Richmond

Richmond sits just outside the Yorkshire Dales National Park and is one of the most dramatically-beautiful, architecturally-rich towns in the north of England.

Dominated by Richmond Castle - a great Norman Castle (English Heritage) which occupies a commanding position on a cliff high above the River Swale, the old town huddles around the castle and its imposing walls. Behind this the town’s great market place leads into the remarkable Georgian part of town with its handsome houses, terraces and unique Georgian Theatre, which offers both modern and period plays and musical events in an authentic setting.

There’s a good choice of accommodation in the town, a wide choice of places to eat and drink, excellent shops, and a lively market (Thursdays and Saturdays).

The town is extremely easy to access by public transport, with a frequent bus service running from Darlington railway station direct to Richmond.

There are some superb walks from the town itself, most notably to and from beautiful Easby Abbey in the footsteps of the legendary Drummer Boy, or along the Hudswell Woods, and further into Swaledale past Willance’s Leap to Marske and Marrick. Like Richmond, these villages are on Wainwright’s popular Coast to Coast walk, and much of the Coast to Coast and other superb walks in Swaledale can be accessed by using the Swaledale bus service.

You find full details of what you can do in Richmond on the Richmond Online website.

There are also very good cycling opportunities along the network of quiet lanes to the east of Richmond and Catterick.

Bus times can be checked at the Transport Direct website.

Local services: accommodation, cafe, pub, shops, toilets, tourist information centre