Erm…this could take some time……how long have you got?.... This area is definitely a “land of castles and old kings” (and abbeys as well…..)

Kirkbymoorside is at the centre of an area that encompasses the North Yorkshire Moors National Park (including Heartbeat Country) to the North, the Yorkshire Coastline – including Whitby, Robin Hood’s Bay and Scarborough – to the East, Castle Howard and York to the South and Thirsk and Herriot Country to the West.

To simplify things, we’d like to give you a flavour of what’s available in Kirkbymoorside and close by, followed by more general things available in the wider area that you can use The Cornmill as a base to explore.

Kirkbymoorside and close-by

The Cornmill is a 10 – 15 minute walk (it takes us 12….) to the centre of Kirkbymoorside. The town itself is a “hidden gem”: it is effectively bypassed by the A170 running from Thirsk to Scarborough, so many people are unaware of the unspoilt Market town with its ancient market (Wednesdays) and Georgian and Victorian architecture. The people here are genuinely warm and friendly – with just a hint of Yorkshire “bluntness” to add a touch of character (the grit in the oyster that makes the pearl) – and there are a lot of local, non-chain shops to help make your stay memorable.

At the time of writing (a good get-out…..). Kirkbymoorside is the only Transition Town in this area, and the Kirkbymoorside Environment Group have worked tirelessly to keep the local community involved in this activity. One spin off from the Transition Town movement, is that a Town Traders group has been formed, and they are very active in drawing both locals and visitors into the town. As mentioned earlier, the local shops are – in the main – locally owned and offer a variety that helps to keep up the individual character of the town, rather than being another “off the shelf” town high street.

In an early piece of political spin, Alexander Pope (a Tory, and not averse to bending the facts to the argument…..) wrote of the death of “Great Villiers” (a leading Whig, and a colourful character to say the least) in 1687 as being:

In the worst inn's worst room, with mat half-hung,
The floors of plaister and the walls of dung,
On once a flock-bed but repair'd with straw,
With tape-ty'd curtains never meant to draw,

Well……Buckingham House in High Market Place is generally accepted to be the house where Villiers – the 2nd Duke of Buckingham – died, and as it was his brother-in-law’s house, we would tend to agree that it was one of the best houses in the town at that date. As an aside, the King’s Head – an old Inn - is a few yards further up High Market Place and its sign features King Charles II, who Villiers accompanied in exile, and in various pursuits…

There are a number of places of Christian worship in the town. All Saint’s Church is medieval in origin. St. Gregory’s Minster in Kirkdale (just outside of Kirkbymoorside) features an Anglo-Saxon sundial and is close to a lovely walk alongside what is usually – in the summer – a dried up river bed, although this is not the case after heavy rain (so take care)!

Similarly, St. Mary’s Church in Lastingham has a Norman crypt built above St. Cedd’s grave, and is reputed set on an important ley line.

Hutton-Le-Hole – about 2 miles from The Cornmill – is a picturesque moors village with free-ranging sheep mingling with the visitors. It also houses Ryedale Folk Museum which doesn’t look much from the outside, but hides a large open-air site containing local houses of different eras (these houses were dismantled and then reassembled at the museum).

The Band Room at Farndale – “The greatest small venue on earth” is close by, as is The Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge

Finally for this section, don’t forget – in March and April - the famous daffodil walk through Farndale.

Use The Cornmill as a base to explore

Here are some useful links to keep you occupied (if you need to be)!

The North Yorkshire Moors National Park

Castle Howard near Malton

Duncombe Park in Helmsley

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway - NYMR

Shandy Hall in Coxwold is worth a visit for any lover of English literature

Eden Camp - WW2 Museum

There are a wealth of National Trust properties (such as Nunnington Hall and Rievaulx Terrace) and English Heritage sites (Rievaulx Abbey, Helmsley Castle, Byland Abbey, Pickering Castle, etc.) in the area. Nunnington Hall also periodically houses art exhibitions and the local Nunnington Studios and Tea Room are worth visiting.

As you would expect, there are loads of gardens to visit, such as the Walled Gardens at Helmsley and Scampston and Wolds Way Lavender.