'Yorkshire's stunning countryside inspired me as a child - now it inspires my books'

I’d have been about five years old and I was out walking with my dad and our old Labrador. We came upon this gush of water, and it was simply magical, stunning in its beauty. I think it may have been Janet’s Fosse, but I’ll never know for certain.

What’s your favourite part of the county?

North Yorkshire, and particularly the area around Helmsley, the woodland, the grassland, the moorland, the town itself. For a while, around this time of year, there’s a festive skating rink, right near the Black Swan, and it’s just lovely, with all the little twinkling lights.

What’s your perfect day out in Yorkshire?

Just being in the outdoors, Andrew and the children and I, and our five dogs (two Labradors, two Spaniels, and a Patterdale Terrier) on a good cold crisp day, and finding a good pub at the end of it, for a nice meal.

We always take towels and doggie jumpers, and if there’s a garden outside, the youngsters can let off a bit of steam outside if it is allowed.

Do you have a favourite walk?

We think that it is important, sometimes, to have no children with you, and we love the footpath near Weathercoats Lane in Helmsley – Sled Hill is part of it all. There’s a fresh spring, you go up the valley, and the view from the top is sensational, all the way across the hills and the community beneath you.

Which Yorkshire sportsperson would you like to take for lunch?

The amazing and indomitable Nicola Wilson, for all her many medal-winning achievements and her extraordinary courage and resilience after that appalling fall. Nicola is a fighter, and she has my absolute admiration. We’ve competed together, and now we are also both very much involved with two key fund-raising charities, Day One Trauma, and the British Eventing Support Trust.

Which Yorkshire stage or screen star would you like to take for dinner?

I’d like all the Yorkshire actors who were in the cast of Downton Abbey (there’s Jim Carter, Dame Penelope Wilton, and Joanne Froggatt, just for starters) to have a wonderful meal together, and in addition I’d add in Sean Bean. T

What’s your Yorkshire ‘hidden gem’?

There’s a little road, near Old Byland, with a tiny ford, and you can paddle barefoot – if a car passes you, it’s a rarity indeed. And then there’s Byland Abbey itself – stunning.

If you could own one thing in Yorkshire for a day, what would it be?

It’s going to be Grantley Hall, but on a glorious summer’s day, where the family and all our friends can have the BBQ that surpasses all BBQs outside, by the river, and, after that, we can all walk by the water, and try getting across by those pretty stepping stones.

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

The countryside, we can never ever complain that there’s nowhere we can escape to for a little peace and tranquillity for a couple of hours.

Conversely, if you like the hustle and bustle of the cities and big towns, we have those as well – and the joy of those conurbations is that you can get out of them all in about ten minutes, and be in the country again. And I love the brilliant Yorkshire accents – Hull and Beverley is about as different from, say, Barnsley, as chalk is from cheese.

Do you follow sport in the county, and if so, what?

Eventing, of course. I go to nearly every horse show, no question. And I am a huge supporter of hockey for my own children and all the other incredibly talented youngsters. I’m the lady who turns up with pigs in blankets, so that everyone can have a warm-up nibble at the end of the games.

Do you have a favourite restaurant, or pub?

Andrew and I like the Pipe and Glass in South Dalton (I love the bar area and the garden), The Westwood in North Bar Without in Beverley, and The Star inn at Harome. All of them are superbly run, and a constant treat.

What’s your favourite food shop?

Farmison and Co, in Ripon. Ethically sourced beef, pork and lamb that simply cannot be beaten. If Andrew brings me in a joint of their beef for a Sunday roast, then I know we are in for a treat. I love my cooking, and the cold slices on a Monday are equally as delicious, I think.

How do you think that Yorkshire has changed, for better or for worse, in the time that you’ve known it?

It’s great to see that so many people have discovered the county, but there are places where you realise that the traffic has got to a place where it is now more than a problem – buses and cars do not suit the centre of York, for example. But the revenue that visitors bring is vital, and must be welcomed. Transport to all the coast communities, however, is dire.

Who is the Yorkshire person that you most admire?

Jeremy Clarkson – not for everything that he has done, or does, but, at the moment, for his championing of farmers, and bring all their rural problems to the fore.

Has Yorkshire influenced your work?

Absolutely, in every way. Every time I’m out and about, I get constant inspiration – I nearly always have a pen and paper close to hand, so that I can easily jot down ideas that occur.

Who’s your favourite Yorkshire performer?

There’s a song from Hebden Bridge’s Ed Sheeran which I love – Castle on the Hill. It always speaks to me of Yorkshire – and home.

If a stranger to Yorkshire only had time to visit one place, it would be?

Pickering. Where we’d all get on the North York Moors Railway, and chug by steam all the way up to Whitby – if possible, getting off at every stop for a little exploration and a walk. Then, at the destination, what else but some delicious fish and chips?

Vicki Cowie’s latest book, Tales from Muggleswick Wood, is illustrated by the Academy Award-winning artist Charlie Macksey. Bloomsbury, £20