Villages & Places
Allerston
By Jon Cosson · Updated 17 October 2026
Allerston is a small, quiet farming village on the A170 between Pickering and Scarborough, tucked between the Vale of Pickering and the wooded slopes of the Moors. It is also right at the gateway to Dalby Forest.
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St John's Church, Allerston. The village's landmark, a minute's walk from the A170.
A peaceful base
Off the main tourist trail but minutes from everything, Allerston is the sort of place people choose precisely because it's calm: a knot of stone houses and farms, with the National Park, Dalby Forest, Thornton-le-Dale and Pickering all a short drive away, and the coast under an hour.
The village church
The most obvious landmark is St John's Church, whose square, battlemented stone tower rises above the churchyard wall at the heart of the village. There are benches on the green beside it and a noticeboard with village news, it's a pleasant spot to pause with a coffee before heading up into the forest. Service times are posted at the gate; check with the parish for anything specific.
On the doorstep
Dalby Forest's Forest Drive begins nearby, so the forest's trails, biking and dark skies are effectively local; Thornton-le-Dale (and Bangers & Cash's Mathewsons) is the next village along; and Pickering and its steam railway are a few minutes west. It makes an ideal, unhurried base for exploring the southern Moors, which is exactly why it makes a good, quiet base. See where to stay.
In the village
For village news, history and events, visit the Allerston village website at allerston.org.
Pub and practical details
- The Cayley Arms Inn. A refurbished roadside inn with separate bar and restaurant seating and five bedrooms fitted with handmade solid oak furniture. Closed Tuesdays, and opens only from 5pm Monday to Saturday, so not a lunchtime pub except on Sundays. Dogs are not allowed inside; guide dogs excepted. Note there is a different Cayley Arms at Brompton-by-Sawdon. Check before travelling: the pub's own site had no recent dated information when checked in September 2026.
A current official village parking location and operator bus pattern were not confirmed. Check travel arrangements before relying on a roadside stop or parking space.
Nearby
The village and classic-car sister sites linked here are also written by the author of this guide.
Pub information is drawn from this guide's pub records; operator links above. Parking and bus details were checked October 2026 but not confirmed.
Stay at Allerston
Allerston is an unhurried village base minutes from Dalby Forest and Thornton-le-Dale, see our where-to-stay guide for options across the Moors.
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