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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Richmond, North Yorkshire
Richmond
Base here 2 nights: castle, falls and Easby Abbey on foot in a day, then one day by car into Swaledale or to Middleham.
Richmond is a small Georgian market town on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, with a Norman castle, a river gorge and an abbey ruin within a 30-minute walk of the market square. Two nights covers the town on foot; a third day needs a car for the Dales, Middleham Castle or Catterick races. It is a base, not a big-city stop.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Local name
- Richmond
- Best months
- May–Sep; late Apr and Oct are quieter and still walkable
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (short days, ice on the riverside paths); race days if you want a quiet square
- Stay
- 2 nights
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 £45–75 excl. bed · Mid £75–130 excl. bed · High £130+ 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
- Emergency 999 · Emergency (any phone) 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 or tea and cake | £4–8 |
| Pub main course | £12–20 |
| Pint of draught beer | £4.50–6 |
| Castle or museum entry | £7–9 adult |
| Bus Darlington → Richmond, single | about £6 |
| Taxi within town | £5–10 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | £8–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NCL · Newcastle
- Nearest usable airport; about 1 h 15 min by road, or train via Darlington
- MME · Teesside
- Closer but very few flights; check before booking
- MAN · Manchester
- For long-haul: train to Darlington, then bus X26/X27
Typical fares
- Bus Darlington → Richmond (X26/X27)
- about 40 min, every 30 min Mon–Fri, hourly weekends
- Taxi in town
- £5–10
- Dalesbus 30 to Reeth
- year-round, about 40 min
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 walkable: market square to castle 3 min, to the falls 8 min, to Easby Abbey about 1 mile along the riverbank. Buses run from the market place: X26/X27 to Darlington (40 min, every 30 min Mon–Fri, hourly weekends), Dalesbus 30 up Swaledale to Reeth and Keld, summer extensions to Hawes. You need a car for Middleham Castle, most of the Dales and Catterick racecourse. Parking: several town car parks; the market place is often full and closes Saturday morning for the market.
See and do
Known for
- Richmond Castle
- The Station
- Georgian Theatre Royal
- Easby Abbey and the River Swale falls
- Gateway to Swaledale and Wensleydale
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Easby Abbey and St Agatha's Church | Walk 1 mile along the riverbank from Richmond, or drive | About 30 min on foot |
| Middleham Castle | Drive 13 miles south via Leyburn; no practical bus | About 30 min by car |
| Reeth and Swaledale | Dalesbus 30 from the market place, year-round | About 40 min |
| Catterick Racecourse | Drive 4 miles north on the A6136 | About 15 min by car |
| Hawes and Wensleydale | Dalesbus 30 summer extension from Richmond | About 1 h 30 min |
| Darlington | Arriva X26/X27 from the market place | About 40 min |
Sleep
- Market Place and Castle Hill
- Pubs with rooms and hotels on the square; everything on foot. Some noise on market and race days.
- Victoria Rd and Frenchgate
- Quiet Georgian streets 2–5 min north of the square; B&Bs and the theatre.
- Riverside and Millgate
- Down by the Swale, closest to the falls and the Easby walk; steep lanes back up.
- Scotch Corner and Middleton Tyas
- A1/A66 junction hotels with parking; only useful if you are driving through.
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
- The market place is unavailable for parking on Saturday morning (weekly market).
- Riverside paths and the falls rocks are slippery after rain; keep back from the edge in spate.
- Many Dales buses are seasonal and thin on Sundays: check the last return before you set out.
- Mobile signal is patchy in the dales; download maps offline.
- Book race days and summer weekends ahead: the town is small and fills up.
A low-crime market town; the real risks are wet riverside rocks, unlit lanes after dark and thin rural bus services. Standard UK precautions apply.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Richmond, North Yorkshire yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Richmond Castle
- The Station
- Georgian Theatre Royal
- Easby Abbey and the River Swale falls
- Gateway to Swaledale and Wensleydale
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Richmond visitor information: www.richmondinfo.net/
- English Heritage — Richmond Castle: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/richmond-castle/
- English Heritage — Easby Abbey: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/easby-abbey/
- English Heritage — Middleham Castle: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/middleham-castle/
- Green Howards Regimental Museum: greenhowards.org.uk/
- Richmondshire Museum: www.richmondshiremuseum.org.uk/
- Georgian Theatre Royal: www.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk/
- The Station, Richmond: www.thestation.co.uk/
- Dalesbus network: www.dalesbus.org/
- Catterick Racecourse: www.catterickbridge.co.uk/
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Richmond, North YorkshireRichmond
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Richmond; the US Embassy is in London. Consular help for most countries: London.
English is the only language you need; local place names are pronounced as written.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/richmond-north-yorkshire). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.