Thirsk

Thirsk is a small market town in North Yorkshire, 23 miles north of York. It's best known for its racecourse and as the home of the veterinarian James Herriot (the pen name of author James Wright). It's also a good base for touring the North York Moors, which rise steeply a few miles east of town.

The Visit Thirsk travel information centre is central in Market Place, open M-Sa 10AM-3PM.

Understand
The fertile Vale of Mowbray has long been settled: in the Domesday Book this place was Tresche, and in Old Norse it was þresk meaning a fen. In an era when wealth was based on agriculture, Thirsk grew into a comfortable little market town, with only occasional disruptions by passing armies. Heavy industry also passed it by, as did the railway and A1, so its pleasant centre has been preserved. Agriculture remains the mainstay of life in Thirsk, plus light industry (often farm-related) and commuter housing for York. Its population in 2011 was about 5000.

Get in
Thirsk is on the main London Kings Cross - York - Edinburgh line, but most trains thunder through. From the south you generally change at York onto the hourly train from Manchester Airport and Piccadilly to Leeds, York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Yarm, Thornaby, Middlesbrough and Redcar. York to Thirsk is 15 min: look east to spot the Kilburn White Horse on the hillside as the train approaches Thirsk.

is a mile and a half west of town on A61. Access to the platforms is via steep steps. There are no facilities at the station, but the Old Red House adjacent is your pub refuge.

Bus 30 / 30X takes just over an hour from York via Easingwold to Thirsk. It runs hourly M-Sa. No Sunday service.

Bus 70 runs every couple of hours M-Sa between Northallerton, Thirsk and Ripon (which has frequent buses to Harrogate and Leeds). No Sunday service.

In summer the Moorsbus usually runs to Helmsley 3 or 4 times a day. But it's suspended in 2020, which means there's no public transport from Thirsk into the North York Moors.

The main is in Market Place.

By road from the south follow A1(M) onto A168. Avoid coming via York, the ring road is always congested.

From the east, A170 is a scenic road over the moors from Scarborough via Pickering and Helmsley, but caravans and heavy vehicles must not attempt Sutton Bank, the scarp edge five miles east of Thirsk.

Get around
"World of James Herriot" and Thirsk Museum are near town centre, but you need a car to get into the moors.

See

 * The Market Place is a pleasant broad cobbled expanse lined by 18th and 19th century buildings, pity about the traffic.
 * St Mary's Church on Kirkgate is Anglican. It dates from the 15th century but is mostly 19th-century Perpendicular Gothic.
 * Don't see the castle. It probably stood at the north end of Castlegate (perhaps a clue?) but in the eyes of Henry II was "adulterine" (rebelliously raised against him) so it was demolished in 1176. A manor house was then built on the site. In 1322 the Scots, emboldened by their victory at Bannockburn, raided Yorkshire and almost captured Edward II with his trousers down; they utterly demolished the manor house.
 * is the scarp of the North York Moors rising five miles east of town on A170, the road to Helmsley. Caravans and heavy vehicles are not permitted on this steep road: everyone else, engage low gear. There's a visitor centre at the top, views west over Vale of York, and walks along the scarp edge. Gliders whoosh out from the airstrip next to the main road.
 * is cut into the scarp and best viewed from below along Low Town Bank Road. It was created in 1857 by stripping off the topsoil then covering the sandstone bedrock with limestone chips.
 * See Helmsley for magnificent Rievaulx Abbey and for Ampleforth which remains an active Benedictine monastery.
 * is the scarp of the North York Moors rising five miles east of town on A170, the road to Helmsley. Caravans and heavy vehicles are not permitted on this steep road: everyone else, engage low gear. There's a visitor centre at the top, views west over Vale of York, and walks along the scarp edge. Gliders whoosh out from the airstrip next to the main road.
 * is cut into the scarp and best viewed from below along Low Town Bank Road. It was created in 1857 by stripping off the topsoil then covering the sandstone bedrock with limestone chips.
 * See Helmsley for magnificent Rievaulx Abbey and for Ampleforth which remains an active Benedictine monastery.
 * See Helmsley for magnificent Rievaulx Abbey and for Ampleforth which remains an active Benedictine monastery.
 * See Helmsley for magnificent Rievaulx Abbey and for Ampleforth which remains an active Benedictine monastery.
 * See Helmsley for magnificent Rievaulx Abbey and for Ampleforth which remains an active Benedictine monastery.
 * See Helmsley for magnificent Rievaulx Abbey and for Ampleforth which remains an active Benedictine monastery.

Do

 * Ritz Cinema at 16 Westgate is volunteer-run. Adult £6.
 * Deer Shed Festival is a four day event at Baldersby Park in Topcliffe, with music, mixed arts, science and sports. The next is 26-29 July 2024.
 * Ritz Cinema at 16 Westgate is volunteer-run. Adult £6.
 * Deer Shed Festival is a four day event at Baldersby Park in Topcliffe, with music, mixed arts, science and sports. The next is 26-29 July 2024.

Buy

 * Lidl and Tesco (with fuel) are west edge of town centre and Aldi is south along B1448. They're all open daily.

Eat

 * The hotels and pubs on Market Place are a sound choice, plus there's Thai, Chinese and fish & chips.

Drink

 * Three Tuns ("Spoons") scores best on price and comfort.

Sleep




Connect
Thirsk and the main roads around it have a good mobile and 4G signal from all carriers. As of June 2020, 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * York to the south is a must-see. The Yorkshire Farming Museum on the west edge of the city has more about vet practice in Herriot's time.
 * Ripon is a charming old market town, but the big draw is Fountains Abbey.
 * Harrogate is a genteel spa town with attractive gardens. The taste of its spa waters is not easily forgotten.
 * The North York Moors rise sharply to the east of Thirsk.