Despite being so close to a major motorway, the traffic noise is almost non-existent. Our section of the industrial estate is screened by established hedges and trees of several species, and this attracts a selection of birds, including mallard, goldfinch, jackdaw, crow, rook, woodpigeon, greenfinch, blue tit, great tit, coal tit, long-tailed tit, swallow and house martin. We are also visited by grey squirrel, semi-wild cats, hedgehogs and even a family of Mallard ducks who seem rather fond of paying us a visit.

There are several areas of interest close by, including:

• Aldborough Roman Town, an English Heritage maintained museum with several Roman artifacts recovered from the area and two stunning mosaics.
• The Devils Arrows, three standing stones thought to date back to the Neolithic or Bronze Age.
• Newby Hall, a historic home with extensive gardens open to the public.
• Fountains Abbey, one of the most complete Cistercian abbys in the UK, is owned by the National Trust and, along with the adjoining Studley Royal Water Gardens, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Thornborough Henges, the remains of three neolithic henge systems. The most northern henge is overgrown with trees but is one of the best preserved henges in northern Britain.
• The White Horse at Kilburn is a white figure carved into the hillside on the edge of the North York Moors. Although only 150 years old and not a true chalk figure, it is a landmark that can be seen for miles.