Northallerton is a County town and administrative centre of North Yorkshire, located at the foot of a ridge dividing two river basin areas, the Wiske and the Cod Beck, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, on the edge of the Vale of York, between the Hambleton Hills and the Yorkshire Dales. This thriving town boasts market days on Wednesdays and Saturdays, when both sides of the High Street are home to stalls selling a wide range of goods and produce, plus on the fourth Wednesday of the month the market is joined by a farmers’ market. Despite its modest size, Northallerton has a number of independent and national shops, including Betty’s Tea Rooms, Lewis & Cooper, an outstanding delicatessan and wine merchant, award-winning butcher’s, artisan baker, greengrocers, two department stores, several supermarkets and bookshops. With good rail links to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Durham and York, the activities are not just restricted to the countryside. Situated equidistant between the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, the opportunities for exploration are endless. These include a day at the races at one of the many local courses, including Thirsk, a family trip to the unique Forbidden Corner at Middleham, a trip to a country house such as Newby Hall, Kiplin Hall and Castle Howard, or a round of golf. The restored Victorian resort of Saltburn, plus the pretty beaches and coves of Runswick Bay, Sand’s End and Robin Hood’s Bay, along with the town of Whitby, are all within one hour’s drive away.
