The Yorkshire restaurant that is taking diners on a guided walk around 'Heartbeat country' before serving up lunch

They had converted an 18th century farmhouse into a restaurant offering relaxed fine dining, a self-contained holiday cottage and it is also their family home.

As her two young children got a little older, Cecily was able to spend more time working in the restaurant and was repeatedly being asked by guests about walk recommendations.

The holiday cottage also has a guide to a couple of local walks around the area which, within just a few miles includes a traditional village, the Mallyan Spout Waterfall and vast swathes of moorland and vibrant purple heather.

She was also taking her children, Wilfred and Ralph, on local walks and hit upon the idea of combining the two.

She posted the idea on social media and asked if anyone wanted to join her for a walk and then a shared lunch in the restaurant.

Cecily says she didn’t really think too much of it – but 13 people turned up – and now they are held once a month.

She said: “What I saw happening was connections between people that were really needing the company and fresh air. I really pushed it as come on your own, you do not need to have someone available to come with you, you are welcome on your own.

“After everything that has gone on, we have lived isolated lives. We are not all fortunate to have families or partners or children.

“There is something really special about sharing food and that feeling of coming in from the fresh air and it allows you to talk to people that you would not ordinarily have a conversation with.”

For example, walkers at this month’s walk were treated to North Sea fish pie, creamed potatoes and a green salad or lemon thyme gnocchi, wild mushrooms and asparagus with a warming dessert of caramelised vanilla rice pudding, spiced pear.

It also led to further ideas and business connections and the walks will now sometimes feature a workshop – maybe breathing, maybe gardening.

Cecily added: “I grew up in Goathland. I have lived here pretty much my whole life and I had forgotten how many walks there are.

"There is not really anything like that in the area and I do it for the love of people rather than anything else.

“I am really excited to see the buzz about it that there is and that inspires me to keep going with it and think off different things to do to bring people together and outside.”

The next scheduled walk is on Friday June 23 and will take around an hour and a half to two hours with a lunch of slow cooked free range chicken leg and French style peas or organic tomato tart tatin, herb salad and then lemon posset, raspberries, passion fruit.