TEN CAR FREE DAYS OUT FROM RICHMOND

Staying in Richmond without a car?  Don’t want the bother of driving?

There’s an excellent network of Dales Bus services into the Yorkshire Dales National Park and surrounding areas from Richmond. Here are ten ideas for super days out from the town. 

All buses start from the Market Place, but there are more local stops on the main Reeth road (services 30 and 159), or Gilling (service 79) out of town. 

Please all note times were correct when we went to press (April 2005) and are purely for guidance; no responsibility can be taken for inconvenience or loss if changes have taken place.

Please double check all times before travelling either with timetables available at Richmond Tourist Information centre, at www.yorkshiretravel.net or by ringing Traveline on 0871 200 22 33. 

1. Reeth and Grinton

2. Upper Swaledale

3. Leyburn and the Wensleydale Railway

4. Castle Bolton

5. Middleham and Jervaulx Abbey

6. Masham

7. Hawes

8. Aysgarth and Aysgarth Falls

9. Barnard Castle and Bowes Museum

10. Darlington

Reeth was once the centre of the lead mining industry, but is now one of the most attractive villages in the Dales, with a spacious village green from where there are magnificent views of Swaledale, a choice of pubs, cafes, interesting shops, a National Park Information Centre, and lots of interesting walks, including to the riverside or by field paths to Grinton with its fine, 12^th century church.

Getting there from Richmond:  Mondays to Saturdays: Bus 30 leaves the Market Place at 0815, 0915, 1145, 1345, 1610 and 1815

Returning from Reeth (calling at Grinton 2 minutes later):  Mondays to Saturdays at 0736, 0840, 1115, 1251, 1540 and 1640

This must be one the most beautiful bus journeys in England, through the spectacular landscape of Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Stay on the bus to the little hamlet of Keld for the full ride, perhaps taking the bus or walking back down the riverside by the waterfalls to Muker, or return/break your journey at Muker or Gunnerside, both with welcoming cafes and pubs including the famous Swaledale Woollen Shop in Muker.   The full journey to Keld takes an hour and nine minutes in each direction.

Getting there from Richmond:  Mondays to Saturdays: Bus 30 leaves the Market Place at 0915, 1345 and 1815

Returning from Keld (calling at Muker 13 minutes later; Gunnerside 24 minutes later):  Mondays to Saturdays: 1030 and 1455

Lower Wensleydale’s busy market town, with a popular Friday market, not forgetting the splendid Dales Festival of Food and Drink (April 30^th-May 2^nd) , local shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs makes a pleasant full or half day out.   An easy walk from the town centre is along Leyburn Shawl, magnificent viewpoint.

Getting there from Richmond:  Mondays to Saturdays: Bus 159 leaves the Market Place at 0850, 1005, 1105, 1205, 1305, and 1405;

Returning from Leyburn Market Place:   Mondays to Saturdays: Bus 159 leaves Leyburn at 1035, 1135, 1235, 1335, 1435, 1535, and 1635

If you are visiting Leyburn, why not treat yourself to a trip on Britain’s newest re-opened rural railway - the 18 mile long, scenic Wensleydale Railway between Leeming Bar, Bedale, Leyburn and Redmire?   It’s less than half an hour’s walk from Redmire Station to Castle Bolton.

4. CASTLE BOLTON

This is one of the finest medieval castles in the north of England. Built by Richard le Scrope, Chancellor of England, and completed in 1399, its most famous prisoner was Mary Queen of Scots who spent six weeks there in 1568 before attemtping to escape. There are five floors of rooms to explore, with fascinating exhibits of life in the 15^th century and recreation of Mary Queen of Scots days at the Castle.  There are medieval gardens to explore and a tea room in the castle, with attractive walks close by.  The castle is open daily 10am – 5pm, and admission charges are £5 per adult, £3.50 for seniors and children, and £12 for families.

Getting there from Richmond:  Mondays to Saturdays: Bus 159 leaves the Market Place at 0850 for Leyburn in good time to catch the 157 bus from Leyburn to Castle Bolton at 0940 (arrive 0956); or take the 1105 159 to catch the 157 at 1140. 

Returning from Castle Bolton (via Redmire):  Bus 157 at 1302 has good connections with the 159 at Leyburn back to Richmond.

5. MIDDLEHAM AND JERVAULX ABBEY

Middleham Castle was the childhood and favourite Yorkshire home of Richard of Gloucester, better known as King Richard III.  The Castle and its great keep were built between the 12^th and 15^th centuries, and are now maintained by English Heritage. On display is a replica of the Middleham Jewel, a beautiful 15^th century pendant found near the castle. The little town of Middleham with its cobbled squares and ancient inns is worth a visit in its own right.  

Middleham Castle is open daily (after October 1^st closed Tuesday and Wednesdays) Admission: Aduts £3 30, children £1.70, concessions £1.70.

A trip to Middleham can be combined with a visit to Jervaulx Abbey, easily reached on the 159 bus or by field path.

Jervaulx Abbey, a privately owned Cistercian Abbey, dating mainly from the 12^th century, is open daily during daylight hours.  There is a tea room and gift shop. Admission: Adults £2, children £1.50.

Getting there from Richmond:  Mondays to Saturdays: Bus 159 leaves the Market Place for Middleham at 0850, 1005, 1205, 1405;

Returning from Middleham to Richmond:   Mondays to Saturdays: 1023, 1223, 1423, 1623

Bus 159 passes Jervaulx Abbey departing from Richmond as above (except the 0850) and arriving at Jervaulx Abbey approximately 5 minutes after leaving Middleham. It returns to Middleham and Richmond approximately 8 minutes before the departure times from Middleham above.

