Northallerton Voyage Tips and guide

Northallerton is the county town of North Yorkshire, with a population of 14,000 in 2024. It's a quiet market town with limited sights, but a possible base for touring the North York Moors, the Vale of York, and the northern part of the Yorkshire Dales.

Modo est in manu regis et wastum est - so said the Domesday Book, the place was a wasteland after William the Conqueror's campaign. The town stood on Dere Street, the Roman road north from York, and was smashed by many passing armies. Its name of Alvertune or Allerton probably means "Alfred's farm", then "north" was added to distinguish it from another settlement.

The medieval town was a religious centre and its friary gives its name to Friarage Hospital. That site in Victorian times was a workhouse, with Treadmill Street recalling how its inmates spent their time. Northallerton nowadays has light industry and local government offices, and is near Leeming RAF base.

54°20′24″N 1°25′48″W

Map of Northallerton

Northallerton is on A168, the line of the Roman road: join this off A19 near Thirsk. Or take A1(M) to Leeming Bar then A684 east into town.

Hourly trains from London Kings Cross take 2 hr 30 min via Peterborough, Newark, Doncaster and York, and continue north to Hartlepool and Sunderland or to Darlington, Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Edinburgh.

Transpennine Expresses run hourly from Manchester Airport, Piccadilly and Victoria via Huddersfield, Leeds, York and Thirsk, continuing to Yarm, Thornaby (for Stockton-on-Tees), Middlesbrough and Redcar.

54.333-1.44131 Northallerton railway station is a quarter mile southwest of town centre. It has a ticket office and machines, toilets and a waiting area. There's step-free access to all platforms.

Hodgson's Bus 70 runs M-Sa every couple of hours from Ripon, taking 70 min via Thirsk.

Hodgson's Bus 72 runs M-Sa every couple of hours from Darlington, taking 50 min.

You need wheels to reach the various sights.

Taxi firms are AL's (+44 7751 659372), Whereto (+44 7745 124522), A2B (+44 1609 775252) and Woodman (+44 1609 765522).

• 54.342-1.43661 All Saint's on High St is the Church of England parish church. The earliest parts are 12th century but most of it is 19th. It's open M-Sa 9:30AM-3:30PM, Su 9AM-7PM.
• 54.3742-1.44732 Battle of The Standard is commemorated by a plinth on A167 two miles north of town. It was fought on Cowton Moor on 22 Aug 1138 and so named for the church banners flown by the English. The Archbishop of York preached that repulsing the invading Scots was doing God's work, so sure enough the English won with light casualties, while the Scots lost over 10,000.
• 54.3802-1.310473 Mount Grace Priory, Staddlebridge DL6 3JG (off A19), ☏ +44 1609 883494. Apr-Oct daily 10AM-5PM, Nov-Mar: Sa Su 10AM-4PM. Well preserved priory, founded in 1398 under Richard II. They were just in time for that dynasty to be overthrown by Henry IV, so they were on short commons until affiliating to the Carthusian order. These monks lived as hermits, who didn't dine or attend church together. What remains are the two cloisters and the church. After the Dissolution of 1539, much of the masonry was recycled into a 17th-century manor house, refurbished in 1900 in Arts & Crafts style. The Prior's Lodge is available for self-catering. Adult £14, conc £12, child £8.50, conc £9, EH free.  (updated Jan 2026)
• 54.3049-1.56014 Wensleydale Railway, Leases Road, Leeming Bar DL7 9AR, ☏ +44 1677 425805, [email protected]. This is a standard-gauge heritage railway running for 22 miles between Leeming Bar and Redmire. There's still a connection from Leeming Bar to the main line at Northallerton, occasionally used for freight and excursion trains, but the western connection from Redmires via Hawes to Garsdale has been lost. Trains usually run Apr-Oct F-Su and Tu, steam or diesel hauled. Leeming Bar is the closest station to Northallerton, you can also board at Bedale, Finghall Lane, Leyburn or Redmire. Adult £20, child £1.  (updated Jan 2026)
• 54.3719-1.5795 Kiplin Hall, Richmond DL10 6AT, ☏ +44 1748 818178. Feb-Nov F-W 10AM-4PM. The hall was built in the 1620s as a hunting lodge for George Calvert, later Lord Baltimore and founder of Maryland USA. A red-brick mansion, one quirk is that its four towers are placed not at the corners but midway on each side. You can tour part of the hall and the grounds. Adult £12, child £6, conc £10.  (updated Jan 2026)

• The Forum on Bullamoor Road has theatre, comedy, music and so on. Box Office is +44 1609 776230.
• Cinema: Everyman is on East Rd.
• Northallerton Leisure Centre has a gym, fitness classes and pool. It's on Rotary Way north edge of town.
• Jazz Club meets alternate Fridays at Romanby Golf Club, below.
• 54.3389-1.46691 Romanby Golf Club, Yafforth Road, Northallerton DL7 0PE, ☏ +44 1609 778855. 6707 yards, par 72.  (updated Jan 2026)

Thirsk & Northallerton Golf Club is in Thirsk.

