Stokesley

Before you go: the practical facts

Open in Maps: Google Maps · Apple Maps

Parking

free all day at The Plain (but not during the Friday and Saturday markets), College Square and West End. The High Street cobbles allow 2 hours with a parking disc. Showfield car park is pay and display, run by North Yorkshire Council.

Toilets

behind the Town Hall, open 7.30am to 5.30pm every day except Christmas Day, with an accessible toilet and baby change.

Markets

every Friday; a farmers' market on the first Saturday of the month; a mid-month market on the third Saturday.

Buses

the 28A runs to Middlesbrough via Great Ayton, about hourly on Mondays to Saturdays. The 80 and 89 run to Northallerton via Osmotherley, a few times a day each. From Easter to mid-September, the Moorsbus M4 has linked Stokesley with Chop Gate, Helmsley and Sutton Bank on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays; check the Moorsbus website for 2027.

Trains

the nearest station is Great Ayton, about 4 miles away on the Esk Valley line between Middlesbrough and Whitby.

Markets

The Friday market is held every week from 8.30am until mid-afternoon. The farmers' market, which began in 2003, is on the first Saturday of each month, and a mid-month market is held on the third Saturday. There are also Christmas and Easter markets.

Stokesley's markets and fairs go back to the 13th century. The town council records a charter for the fair granted in 1223 to 1224, and a market was being held by about 1280, when the lord of the manor claimed it dated back to the Norman Conquest.

The town

Most of the town centre was built in the 18th century, when Stokesley became the main market town of Cleveland, and its long High Street and market place are lined with Georgian houses. The Town Hall was built in 1853 at the expense of Colonel Robert Hildyard, replacing the old toll booth. The Manor House on the High Street, a former library and court house, is listed Grade II*.

Behind the High Street, Levenside runs along the river, with fords and a packhorse bridge from the late 17th or early 18th century.

Jane Pace was born in Stokesley. She is remembered locally as the first European woman to settle permanently in Victoria, Australia, in 1836. Trees were planted on South Levenside in her memory in 1934 and 1935.

Stokesley Show

The Stokesley Agricultural Society was founded in 1859, and its one-day show has been held almost every year since, except during the two World Wars and in 2020 and 2021. It is held on the Saturday after the third Thursday in September at the Stokesley Showground, with livestock, horses and show jumping, a dog show, vintage tractors and trade stands. The organisers describe it as one of the largest one-day shows in the country. The 2027 show is on Saturday 18 September. Stokesley Fair, a funfair in the town, runs from the Wednesday before show day.

Roseberry Topping and Captain Cook country

• Roseberry Topping: the National Trust hill, 320 metres high, about 5 miles from Stokesley. The car park at Newton under Roseberry is run by the National Park Authority and charges, including for National Trust members.
• Great Ayton: 3 miles away, where James Cook went to school. The Captain Cook Schoolroom Museum is free and usually open from April to October. A garden marks the site of his parents' cottage, which was moved to Melbourne in 1934.
• Captain Cook's Monument: on Easby Moor, put up in 1827, about an hour's walk there and back from the Gribdale Gate car park, on the Cleveland Way.
• Captain Cook Birthplace Museum: in Stewart Park, Marton, about 8 miles away. It opens only in school holidays, so check before you go.

Getting there

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

Nearby

• Roseberry Topping
• Great Ayton
• Osmotherley
• Helmsley
• The Cleveland Way
• Swainby

Honest cautions

• The Plain is closed to parking on Friday and Saturday market days.
• Stokesley itself is lowland; the nearest moorland walking starts at Roseberry Topping, Great Ayton and Carlton Bank.
• Roseberry Topping's paths are steep and are sometimes closed for repairs.

Visitor questions (FAQ)

Is Stokesley in the North York Moors National Park?

No. It is just outside the National Park's north-western boundary. Roseberry Topping, 5 miles away, is inside the Park.

What day is Stokesley market?

Friday, every week. There is also a farmers' market on the first Saturday and a mid-month market on the third Saturday of the month.

When is the Stokesley Show?

On the Saturday after the third Thursday in September. The 2027 show is on Saturday 18 September.

Where can you park in Stokesley for free?

At The Plain (except on market days), College Square and West End. The High Street has 2-hour disc parking.

How far is Stokesley from Roseberry Topping?

About 5 miles to the car park at Newton under Roseberry, around 10 minutes by car.

Can you get to Stokesley by bus?

Yes. The 28A runs from Middlesbrough via Great Ayton about hourly on Mondays to Saturdays, and the 80 and 89 run from Northallerton.

Sources checked October 2026: Stokesley Town Council: markets; Stokesley Town Council: parking; Stokesley Town Council: public toilets; Stokesley Town Council: Stokesley Fair; Stokesley Show; Historic England: Town Hall; Historic England: Manor House; Historic England: Packhorse Bridge; National Trust: Roseberry Topping; Captain Cook Schoolroom Museum; Moorsbus timetables; bustimes.org: Stokesley.