Northallerton - town in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England

Northallerton is the county town of North Yorkshire in England. With a population in 2011 of 16,832, it has light industry, local government employment, a large hospital, Friarage, and the Leeming RAF base. Most visits will be related to those, as the town, though pleasant enough, lacks "sights" and attractions. But it's a possible base for touring the North York Moors, the Vale of York, and the northern part of the Yorkshire Dales.

Get in

Northallerton is on the East Coast main railway line. 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 and Piccadilly via Huddersfield, Leeds, York and Thirsk, continuing to Yarm, Thornaby (for Stockton-on-Tees), Middlesbrough and Redcar.

Northallerton railway station 📍 is just south of town centre.

Dales & District Bus 70 runs every couple of hours M-Sa between Northallerton, Thirsk and Ripon, which has frequent buses to Harrogate and Leeds.

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

By road it's simplest to take A1(M) to Leeming Bar then A684 east into town. You might also approach via A19.

Get around

You need wheels to reach the various sights.

See

• All Saint's Church 📍 on High St is the C of E parish church. The earliest parts date from 12th century but most of it is 19th.
• Mount Grace Priory, Staddlebridge DL6 3JG (On A19 seven miles east of Northallerton), 54.379618°, -1.311863°, +44 1609 883494. Apr-Oct daily 10:00-17:00, Nov-Mar Sa Su 10:00-16:00. 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 normally 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 C manor house, and a 1900 mansion in Arts & Crafts style. These aren't open to the public. The Prior's Lodge is let for self-catering. Adult £10, child £6, conc £9, EH / NT free 2020-07-13
• Wensleydale Railway, Leases Road, Leeming Bar DL7 9AR (7 miles south-west of Northallerton), 54.305°, -1.561°, +44 8454 505474, info@wensleydalerailway.com. This is a standard-gauge heritage railway running for 22 miles between Leeming Bar and Redmire. There is still a connection from Leeming Bar to the East Coast mainline 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. Day ticket adult £17.80, child £9, conc £16 2020-07-13
• Kiplin Hall, Richmond DL10 6AT, 54.372°, -1.579°. Apr-Oct F-Su 10:00-16:00. The hall was built in the 1620s as a hunting lodge for George Calvert, later Lord Baltimore and founder of Maryland, now 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 2020-07-13

Do

• The Forum (dead link: January 2023) on Bullamoor Road has theatre, comedy, music and so on. It's on Bullamoor Road near the hospital. Box Office is +44 1609 776230.
• Jazz Club: Bedale & Northallerton Jazz and Swing Cabaret Club meet alternate Fridays at Romanby Golf Club, see below.
• Romanby Golf Club, Yafforth Road, Northallerton DL7 0PE, 54.339°, -1.467°, +44 1609 778855. 6707 yards, par 72. 18 holes from £15 2020-07-13
• Thirsk & Northallerton Golf Club is in Thirsk.
• Organised hikes: Northallerton Ramblers meet on Thursday.

Buy

• Market days are Wednesday and Saturday. The Country Market is Friday within Town Hall.
• Tesco in town centre is open M-Sa 06:00-00:00, Su 10:00-16:00.

Eat

• Golden Lion Hotel, 114 High St, Northallerton DL7 8PP, +44 1609 777411. Central bar and restaurant, has rooms. B&B double £75 2020-07-13
• Other places for sit-down meals are Lion of Asia (closed Mon) and Red Chilli (open daily).

Drink

• Durham Ox, 157 High St, Northallerton DL7 8JX, +44 1609 780836. Daily 11:00-23:00. Good central pub with bar food. 2020-07-13
• Other town centre pubs are Stumble Inn, Tickle Toby Inn, Katch (formerly Black Bull), Odd Fellows Arms, Potting Shed, Nag's Head, The Standard, Mason's Arms, Tithe Bar and The Little Tanner.
• Further out but within walking range are Jolly Minister south on Valley Rd, and Willow Beck north on Finkills Way.
• See Thirsk for the highly-rated Buck Inn at Maunby.

Sleep

• Canada Fields Camping & Caravan Site, Moor Lane, Yafforth DL7 0QA (on B6271), 54.358°, -1.499°, +44 1609 716154. Caravan and campsite open all year. Pitch £20 2020-07-13
• Station Hotel, 2 Boroughbridge Rd, Northallerton DL7 8AN, +44 1609 258130. Handy central pub, bar is open M-Sa 09:00-23:30, Su 11:30-23:30. Lunch served daily, no evening meals. With 12 rooms, dogs welcome in some. 2020-07-13
• Allerton Court Hotel, Darlington Rd, Northallerton DL6 2XF, 54.347712°, -1.442532°, +44 1609 780525. Decent enough mid-range place, though some visitors have had problems with lost bookings, broken / tired fixtures, and noise from the bar. B&B double £75 2020-07-13
• Solberge Hall, Newby Wiske DL7 9ES, 54.297°, -1.456°, +44 1609 779191. Posh hotel in Georgian mansion. B&B double £110 2020-07-13
• Cleveland Tontine, Staddlebridge DL6 3JG (junction of A19 and A172), 54.387°, -1.318°, +44 1609 882671. Stylish mid-range hotel in a Georgian mansion, decor and cooking with style. B&B double £130 2020-07-27

Connect

As of Jan 2021, Northallerton has 4G from all UK carriers, but the signal is patchy with EE and Three. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

• 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.