Thornton-le-Dale
North Yorkshire
Thornton-le-Dale is 2 miles east of Pickering, 7 miles north-north-east of Malton and 13 miles west-south-west of Scarborough.
Thornton-le-Dale is also on the bus route voted Britain's Most Scenic in 2018 — the
The village holds a popular one-day agricultural show each year in early August.
Village features












Travel
Bus travel
The village has bus services to neighbouring towns and villages, the Yorkshire coast, York and Leeds.
Road travel
Thornton-le-Dale can be reached via the A170 .
Places to visit
North York Moors National Park
The Ryedale district north of Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside and Pickering includes some of the beautiful scenery of the North York Moors National Park. The park covers a total of 554 square miles (1,435 square kilometres). Within its area are moorland and coast, historic stateley homes, remains of castles and abbeys and attractive villages. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway provides a historic railway journey into the National Park from Pickering. For more information see our page dedicated to the
Pickering Castle
Castlegate, PickeringPickering Castle was originally built as a Norman motte and bailey timber castle at a time when the Manor of
More information at the
English Heritage - Pickering Castle website.

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Pickering Castle

Helmsley Castle
Castlegate, Helmsley, North Yorkshire
Helmsley Castle is at the western side of Find out more at the
English Heritage - Helmsley Castle website.

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Helmsley Castle

Rievaulx Abbey
Rievaulx, near Helmsley, North YorkshireThe first Cistercian abbey in the North of England was founded in 1132 but became one of the most important in the country, quickly growing to a 650-strong community within its first 30 years. However by the time of supression of the monastery in December 1538 the number had fallen to 23 monks. The abbey in the valley of the River Rye in the
More information at the


Ryedale Folk Museum
Main Street, Hutton-le-Hole
Located in the picturesque village of Further details at the
Ryedale Folk Museum website.

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Ryedale Folk Museum

National Centre for Birds of Prey
Duncombe Park, Helmsley
Falconry has been part of life on the Duncombe Park estate at the edge of Helmsley for more than 150 years, but it is only over the past decade or so that it has become established as the National Centre for Birds of Prey. The centre has falcons, hawks, buzzards, eagles and owls and offers flying demonstrations every day. The centre is set in woodland at Duncombe Park, along a drive from Buckingham Square at the end of Castlegate and about a mile from the centre of Helmsley. Visitors to the centre can also enjoy trails through the parkland at Duncombe Park. Further details at the
National Centre for Birds of Prey website.

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National Centre for Birds of Prey

Helmsley Walled Garden
Cleveland Way, Helmsley
Helmsley Walled Garden is situated alongside Helmsley Castle. It was originally built in 1759 to grow fruit and vegetables for the family owners of the Duncombe Park estate. In the 1990s it was brought back from a period of decline to be a five-acre garden of therapeutic horticulture which is now a visitor attraction. It includes a mixture of formal gardens, meadows and community plots gardened by volunteers. For admission pricing and opening times check the Helmsley Walled Garden website. In 2022, the garden is open daily except Monday and Tuesday. Further details at the
Helmsley Walled Garden website.

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Helmsley Walled Garden

Nunnington Hall
NunningtonMore information at the

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Byland Abbey
Byland, near Coxwold, North YorkshireByland Abbey features the ruins of one of the largest and grandest Cistercian abbey churches in England. Completed towards the end of the 12th century, it is noted for its Gothic architecture which inspired that in other church buildings, including York Minster. The lower portion of a huge rose window gives some idea of the scale and magnificence of the building before the dissolution of the monastery. The abbey also has tiled floors surviving from the 13th century. The abbey is in the
More information at

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North Yorkshire Moors Railway
A heritage railway running for 18 miles through the beautiful scenery of the
For details see the

Flamingo Land
Kirkby MispertonOpened as a zoo in 1959, Flamingo Land has since the 1970s been blended with a growing number of theme park rides and now also offers a holiday village. The resort, covering 375 acres, is situated 3 miles south-south-west of Pickering and 5 miles north of Malton.
Emergency services
North Yorkshire Police 
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Local government
Civil parish council
Thorton-le-Dale Parish CouncilProvides some local services in the area.
Link to council website:

District authority Abolished
Ryedale District Council ceased from April 1, 2023. From 1974 it was one of seven shire districts of North Yorkshire. The area was subject to boundary tweaking in 1996 when around half its original population were moved into an expanded City of York unitary authority district. With its administrative centre in
The North Yorkshire Council unitary authority takes over services previously operated by Ryedale District Council. These included local planning, waste collection, street cleaning, parks and car parks, housing and markets.
Places in the former

Unitary authority New
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:
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 CouncilNorth 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.
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner North YorkshireCovers the county of

