to the Yorkshire Moors and The Buck Inn, Thornton-le-Dale.

Those that live in the UK will understand the importance of a Bank Holiday. A three day weekend for most people and a great opportunity to go somewhere you've been meaning to visit, spending time with family or friends and for me, going home from University to spend the day with my boyfriend in the pretty, North Yorkshire villages surrounding my hometown.

I set an early alarm and woke up to a window of sunshine before beginning the 45 minute drive...perfect!

We drove through the fields and spotted some of the locals before pulling over in the North Yorkshire Moors National park and deciding to walk the rest of the way.

The moors stretched for miles as we followed a country trail to Thornton-le-Dale just outside of Pickering and Malton.

The walking worked up our appetite and we were relieved to see the small village had two country pubs (my favourite)! After scrutinising the menus of both, we opted for The Buck Inn, situated on Thornton's Main Street- remind me to come back and try the other!

The interior was clean and modern with wooden log walls and soft, acoustic music quietly playing popular songs. The wood burning fire and taxidermy on the walls kept a traditional and rustic pub atmosphere in the surroundings and we settled comfortably in a corner facing a deer head and an oldy-worldy bookcase.

The menu had an impressive mix of traditional pub food as well as mezze boards and tapas and we were spoilt for choice. Eventually, we opted to share the nachos to start and they were gone so quickly I couldn't even manage a photo- always a good sign!

We waited in anticipation for our mains and we were not disappointed. After trying to persuade him to try the rabbit and sweet chili burger on the specials menu, Oliver chose the 'buck' burger- a combination of Yorkshire beef, bacon, cheese with onion rings, chips and salad. I, typically, ordered a  medium rare steak, opting for rump over rib-eye as I prefer a less fatty cut with vegetables as a side.

The meat was cooked beautifully- the perfect level of pinkness and juiciness- it definitely filled a hole! With prices ranging from £3.50-£5.00 for a starter and £5.95-£15.50 for a main course, the Buck Inn was a hidden gem and amazing value for money considering the portion size and quality of our locally sourced food.

We walked through the village past quirky, traditional signs and old shops before my sweet tooth kicked in and I daydreamed of the dessert menu we had left behind...

Luckily, every country village worth visiting has a homemade ice cream parlour doesn't it!
We spent a while taking in the different flavours from traditional chocolate and strawberry to exotic coconuts and sorbets. There was even a bright blue bubblegum and Turkish delight flavour that, whilst not my cup of tea, the woman who handmade the ice cream promised was really popular.

As a complete chocolate lover, I couldn't resist the chocolate chip ice cream complete with chocolate cone- the dream! We enjoyed our ice cream by the river, agreed how lucky we were to have scenes like this on our doorstep and debated where our next drive through Yorkshire would take us.

For a day trip out in a quaint little village, Thornton-le-Dale is a must do in the Malton area!

Hope your bank holiday Monday was as fun filled as mine!

G x