Kirkbymoorside

Before you go: the practical facts

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Parking

Town Farm car park, Town Farm Close, off Tinley Garth (YO62 6AT), run by North Yorkshire Council. 52 spaces and 4 electric vehicle chargers. Charges: 1hr £2.50, 2hrs £3.70, 3hrs £4.40, 6hrs £7.30, 24hrs £8.70; 1 hour free 12pm to 2pm with a free time ticket (checked 17 October 2026).

Toilets

at Town Farm car park, open 7am to 5pm, with an accessible toilet.

Market

every Wednesday in the Market Place.

Buses

the 28 runs between Scarborough, Pickering, Kirkbymoorside and Helmsley about every two hours. The 31X runs to York via Helmsley and Easingwold, four times a day, Mondays to Saturdays. Ryedale Community Transport runs local services on some weekdays.

Shops

the town has a Co-op, a pharmacy and a post office.

Market day

Kirkbymoorside's market charter dates from 1254, when Henry III granted a weekly Wednesday market and a yearly fair. The market is still held every Wednesday, with stalls on the cobbles of the Market Place. On market day the Memorial Hall also holds a table-top sale. The town council describes it as one of the few private markets left; it is run by the War Memorial Hall Committee.

The town and its history

The town appears in the Domesday Book as Chirchebi; Kirkby means the place with a church. By 1200 the Stuteville family had a moated manor house on Vivers Hill, and the moat survives. The Nevilles, lords of the manor from the early 15th century, later built a stone hunting lodge, known as Neville Castle, on the north side of the town. They held the manor until 1569, when it was forfeited after the rebellion of the Earl of Westmorland. What remains of both sites is mostly on private land and is not open to visitors.

Stone from the Neville castle was used to build the Tollbooth on the Market Place, now the Memorial Hall. Its top floor was lost in a fire in November 1871 and never rebuilt.

All Saints church has a chancel wall that appears to date from the 12th century. Its tower was rebuilt in 1802, and Sir George Gilbert Scott restored the church in 1873 to 1875.

George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, died in a house on the Market Place in April 1687 after falling ill while hunting. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, not in the town.

St Gregory's Minster, Kirkdale

St Gregory's Minster stands in a wooded valley just west of Kirkbymoorside. Over the south door, inside the porch, is a rare Anglo-Saxon sundial with an Old English inscription. It records that Orm, son of Gamal, bought the minster when it had fallen down and rebuilt it "in Edward's days the king and in Tosti's days the earl", which dates it to about 1055 to 1065.

Near the church is Kirkdale Cave, where quarrymen found bones in 1821. William Buckland studied them and concluded the cave had been a hyena den. The cave has no signs or facilities and is not a visitor attraction.

Eating and drinking

Pubs on and near the Market Place include the George and Dragon, the King's Head and the White Swan. The Black Swan has been closed since May 2026.

Events

• Kirkbymoorside 10K: a road race in early May, run by volunteers for the town's school parent associations.
• Gateway to the Moors Music Festival: held each summer at the start of August; in 2026 it ran from 31 July to 2 August.
• Walk to Bethlehem: a Christmas procession through the town.

Getting there

Distances by road from the Market Place, with times from a route planner; allow longer in traffic.

Nearby

• Hutton-le-Hole
• Helmsley
• Pickering
• Farndale
• Lastingham
• Sinnington

Honest cautions

• Both castle sites are on private land, with no public access.
• Kirkdale Cave is unsafe to explore and has no facilities.
• The Black Swan is closed, so older guides that list it are out of date.

Visitor questions (FAQ)

Is Kirkbymoorside in the North York Moors National Park?

No. The town is just outside the National Park's southern boundary, between Helmsley and Pickering. The moors begin a few miles north, around Gillamoor and Hutton-le-Hole.

What day is Kirkbymoorside market?

Wednesday, every week, in the Market Place.

Where can you park in Kirkbymoorside?

At Town Farm car park, off Tinley Garth, run by North Yorkshire Council, which also has public toilets and electric vehicle chargers.

Did the Duke of Buckingham die in Kirkbymoorside?

Yes. George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, died in a house on the Market Place in April 1687. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.

What is the sundial at Kirkdale?

An Anglo-Saxon sundial over the south door of St Gregory's Minster, with an Old English inscription recording the church's rebuilding in about 1055 to 1065.

Can you get to Kirkbymoorside by bus?

Yes. The 28 links it with Pickering, Helmsley and Scarborough, and the 31X runs to York from Mondays to Saturdays.

Sources checked October 2026: Historic England: Neville Castle; Historic England: Stuteville moated site; Historic England: St Gregory's Minster; Victoria County History; Westminster Abbey: the Villiers family; North Yorkshire Council: Kirkbymoorside market; North Yorkshire Council: Town Farm car park; Kirkbymoorside Town Council; Kirkbymoorside Memorial Hall history; bustimes.org: service 28; bustimes.org: service 31X.