Great Reasons to Visit Thirsk and the beautiful surrounding areas of North Yorkshire

Thirsk is a thriving and historic market town with the market being held on a Monday and Saturday when the town is both bustling and vibrant with lots going on. A Farmers Market is held in the market square on the first Sunday of every month when the stalls are filled with local meats, cheeses, bread and cakes and all sorts of interesting foods. The Clock Tower stands in the main part of the square and is amazing to see when it has been decorated by the Thirsk ‘Yarn Bombers’ who come out at night to decorate the town during the year to celebrate different occasions in the town.

The great outdoors…

Follow the walks through the town and by the river and read about our historic events – pick up a leaflet from the Tourist Information office

For the very energetic there is some fabulous walks in the area – take a stroll along the top of Sutton Bank (a short drive from Thirsk) and walk along to the White Horse at Kilburn or just watch the gliders taking off from the top of the bank. Drive a little further into the North Yorkshire Moors where there are many challenging walks – why not climb Roseberry Topping near Great Ayton – it is compared with the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps. There are so many amazing walks both on the North York Moors and the fabulous Yorkshire Dales

The scenic east coast…

A drive over the North Yorks Moors will take you to the many fishing villages and towns of the east coast – have your walking shoes on to get the best views of  Whitby, Robin Hoods Bay and many others. If you don’t want to drive why not catch the train from Pickering to Whitby – the famous North York Moors steam railway – as seen in many television series.

Thirsk Racecourse

Thirsk has a magnificent racecourse and even if you don’t think you are a fan of racing it is more than worth a visit. Racing is held in the summer months during the ‘Flat Racing Season’ and take place on different days of the week – check out the calendar for all the planned events.

Saturday racing is very exciting – the atmosphere is electric – there are restaurants to enjoy – admire the horses – or just sit and take everything in. Evening racing is a must – nothing better on a warm summer evening than to enjoy the atmosphere, a summer drink with a good meal and often ‘live’ music.

The 2021 Fixtures have recently been announced with the first meeting planned for Saturday, 17th April – the Opening Meeting with lots of meetings arranged throughout the summer. Race days are held on Saturdays and on week days both afternoon and evening. The last Friday in August is a Family Day with fun for all ages and don’t forget Ladies’ Day the first Saturday in September – always an important day in any racing calendar.

“There is so much to see and do in the area so come and visit and see for yourself”