• Hikes: Use OS Landranger Map 99 (1:50,000) for the area between here and Ripon. Northallerton Ramblers meet on Thursday.

• Market days are Wednesday and Saturday. The Country Market is Friday within Town Hall.
• Tesco in town centre is open M-Sa 6AM-midnight, Su 10AM-4PM.

• The Koop at 87B South Parade is open W-Sa 11:30AM-11PM, Su 11:30AM-10PM.
• Bianco at 141 High St is open daily 11AM-10PM.
• Green Apple Tree at 182 High St is open Tu & F 5-9PM, W Th & Sa 11:30AM-3:30PM, 5-9PM.
• Ontano Lounge at 189 High St is open Su-Th 9AM-10PM, F Sa 9AM-11PM.
• Betty's next door at 189A High St is a branch of the famous Betty's Tearooms in Harrogate. It's open Su-F 10AM-4:30PM, Sa 9AM-5PM.
• Governors House on Crosby Rd is open Su-Th 9AM-4PM, F Sa 9AM-9PM.
• Soju by Sumo at 6 The Treadmills is open Tu-F 5-10PM, Sa noon-11PM, Su noon-9PM.
• Lion of Asia at 88A High St is open Tu-Su 6-11:30PM.
• Origin Social at 2 Friarage St is open W-Sa noon-10:30PM, Su noon-7:30PM.
• Uno Momento next door is open daily noon-10PM.
• The Optimist at 77 High St is open Tu-Su noon-midnight.
• Red Chilli at 297 High St is open daily 5-11PM.
• And see below for Golden Lion and Katch.

• Durham Ox, 157 High St DL7 8JX, ☏ +44 1609 780836. Su-F 11AM-11PM, Sa 10AM-midnight. Friendly central pub with bar food. (updated Jan 2026)
• Others are Stumble Inn, Tickle Toby Inn, Katch (below), Odd Fellows Arms, The Buck Inn, Potting Shed, Nag's Head, The Standard, Mason's Arms and The Little Tanner.

• Golden Lion Hotel, 114 High St, Northallerton DL7 8PP, ☏ +44 1609 777411. Decent comfy rooms and restaurant. B&B double £100. (updated Jan 2026)
• Katch, 101 High St, Northallerton DL7 8PP (50 yards N of Golden Lion), ☏ +44 1609 771960. Comfy rooms, some street noise. B&B double £100. (updated Jan 2026)
• Station Hotel, 2 Boroughbridge Rd, Northallerton DL7 8AN (100 yards NE of station), ☏ +44 1609 258130. Pub with rooms, dogs welcome in some. (updated Jan 2026)
• 54.3359-1.45061 Bridge End, 159 Chantry Rd, Northallerton DL7 8JJ, ☏ +44 1609 772655. Welcoming guesthouse west edge of town. B&B double £70.  (updated Jan 2026)
• 54.3582-1.49932 Canada Fields Caravan Park, Moor Lane, Yafforth DL7 0QA (3 miles NW of town on B6271), ☏ +44 1609 716154. Caravan park open all year, by a coarse fishing lake. No camping. Hook-up £30.  (updated Jan 2026)
• 54.2965-1.45613 Solberge Hall, Newby Wiske DL7 9ES, ☏ +44 1609 779191. This Georgian mansion now hosts wedding parties and similar events, and doesn't take other travellers.  (updated Jan 2026)

As of Jan 2026, Northallerton and its approach roads have 4G from Vodafone, and 5G from EE, O2 and Three.

• The North York Moors rise a few miles to the east.
• Ripon is close to magnificent Fountains Abbey.
• Harrogate and Knaresborough are genteel well-preserved spas.
• Whitby is where the Yorkshire coast becomes attractive, east of industrial Middlesbrough and Redcar.

Newcastle upon Tyne ← Richmond ←	N  S	→ Ripon → Leeds
Middlesbrough ← Yarm ←	N  S	→ Thirsk → York