A fascinating market town on the edge of the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with a huge market place, once the site of great sheep and cattle fairs.  The Church dates from the 12^th century and has superb Tudor effigies inside and an Anglo-Saxon preaching cross in the churchyard.  Old inns, cafes and interesting shops surround, the square, and remarkably perhaps there are two breweries, the Black Sheep Brewery and Theakston’s, both producing nationally renowned ales; both are open to the public with shops and brewery tours, but you will need to pre-book.

Getting there from Richmond:  Mondays to Saturdays: Bus 159 leaves the Market Place for Masham at 1005, 1205, 1405 (journey time 50 minutes);

Returning from Masham Little Market Place for Richmond:   Mondays to Saturdays: 1203, 1403, and 1603

7. HAWES

A trip along lovely Wensleydale with its many small Dales towns and villages to this bustling little market town in the heart of the Dales (market day Tuesday) is worth making in its own right. But in Hawes you’ll also find the Wensleydale Creamery where the celebrated Wensleydale Cheese is made, and you can watch craft cheese makers at work as well as buying local products and the shops and restaurant.   There’s also a craft Rope Makers, the excellent Dales Countryside museum and National Park Centre, interesting local shops and some delightful local walks, including the 1½ mile stroll to Hardraw with its famous waterfall.

Getting there from Richmond:  Mondays to Saturdays: Bus 159 leaves the Market Place at 0850 for Leyburn in time to catch the 157 bus from Leyburn to Hawes via Askrigg 0940 (arrive 1023); or the 1105 159 bus to catch the 1140 157 bus for Hawes. 

Returning from Hawes (via Redmire):  Bus 156 or 157 from Hawes at 1235, 1335 and 1535 all have excellent connections with service 159 at Leyburn for Richmond.   

These spectacular waterfalls are amongst the most impassive in England – a series of three great falls on the River Ure tumble over gigantic limestone steps.  Nearby Freeholders Wood is an important local Nature Reserve, with trails through the wood. There’s a National Park visitor Centre and Café, near the falls, as well as a fine Parish Church with a Rood Screen from Jervaulx Abbey, and an attractive village with addition cafes and pubs.  A visitor to Aysgarth Falls can easily be combined with a visit to Castle Bolton, just three miles away by field paths – see the Castle Bolton entry for return times.

The Falls are a half mile walk by road or field path from the village, but it is a steep climb back to the bus stop!

Getting there from Richmond:  Mondays to Saturdays: Take the 1205 159 from Richmond to catch the 1240 Bus 159 from Leyburn to Aysgarth. 

Returning from Aysgarth Village Centre, (Memorial):  Mondays to Saturdays Bus 156 leaves at 1400 or 1600 both with connections onto service 159 at Leyburn for Richmond. 

It’s a very pleasant bus ride from Richmond via Ravensworth and Greta Bridge to Barnard Castle, a historic market town above the River Tees with its steep main street and 12th century castle, once one of the largest in England, built by the Baliol family who used it as their base in the many fierce political and military struggles between the English and the Scots. The Castle is open daily 10am-6pm, admission £3.30, concessions £2.50, children £1.70.

It’s a short walk from Barnard Castle to the Bowes Museum, a magnificent chateau-like building, which contains one of the most important collections of archaeology, ceramics, paintings, glassware, English furniture in the North of England, including the unique Silver Swan, an extraordinary musical automaton.  Less than a mile away are the ruins of  Egglestone Abbey, a Premonstratensian Abbey of white canons, founded around 1200.  Much of their church, and living quarters, including medieval toilets, survive.  

The Bowes Museum is open daily 11-5pm, admission adults £7, concessions £6.  Egglestone Abbey is open daily, admission free.

Getting there from Richmond:  Mondays to Saturdays:  Bus 79 leaves the Market Place at 0905, 1105 and 1305 travel time 58 minutes.   All outward buses call at Egglestone Abbey and Bowes Museum

Returning from Barnard Castle Galgate (in town centre) to Richmond, Mondays to Saturdays, Bus 79 leaves at 1205, 1405, and 1710.  All buses call at Bowes Museum, and Egglestone Abbey (Bridge) except for the 1710 on Mondays to Fridays which takes a different route and must be caught in Galgate, in the town centre, at 1710.

Darlington is a town well worth exploring on any day, but especially if it’s wet weather, because it has several indoor attractions, lots of shops, arcades, pedestrians precincts, and an excellent indoor and outdoor market. The indoor market is open daily on weekdays, and the outdoor market on Mondays and Saturdays.

About a mile from the town centre is The Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, with major collections of historic locomotives carriages and artefacts, on the historic Stockton and Darlington Railway Line, close to North Road Station - served by local trains on the Bishop Auckland line (useful trains leave Darlington Station at 1055, 1250 and 1453) and there are also frequent local buses from the town centre to Station Road – 3 minutes’ walk away.   Open daily 10am – 5pm; Admission: Adults £2.50. Children, concessions £1.50

Getting there from Richmond:  Mondays to Saturdays: Buses X26, 27, X27, and 28   leave the Market Place at 00, 25 and 44 minutes past each hour (travel time about 30 minutes) for Darlington Town Centre and Railway Station. Sundays 00 and 25 minutes past each hour.

Returning from Darlington to Richmond  Buses X26, 27, X27, 28 leave every 20 minutes at 00, 20 and 40 minutes past each hour during daytime from outside railway station (then from Darlington Market place 3 minutes later); Sundays departures are 00 and 30 past each hour. Evenings hourly.