees will start to lose their leaves, and a noticeable drop in temperature ushers in the colder months of the year.
But there's still a wonderful variety of flora and fauna to spot at this time, so grab your waterproofs, don a cosy scarf, and come with us to explore the North York Moors this month!
November is a great month to spot some seals, away from the summer crowds. Grey seals come ashore to give birth to their pups at this time of year, and can often be seen from the clifftops along the Yorkshire coast.
Did you know? Around half of the world’s grey seals live in UK waters, so you should be able to see some this November. As with all wildlife, enjoy them from a distance and take care not to disturb them.
As cute and cuddly as they may look, seals can give a nasty bite! Stay at least 100m away at all times, and keep dogs on a lead.
When heading across the moorlands and open countryside of the North York Moors, keep your eyes peeled for stoats! By November, they will have shed their russet summer coats and are now sporting pure white fur as winter camouflage.
You might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one darting across fields or through hedgerows, usually chasing prey! Stoats can be found throughout the North York Moors national park, but the ones found in Mount Grace Priory at Northallerton are the most famous, which you can visit on weekends during the winter.
If you’re feeling nostalgic and longing for a game of conkers, now is the time to search for them. Horse chestnut trees are commonly found across the North York Moors, but if you’re looking for somewhere near to High Oaks Grange, we’d wager that Dalby Forest is one of the best places to collect conkers in North Yorkshire!
You’ll find a huge amount of these glossy brown seeds in amongst their spiky outer cases along the woodland trails of Dalby, but remember to leave plenty behind for the wild deer who like to feast on them!
So, whilst it can't offer the floral beauty of spring or the warmth of summer, there's still a wide array of things to see and do in November in the North York Moors national park. Don’t forget to come back next month for our December highlights!
