Day tours

Sunday 5 January

Helmsley Town and Castle, and Rievaulx Abbey

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Helmsley Castle is an impressive multi-period castle with many medieval structures and a surviving Elizabethan range. This has been recently refurbished with new and innovative interpretaive displays. These include material associated with the Civil War siege, after which parts of the defences were demolished. The castle remained as a romantic ruin for the stately home of Duncome Park, the entrance lodge and rolling parkland of which can be seen from the castle.

The town of Helmsley began in the 12th century, and the church includes fine Romanesque style architecture. The market square is lined with shops, pubs, cafes from which coffees and lunches can be obtained. Many fine town houses of the 18th and 19th centuries can be seen., and the new small interpretation centre at the Castle entrance has an excellent display highlighting the urban development and key buildings of architectural and historical interest in the town.

Rievaulx Abbey lies only a few miles from Helmsley, but its siting gives the impression of great isolation. The beautiful ruins form one of the best-preserved medieval monastic complexes in the country, and around them lie some fine examples of local vernaculkar architecture of the 18th and 19th centries. English Heritage has a small but informative interpretation centre which explains how the monastery operated in functional terms.