ancient ruins
Rievaulx Abbey
The ruins of one of the great Cistercian monasteries of medieval England, set in a secluded wooded valley near Helmsley.
4 km · about 10 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Helmsley
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Helmsley
Helmsley works well as a base: 15 minutes from Kirkbymoorside, 16km from Rosedale Chimney Bank.
Helmsley is in England, United Kingdom, with about 1,500 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Kirkbymoorside, about 9 km away.
Helmsley is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the North Riding of Yorkshire, the town is located at the point where Ryedale leaves the moorland and joins the flat Vale of Pickering.
Helmsley is situated on the River Rye on the A170 road, 14 miles (23 km) east of Thirsk,Read more
13 miles (21 km) west of Pickering and some 24 miles (39 km) due north of York. The southern boundary of the North York Moors National Park passes through Helmsley along the A170 road so that the western part of the town is within the National Park.
The settlement grew around its position at a road junction and river crossing point. Helmsley is a compact town, retaining its medieval layout around its market place with more recent development to the north and south of its main thoroughfare, Bondgate. It is a historic town of considerable architectural character whose centre has been designated as a conservation area. The town is associated with the Earls of Feversham, whose ancestral home Duncombe Park was built overlooking Helmsley Castle. The Feversham Monument stands in the market place, along with the Helmsley Market Cross.
The town is a popular tourist centre and has won gold medals in the Large Village category of Yorkshire in Bloom for three years. The town square is a meeting place for motorcyclists as it is at the end of the B1257 road from Stokesley, which is a favourite with bikers.
The Cleveland Way National Trail starts at Helmsley, and follows a horseshoe loop around the North York Moors National Park and Yorkshire coast for 110 miles (180 km) to Filey. The remains of Helmsley Castle, which was destroyed in the Civil War, loom over the town.
Where to Stay in Helmsley
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Explore the Area
Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Helmsley.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Helmsley?
Within an hour or so of Helmsley: Rievaulx Abbey (4 km), Sutton Bank (10 km), Kilburn White Horse (10 km), Rosedale Chimney Bank (16 km).
Are there any good drives near Helmsley?
The nearest famous roads are Rosedale Chimney Bank, B6270 Swaledale and A684 Wensleydale (Sedbergh to Leyburn).
Where is Helmsley?
Helmsley is in England, United Kingdom, about 9 km from Kirkbymoorside.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,515
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 54.2458, -1.0568
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Helmsley
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
scenic viewpoint
Sutton Bank
A steep escarpment with a 1-in-4 hairpin climb and a view James Herriot called 'the finest in England', looking over the Vale of York.
10 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Kilburn White Horse
A 97 m turf-cut horse carved into the Hambleton escarpment in 1857, visible for miles across the Vale of York.
10 km · about 20 min drive
famous road
Rosedale Chimney Bank
One of England's steepest roads, hitting 1-in-3 (33%) as it climbs from Rosedale Abbey onto the North York Moors past old ironstone kilns. A rite of passage for drivers and cyclists; caravans are banned.
16 km · about 30 min drive
castle
Castle Howard
A stately home in North Yorkshire, not a true castle but one of England's grandest Baroque residences, famous from Brideshead Revisited.
17 km · about 20 min drive
national park
North York Moors National Park
Vast expanse of heather moorland turning purple in August, with deep valleys, a dramatic coastline and the historic North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
18 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
An 18-mile heritage steam line from Pickering across the moors to Grosmont and on to Whitby, one of the busiest in Britain.
18 km · about 20 min drive
natural wonder
Hole of Horcum
A vast natural amphitheatre 120 m deep on the Pickering-to-Whitby road, hollowed out by spring sapping rather than by ice.
25 km · about 30 min drive
Driving roads near Helmsley
6 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 100km.
- Right hereSutton BankA steep escarpment with a 1-in-4 hairpin climb and a view James Herriot called 'the finest in England', looking over the Vale of York.
- 16 kmRosedale Chimney BankOne of England's steepest roads, hitting 1-in-3 (33%) as it climbs from Rosedale Abbey onto the North York Moors past old ironstone kilns. A rite of passage for drivers and cyclists; caravans are banned.
- 30 kmRoseberry ToppingA distinctive half-cone hill on the edge of the North York Moors, its shape the result of a 1912 landslip caused by mining.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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