Malton (England)

Malton is a town in North Yorkshire, England on the north bank of the River Derwent, with Norton-in-Derwent on the south. They're 18 miles northeast of York with a combined population in 2011 of 12,275. The main reason to visit is Castle Howard 8 miles west; Malton is also a base for exploring the North York Moors.

Understand
Malton owes its position to the odd course of the River Derwent, Yorkshire's answer to the River Niger, rising almost on the coast near Scarborough and heading inland between the Wolds and North York Moors before turning south to the Ouse. The valley is a natural trade route and the river is navigable, though not this far upstream since a 19th-century railway company bought control and deliberately neglected it. Malton grew up around a Roman camp on the north bank while Norton (oddly enough) is on the south, with the historic road from York passing though; the modern A64 bypasses to the north. A string of priories, castles and stately mansions were built in the rich surrounding farmland. One such was Easthorpe Hall, home of the lawyer Charles Smithson. Charles Dickens was a friend and visitor, and the area is reflected in Dickens' works. Easthorpe is long gone but many other interesting buildings remain.

Get in
By train: Malton is on the York to Scarborough line. TransPennine Express trains run hourly from Liverpool Lime Street via Manchester Victoria, Leeds and York to Malton, continuing east to Seamer and Scarborough. Change at Seamer for Filey, Bridlington, Beverley and Hull, but this is a tight connection onto an infrequent service. On summer weekends these trains are packed with families heading to the seaside.

By bus: the Yorkshire Coastliner 843 runs hourly from Leeds via Tadcaster and York to Malton and Scarborough. At Malton it connects with the 840 to Eden Camp, Kirby Misperton (for Flamingo Land), Pickering (for North Yorkshire Moors Railway) and Thornton le Dale; two buses per day continue to Whitby. The connection to Filey and Bridlington has been axed, change at Scarborough for buses along the coast.

is south bank of the river 200 yards from town centre.

By road follow A64. In summer this road gets very congested east of York where the dual carriageway narrows to an undivided highway.

Get around
You need a car or bike to reach most places. Bus 193 potters around Malton and Norton every hour or so. The 840 runs past Eden Camp and Flamingo Land; other local buses are sparse.

Bus 181 runs four times M-Sa from York railway station to Castle Howard and Malton, taking about an hour. July and Aug two extra buses (and a third Sunday bus) run as far as the Castle. This means that Castle Howard has a better bus service from York than from Malton.

See

 * is a pleasant bosky space. The Roman camp Derventio was here; a wooden castle was built in the 11th century and replaced in stone in the 12th century. It was twice held by the Scots; Robert the Bruce left it in ruins in 1322. In the 16th century, a mansion was built here but in 1674 two sisters feuded over its ownership: the county sheriff's "Judgement of Solomon" was to award each a pile of half the bricks. Only the gatehouse was spared, nowadays the Old Lodge Hotel. The park is freely accessible during daylight hours. It leads into Orchard Fields but this is private property.
 * Howardian Hills are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty rising west of Castle Howard. They're the southern extension of the Hambleton Hills and described as part of North York Moors.
 * 11 miles northwest of Malton is a sumptuously decorated 1680s mansion house. See Helmsley for details.
 * is an abandoned medieval village on the edge of the Wolds. It was visited by the Black Death (bubonic plague), but what finished it off was conversion from barley growing to sheep grazing, with the last residents evicted in the 16th century and their houses demolished. (Such "clearances" were common in England centuries before they affected the Scottish Highlands.) The church of St Martin remained in use for many more years and still stands, and with a bit of imagination you can make out the streets and field-pattern. The site is free and always accessible by footpath from the car park on B1248.
 * Howardian Hills are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty rising west of Castle Howard. They're the southern extension of the Hambleton Hills and described as part of North York Moors.
 * 11 miles northwest of Malton is a sumptuously decorated 1680s mansion house. See Helmsley for details.
 * is an abandoned medieval village on the edge of the Wolds. It was visited by the Black Death (bubonic plague), but what finished it off was conversion from barley growing to sheep grazing, with the last residents evicted in the 16th century and their houses demolished. (Such "clearances" were common in England centuries before they affected the Scottish Highlands.) The church of St Martin remained in use for many more years and still stands, and with a bit of imagination you can make out the streets and field-pattern. The site is free and always accessible by footpath from the car park on B1248.
 * 11 miles northwest of Malton is a sumptuously decorated 1680s mansion house. See Helmsley for details.
 * is an abandoned medieval village on the edge of the Wolds. It was visited by the Black Death (bubonic plague), but what finished it off was conversion from barley growing to sheep grazing, with the last residents evicted in the 16th century and their houses demolished. (Such "clearances" were common in England centuries before they affected the Scottish Highlands.) The church of St Martin remained in use for many more years and still stands, and with a bit of imagination you can make out the streets and field-pattern. The site is free and always accessible by footpath from the car park on B1248.
 * is an abandoned medieval village on the edge of the Wolds. It was visited by the Black Death (bubonic plague), but what finished it off was conversion from barley growing to sheep grazing, with the last residents evicted in the 16th century and their houses demolished. (Such "clearances" were common in England centuries before they affected the Scottish Highlands.) The church of St Martin remained in use for many more years and still stands, and with a bit of imagination you can make out the streets and field-pattern. The site is free and always accessible by footpath from the car park on B1248.

Do

 * Palace Cinema on Chancery Lane is a family-run affair in an Art-Deco building.
 * Derwent Swim & Fitness Centre is on Church St, Norton.
 * on Welham Park is 27 holes, with three loops of 9.
 * Wolds Way is a long-distance trail from the Humber estuary into the rolling hills of the Wolds. It passes through Wharram Percy then trends east to Flamborough Head above Filey.
 * Food Lovers Festival is held at the end of March and at the end of August.
 * Yorkshire Balloon Fiesta is held at Castle Howard in late Aug.
 * Food Lovers Festival is held at the end of March and at the end of August.
 * Yorkshire Balloon Fiesta is held at Castle Howard in late Aug.

Buy

 * Asda supermarket is next to the railway and bus station. It's open M-Sa 7AM-10PM, Su 10AM-4PM.
 * The retail and commercial park 400 yards east has Lidl and Costcutter.
 * The Food Market is held in Malton Market Place on the second Saturday of the month.

Eat

 * Plenty of cheap and cheerful places in town centre: Tui's (Thai), El Gringos, Chapter One Bistro, La Trattoria and a couple of other pizzerias.
 * The standout for dining is the Malton Grill within Talbot Hotel, see Sleep.

Drink

 * New Globe Inn is a pub with rooms on Yorkersgate at the town crossroads.
 * Other pubs in town centre are The New Malton, Chapter Two Bar and Blue Ball Inn.
 * Rare Bird Distillery off Yorkersgate makes gin. They often run gin schools, where you get to make your own.
 * Ryedale Vineyards are at Farfield Farm, Westow YO60 7LS, six miles south of Malton; tours available.
 * Rare Bird Distillery off Yorkersgate makes gin. They often run gin schools, where you get to make your own.
 * Ryedale Vineyards are at Farfield Farm, Westow YO60 7LS, six miles south of Malton; tours available.

Connect
Malton has a good mobile and 4G signal from all UK carriers. As of March 2022, 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * North York Moors rise north of Malton, with the scenic towns of Helmsley and Pickering.
 * The Moors end in cliffs along the coast, from Scarborough north to Whitby, and south to Flamborough Head between Filey and Bridlington.
 * York is a must-see, a walled city with many historic sights.