How can I help to look after villages?

If you visit a village in the National Park, remember it is a living, working community. You can help look after villages in many ways:

Respect people's privacy - the pretty houses you see are people's homes.

Keep villages tidy - remember to take litter home with you and recycle it.

Use local businesses - have lunch in a tea room or pub, or buy a picnic from a village shop rather than bringing food with you from a supermarket at home.

Buy local products - there are all sorts of things you can buy – pottery, paintings and pictures, wooden and wool gifts, and locally made food such as heather honey, baking and jams. Buying local products is a great way of helping local people who depend on tourism for a living.

Use public transport - villages can become very busy with visitors in the summer and most people come by car. These small villages don’t have much space for car parks and parking on the road sides or on the grassy commons damages these special places. Help the environment by using public transport whenever you can. The National park runs a special bus service in the summer called Moorsbus. There are also trains including the North Yorkshire Moors Steam Railway. Contact Sutton Bank National Park Centre for timetables. Tel: 01845 597000

Try out the Moors Message Game in the Fun Zone for more ways to help.