Bridgedown House is a detached house set within a quiet location between the River Swale and the station and is just a ten minute uphill walk to the heart of the town. Richmond has a cobbled market place, where there are shops, restaurants, tea shops, art galleries, an 11th-century castle (run by English Heritage) and a Georgian theatre. The last train left Richmond station in 1969 and thanks to volunteers the building was reborn in 2007 as The Station and is now a bustling centre hosting art and craft exhibitions, a three-screen cinema, café, shop selling interesting jewellery, cards and textiles, an award-winning bakery/delicatessen, micro-brewery and an ice cream parlour. On the same site there is an indoor swimming pool and health club. A riverside path passes the back gate of the property and there is a gentle walk to the ruins of Easby Abbey. Cross the nearby road bridge and there is another delightful easy riverside walk to the falls and, for the more energetic, you can continue on to Billy Banks Woods and beyond. Fronting the historic market place and open to the public from April to October, Millgate House’s award-winning garden is a quiet oasis and gardener’s paradise.
Richmond is close to the A1/A66 junction at Scotch Corner and is well placed to visit Swaledale, Wensleydale and the North York Moors. The Coast to Coast walk passes by the Station and through Swaledale but there are also many other walks to be enjoyed. Nearby Reeth is considered to be the capital of Swaledale and is a good starting point for walks and cycling. Travelling between Reeth and Gunnerside, you can see the distinctive Swaledale stone barns and meadows enclosed by dry stone walls and in late spring/early summer a circular walk from Muker to Keld takes you through beautiful wildflower meadows alongside the river. From Muker in Swaledale, the Buttertubs Pass offers an exhilarating route over moorland to Hawes in Wensleydale where you can visit the Wensleydale Creamery and try Wallace and Gromit’s favourite cheese. Leyburn is a charming town with a Friday market in the main square and nearby Middleham has a magnificant castle and is also well known for its racing stables. There are a number of waterfalls in the area including Hardraw Force near Hawes, known for its height, and pretty Aysgarth Falls which featured in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
Crossing over the A1 road, you can visit Kiplin Hall and gardens on your way to the busy market town of Northallerton and from there head for the North York Moors. In Pickering you can take the North York Moors Railway all the way to Whitby with its abbey prominent on the cliff top overlooking the town and sea. Rievaulx Abbey is one of England’s most complete monastic ruins and the largest, Fountains Abbey (free to National Trust and English Heritage members) is near Ripon. To the north-west, Barnard Castle in Teesdale offers an historic market town, castle and the French-style chateau of the Bowes Museum housing a collection of European fine and decorative arts. Shop and pub ¾ mile, restaurant 50 yards.