Guisborough

Guisborough is a town in North Yorkshire, England; it's a market town and commuter district for Middlesbrough and Redcar. The town had a population of about 7700 in 2011; with outlying villages this was 18,000. From 1974 to 1996 it was part of a new county, Cleveland; this was then abolished and Guisborough was re-assigned to North Yorkshire. The difference is nominal since it's part of Redcar & Cleveland unitary authority and not governed by a County Council.

The elaborate Guisborough Helmet, now in the British Museum, indicates Roman settlement, but the town grew up in the Middle Ages around the Priory, which is now the main visitor attraction. Guisborough is also on the edge of the North York Moors, a sharp edge indeed, with cliffs rising just south of town.

Get in
For long-distance routes, see Middlesbrough, which is on the London - Newcastle - Edinburgh main railway line. Guisborough doesn't have a railway.

Arriva Bus 5 runs hourly from Middlesbrough to Guisborough, 40 min. As X93 it continues south to Whitby and Scarborough. Don't take Bus X4 from Middlesbrough towards Whitby, as this follows the coast through Redcar and doesn't run via Guisborough.

By road from the south, leave A1(M) for A19 then take A172 onto A171.

Two hours free parking is available on the high street, though you need to buy a parking disc from local shops. There is ample street parking, as well as a coach and car park on Rectory Lane.

Get around
Town is compact and walkable, but you need wheels to explore the moors. Also, Redcar (for the races) and Saltburn-by-the-Sea are only five miles away, ten minutes by car, but with poor public transport links. There is an hourly bus between Guisborough and Redcar (number 81) or more frequent connections are possible by travelling into Middlesbrough and out again.

Do

 * is part of the North York Moors. It rises sharply south of town, in a line of cliffs and bluffs such as Highcliffe Nab. The scarp is forested, with walking trails including the Cleveland Way, and the moor top is a plateau of heath and bog. In World War II the moor was a "starfish" site: during German bombing raids, fuel tanks were set ablaze up here to look like industrial Middlesbrough and misdirect the bombers.
 * is the start of trails into the forest and moors that don't involve shinning up cliffs.
 * The Cleveland Way starts in Helmsley and heads west to Sutton Bank above Thirsk. It then turns north along the edge of the moors through Osmotherley, Guisborough, Saltburn, Whitby, Scarborough and Filey. The whole trail is 110 miles.

Buy

 * The Farmers Market is held on the second Saturday of each month. Regular market days are Thursday and Saturday.
 * The retail strip is on Rectory Lane, one block south of Westgate. There's Lidl, Aldi, Sainsbury's and other big stores.

Eat

 * Odd Socks is a cafe and laundrette at 10 Auckland St. It's open M-F 7AM-5:30PM, Sa 9AM-PMPM.
 * Shurovi is a good Indian restaurant at 6 Market Place, open M-Sa 5-11:30PM, Su 5-10:30PM.
 * Sergio's is cheap and cheerful Italian at 12 Chaloner St, open M-Sa 5-9PM.
 * Tockett's Mill is a working water mill, but primarily a restaurant attached to a caravan park. It's on Skelton Road A173, two miles northeast of town towards Saltburn, and open daily 8AM-10:30PM.
 * Tockett's Mill is a working water mill, but primarily a restaurant attached to a caravan park. It's on Skelton Road A173, two miles northeast of town towards Saltburn, and open daily 8AM-10:30PM.

Drink

 * The pubs are mostly along main drag Westgate. East to west find The Monk wine bar, Harry's Bar, Fox Inn (has rooms, see Sleep), Black Swan, Mermaid Inn, The Three Fiddles, The Courtyard, The King's Head, The Ironstone Miner (JD Wetherspoon), and The Ship Inn.

Connect
As of Oct 2022, Guisborough has 5G from Three, and 4G from EE, O2 and Vodafone.

Go next

 * Middlesbrough: don't just rush through holding your nose. It's industrial but has lots to see and do. Best of all, you get to eat authentic Parmo.
 * The coast is industrial from Middlesbrough through Redcar then improves at Saltburn-by-the-Sea. The best stretch is from Whitby to Scarborough.
 * The North York Moors rise south of Guisborough. Helmsley and Pickering are the best bases within the moors.