Stokesley

North Yorkshire

Stokesley is a market town in the Hambleton former district of North Yorkshire.

Stokesley is 9 miles south of Middlesbrough, 3 miles south-west of Great Ayton and around 14 miles north-east of Northallerton. Stokesley is just 4 miles from the edge of the North York Moors National Park.

The town has an interesting Georgian High Street and market place, where markets are held each Friday. There are additional Farmers' Markets on the first Saturday of each month. The town's charter to hold a fair dates back to 1223, when it was granted by King Henry III.

At the end of the market place are the parish church of St Peter and St Paul and Stokesley Manor House, which although in private ownership and reduced in size in the 20th century, has contributed in various designs over the years to the history of the town. At times it has been used as a World War I hospital for Belgian soldiers and as a library and court house.

Hidden away behind the High Street near the back of The Queen's Head pub is an old 17th century packhorse bridge crossing the River Leven, an early route for traders carrying their wares to and from Stokesley market.

The village at Stokesley pre-dates the Domesday Book of 1086, when the small village had a church with priest and notably a mill. A mill continued to exist beside the River Leven right up until 1983, but today only a mid 19th century mill water wheel survives as a reminder of the past history of milling in the area.

Agriculture continues to play an important role in the life of the Stokesley area and this continues to be represented by the large one-day agricultural show held there each September, attracting around 20,000 visitors and 2,500 animals. The 2022 show takes place on September 17. A fair is usually held in the town centre for a few days preceeding the show.  Stokesley Show website.

 Town features


The town is at a bridge over the River Leven
Stokesley has a choice of pubs.
Stokesley has local traders and a supermarket.
Stokesley holds a traditional outdoor market - (Friday MD, plus Farmers' Market - 1st Saturday of month).
The town has a Post Office.
The town has a pharmacy.
Stokesley has a bank and a building society agency.
A choice of cafes and pub food is available in Stokesley.
Takeaway food outlets in the town include fish and chips, chinese, sandwiches.
Stokesley has a town hall.
There are public toilets in the town with limited hours of use.
Locations of toilets and opening times can be found at this North Yorkshire Council - Public toilets web page.. (7.30am - 5.30pm daily except Dec 25).
The town has a community library.
Stokesley has schools.
Places of worship: Anglican, Catholic, Methodist.
Places to stay in Stokesley include hotel, holiday home accommodation.

Travel

Bus travel

The town has buses to neighbouring towns and villages.

Road travel

Stokesley can be reached via the A172 A173 B1365 B1257



Places to visit


Mount Grace Priory

Staddlebridge, near Osmotherley, North Yorkshire
Mount Grace Priory, situated around 6 miles north-east of Northallerton (7.5 miles by road), is the best preserved Carthusian priory in Britain. The priory gives an insight into how the small group of monks who lived there spent their lives 600 years ago with a reconstruction of a cell, or small house, of one of the hermit monks, with its herb garden and work spaces. Founded in the mid-14th century it was the last monastery to be founded in Yorkshire in medieval times and it was also one of the last in Yorkshire to be supressed, in December 1539. The priory guest house was redesigned in the 17th century as a mansion and now houses an exhibition of the life of the former priory while outside are attractive formal gardens. The Priory can be accessed by car from a minor road leading from the busy 70mph A19 dual carriageway requiring particular care when entering or leaving the site. The priory is also accessible by footpaths. Mount Grace Priory is managed by English Heritage but is owned by the National Trust.

More information at the  English Heritage - Mount Grace Priory or  National Trust - Mount Grace Priory websites.  Find Mount Grace Priory on map


The James Cook Schoolroom Museum

High Street, Great Ayton
One of a number of museums devoted to the famous Yorkshire navigator and explorer James Cook, the Captain Cook Schoolroom Museum is situated in the small and picturesque village of Great Ayton where he was educated at the Postgate School. The small volunteer-run museum recreates an 18th century schoolroom, interactive displays of Cook's achievements and also has sections on the history of Great Ayton. The museum has seasonal opening times and also offers school visits.

More details at the  The James Cook Schoolroom Museum website.


Leeming Bar station

The Wensleydale Railway

Scruton - Leeming Bar - Bedale - Finghall - Leyburn
A railway service into Wensleydale running from Scruton and Leeming Bar, near the A1(M) , towards Bedale, Finghall, Leyburn and, if reopened, to Redmire at the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It operates a heritage diesel service and steam on some dates. The line was extended eastwards to Northallerton West, but the effects of flooding on a bridge at the end of 2015 resulted in that section of line remaining closed to passenger services. The railway company currently has aims of restoring a section of the track westward from Leyburn into the National Park at Redmire which has also been closed in recent years.


Further information at the  Wensleydale Railway website


North York Moors National Park

At the eastern edge of the Hambleton district is the beautiful scenery of the North York Moors National Park, which covers 554 square miles (1,435 square kilometres). Within its area are moorland and coast, historic stateley homes, remains of castles and abbeys, attractive villages and market towns and a historic railway. For more information see our page dedicated to the North York Moors.


Emergency services

North Yorkshire Police  North Yorkshire Police website.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service  North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service website.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust  Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust website.


Local government


Civil parish council

Stokesley Town Council
Provides some local services in the area.
Link to council website:  Stokesley Town Council


District authority Abolished

Hambleton District Council

Hambleton District Council ceased from April 1, 2023. From 1974 it was a shire district covering 506 square miles of the mainly rural area in the northern area of North Yorkshire adjoining the Hambleton Hills, after which the authority is named. The council area included Bedale, Easingwold, Great Ayton, Northallerton, Stokesley and Thirsk. The eastern edge of the area is within the North York Moors National Park.

The North Yorkshire Council unitary authority takes over services previously operated by Hambleton District Council. These included local planning, waste collection, street cleaning, parks and car parks, housing and markets.


Places in the former  Hambleton district.


Unitary authority New

North Yorkshire Council

The North Yorkshire Council is a new unitary authority formed from the previous County Council from April 1, 2023. It covers the existing county duties including highways, schools, libraries and transport planning over an area of around 3,085 square miles while also taking over the responsibilities of the seven huge district authorities also created in 1974 — Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby — these including local planning, waste collection, street cleaning, parks and car parks, housing and markets.

Councillors were elected to the County Council in 2022 and continue as councillors of the new North Yorkshire Council unitary authority. In that election, the Conservatives gained a slim majority gaining 47 of the 90 seats.


Places in  North Yorkshire

Link to council website:  North Yorkshire Council

Political composition:

4613119 NY Ind5411
90 members

NY Ind = North Yorkshire Independents group     E = By-election in Eastfield division pending on May 25, 2023.
Composition and groupings as at May 4, 2023

County authority Abolished

North Yorkshire County Council

North Yorkshire County Council was a shire county authority which existed between 1974 and April 1, 2023, covering duties including highways, schools, libraries and transport planning. It was transformed into the North Yorkshire Council unitary authority on April 1, 2023, while the seven huge district authorities within — Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby — were also abolished.


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Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner North Yorkshire
Covers the county of North Yorkshire and  City of York.
 Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner North Yorkshire website.


National government region

Yorkshire and the Humber

Ceremonial county

North Yorkshire

Historic

- 1974: Within the North Riding of Yorkshire.
1974 - 2023: In the Hambleton shire district of the North Yorkshire county.




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