Maria Gray actress: 'Why this tiny corner of perfection is my Yorkshire hidden gem'

What’s your favourite part of the county?

It’s where we live now, in the Howardian Hills. The Wolds are so beautiful, the light and the leaves and vegetation are always changing. I’m a very “woody” person, I love trees and nature. I lived in London for many years, and while there are a lot of parks and open spaces, nothing at all beats the real outdoors – Barton-le-Willows is a favourite spot, and so is the lovely little Howsham Mill, perfect for a picnic on a sunny day.​

What’s your idea of a perfect day, or a perfect weekend, out in Yorkshire?

Coming into York for a wander around, then a drive through the moors to the coast. Stay over in Whitby for a night, to take in the fresh sea air, and then back to York via a good country pub, a bit of a walk, and it all ends with a glass or two at Pairings Wine Bar on Castlegate.

Do you have a favourite walk?

One of life’s greatest pleasures is walking around York – Stonegate, all those snickleways, there’s such a wealth and richness of history. Every walk brings something new, a little courtyard, another strange door or window.

Which Yorkshire sportsperson would you like to take for lunch?

Beryl Burton, a true unsung sporting heroine. The cyclist who took up her sport because she was told that she needed to have a little exercise, and who then beat all the men at their own game, and established records which still stand today. Part of the Around the World production is the story of the pioneering American adventurer and journalist Nellie Bly, who constantly challenged males in all sorts of ways, and it would be a joy to have Beryl and Nellie meet up with each other, and to compare and contrast their efforts and careers. Now that would be a fascinating lunch indeed.

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

Adrian Edmondson. I loved watching The Young Ones and Bottom. They were both programmes that were a major part of my growing up.

What’s your Yorkshire “hidden gem”?

Howsham Bridge. A stunning structure over the River Derwent, a tiny little corner of perfection in the Yorkshire landscape.

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

Any one of the county’s wonderful theatres or performance spaces, the ones that have a history and a past to them. Just to imagine all the performers who have stood on those boards, and entertained the public over the decades. Again, its that sense of heritage – but also being part of a continuing tradition. You can feel it all so strongly at York Theatre Royal.

What gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

The landscapes, and the people. I do not know of anywhere else in Britain which has such a diversity of both. In one county, you quickly find that Sheffield is completely different from Hull, Doncaster from York, Ripon from Bradford, and so on. We should also be very proud of our fine universities. When I lived in London, there were some misguided folk who believed that “the North” began in Birmingham – how completely wrong they are!

Do you have a favourite restaurant, or pub?

In York – Pairings Wine Bar, Phranakhon Thai restaurant (superbly authentic) and, for the best coffee for miles around, the Brew & Brownie on Museum Street. Their cakes and biscuits all use local ingredients, and they are to die for.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

Malton is the go-to foodie paradise, and if I can get there over a weekend, it’s always one of the highlights. So many little firms offering the very best, and definitely the freshest, produce of all kinds. Back in York, it must be Cosgriff & Sons Bakery on Tower Street.​

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

Better in the sense that more people are being recognised for their art and their creative work, and that’s really helping the local economies. Worse, in that the county’s transport system is appallingly unreliable – you simply cannot get from A to B with any certainty. Heaven help you if you have a hospital appointment, a job interview, or an audition at a certain time – you have to set off praying that you’ll get there, and about half a day in advance.

Has Yorkshire influenced your work?

Without doubt. I’ve done an awful lot of work outside London, and it’s Yorkshire that I always seem to return to – it helps that we’re now rooted here. I’ve played about every theatre in the county, with the exception (to date) of Scarborough, but there is still time, is there not?

Name your favourite Yorkshire book/author/artist/CD/performer.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a huge party, and to invite the Brontë Sisters, Arctic Monkeys, Dame Judi Dench and Jane Eyre? Alan Bennett and David Hockney as well.

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

York. It caps everything. The countryside is but minutes away, and you cannot lift a paving stone without discovering ancient history not only beneath your feet but around you everywhere.

Around the World in Eighty Days-ish! runs at York Theatre Royal from July 18 to August 3. www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk