In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Guisborough
One night is enough: see the priory, walk up to Highcliffe Nab, then move on to Whitby or York. Two nights only if you want a full moor day.
Guisborough is a small market town on the northern edge of the North York Moors, about 40 minutes by bus from Middlesbrough. Its one real sight is the ruined Augustinian priory; the rest of the appeal is the moor rising sharply just south of the high street, with the Cleveland Way and Roseberry Topping within a short drive. There is no railway station, so most visitors arrive by bus or car and use the town as a cheap, quiet base for the moors rather than a destination in itself.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wet, short days, moor paths muddy)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £45–70 excl. bed · Mid £70–110 excl. bed · High £110+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 or 112 · NHS non-urgent 111 · Police non-urgent 101
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | £3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | £12–18 |
| Pizza or Indian main | £10–16 |
| Pint of beer | £4–6 |
| Bus fare, short hop | £2–3 |
| Taxi, 3 miles | £8–12 |
| Museum entry | Free–£2 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MME · Teesside International
- About 30–40 min by road; limited routes, check current flights
- NCL · Newcastle
- About 1 h 30 min by road, or rail to Middlesbrough then the X93 bus
- LBA · Leeds Bradford
- About 1 h 45 min by road
Typical fares
- Arriva X93 Guisborough → Middlesbrough
- about £4 single, 40 min
- Bus 81 Guisborough → Redcar
- about £3, hourly
- Taxi in town
- £5–10 for most local trips
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is compact and walkable; Westgate, the priory and the shops on Rectory Lane are all within 15 minutes on foot. For the moors, Roseberry Topping and the coast you need a car, taxi or bus: Arriva X93 runs hourly to Middlesbrough (about 40 min) and on to Whitby and Scarborough, and bus 81 runs hourly to Redcar. There is no railway station in town; the nearest mainline station is Middlesbrough.
See and do
Known for
- Gisborough Priory ruins
- North York Moors edge and Highcliffe Nab
- Cleveland Way walking
- Market town high street (Westgate)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Roseberry Topping | Drive or taxi to Newton under Roseberry on the A173, then walk up | About 30 min each way plus 1–1.5 h walking |
| Whitby | Arriva X93 bus from Guisborough, about 1 h 15 min | About 1.5 h |
| Middlesbrough | Arriva X93 or bus 5/5A, about 40 min | About 45 min |
| Saltburn-by-the-Sea | Bus 81 to Redcar then change, or drive about 20 min | About 45 min by car |
| York | Bus to Middlesbrough then train, about 1 h 15 min rail | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Westgate and Church Street (town centre)
- Pubs, cafés and the priory within a 10-minute walk; the Fox Inn has rooms by the priory.
- Whitby Road / east edge
- Gisborough Hall, a mid-range country-house hotel; needs a car or taxi to reach the centre.
- Slapewath (A171, 3 miles east)
- Fox & Hound Hotel; handy if you are driving towards Whitby or Saltburn.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Excuse me / Sorry |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Please | Please |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the toilet? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- No railway station: plan around the X93 bus or drive.
- Two hours of free parking on the high street needs a parking disc bought from a local shop; otherwise use the Rectory Lane car park.
- Moor weather changes fast and the scarp paths are steep and muddy after rain: take a waterproof and proper shoes.
- Some pubs and restaurants close early on weekdays and several shut one or two days a week: check opening times before you walk out.
A quiet, low-crime market town; the real risks are moor weather, steep muddy paths and unlit country lanes after dark. Standard UK advice applies: 999 or 112 in an emergency, 111 for NHS non-urgent.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Guisborough yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Gisborough Priory ruins
- North York Moors edge and Highcliffe Nab
- Cleveland Way walking
- Market town high street (Westgate)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- English Heritage — Gisborough Priory: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/gisborough-priory/
- Redcar & Cleveland — Kirkleatham Museum: redcarcleveland.co.uk/enjoy/kirkleatham-museum/
- Wikivoyage: Guisborough, revision 5255578 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5255578
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Guisborough
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance999 or 112
- NHS non-urgent111
- Police non-urgent101
No embassies in Guisborough; the nearest US consulate-general is in Edinburgh and most embassies are in London. Check your own country's list.
English is spoken everywhere; no phrasebook needed.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/guisborough). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.