How to Plan the Perfect Weekend in and Around Helmsley
A market town in the North York Moors National Park, Helmsley offers fabulous food, shopping and history on every corner
Eat
With Helmsley Castle as the backdrop and delicious specials and Champagne available by the glass, Mannion & Co is not like other eateries. Enjoy breakfast, brunch or lunch here, and then choose from the dining room, conservatory, lounge, bar or the sheltered terrace overlooking the village pond at The Pheasant Hotel for your evening meal. Yorkshire-born Sam Varley creates seasonal dishes with local ingredients at Bantam, Pignut combines fine-dining with sustainability, and for a taste of Italian family cooking try La Trattoria. If you’re looking to start your day right, head to The Feather Trail Café or the The Cocoa Tree, and don’t miss Tommy Banks’ pub The Abbey Inn in nearby Byland.
Sleep
Retreat to The Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa in the heart of the market town where you can relax in one of the 33 individually-designed bedrooms before taking a dip in the pool, a trip to the spa, or indulging in lunch or afternoon tea on the terrace. The Feathers Inn is a 16th century coaching inn with plenty of comfortable bedrooms with lovely views. The inn is dog friendly and the restaurant is great for an evening meal. The Fairfax Arms (named after the Fairfax family who once inhabited nearby Gilling Castle) is a traditional country inn filled with character, and just outside Helmsley, Cliff Stud Retreat has cosy cottages, luxury lodges and glamping options to suit every visitor.
Browse
For more than 30 years Hunters of Helmsley have been providing the market town with the best quality food and drink. Stock up on everything from homemade cakes and pies to local, region and international produce here. If beer is your thing, visit Helmsley Brewing Co. for a tour of the artisan brewery before picking up a range of craft beers and bottles from the shop. Art-lovers will want to stop by Saltbox Gallery to see the latest exhibitions and discover new artists and makers before browsing Agnus & Co for hand-poured candles and pottery and Twig & Twine florist and vintage homeware shop for beautiful hand-tied bouquets. Stop by family-run Beadlam Grange farm shop for award-winning beef and, for interior must-haves, head to Robert & Ruby.
DON'T MISS
For those who like a more leisurely pace, take a trip back in time at Helmsley Castle. Sitting just beneath the castle, Once Helmsley’s Old Meeting House built in 1812 for Quaker meetings, Helmsley Art Centre has been transformed into a thriving performance venue for theatre, music, dance, cinema and exhibitions.
Around the Corner
A little further out of Helmsley you’ll find the impressive ruins of Rievaulx Abbey, once one of England’s most powerful Cistercian monasteries. Wander the extensive ruins before exploring the visitor centre where a new exhibition explores the importance of the river and water to this beautiful monastic site.
