Richmond
Richmond is a historic old market town in North Yorkshire, for centuries the capital of the area known locally as Richmondshire.
The town, dominated by its Norman castle, is dramatically set overlooking the River Swale, the fastest-running river in England.
The earliest parts of the castle were built by Alan Rufus, the first Earl of Richmond, in the years immediately following the Norman Conquest, when England’s frontier was just a few miles away. The castle is one of the oldest in the land.
Richmond has an enormous cobbled Market Place, one of the largest in the country (ranking alongside Kings Lynn, Newark, Norwich and Salisbury), which unusually contains an 18th century obelisk.
The Georgian theatre, still in operation, was opened in 1788 and is the oldest in England. In addition to performances it houses a collection of theatre ephemera.
There are several other Georgian buildings in the Market Place reflecting Richmond’s prosperity at this time. These include the Town Hall and Kings Head hotel.
The Chapel of the Holy Trinity in the Market Place houses, as well as a church, the Museum of the Green Howards.
St. Mary’s, the parish church of Richmond, dates back to the 12th century, and contains the Green Howards chapel.
The Greyfriars Tower survives from the Franciscan Friary.
The well-known song “Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill” refers to this Richmond, as opposed to the perhaps better-known Richmond in Surrey, which takes its name from the Yorkshire town.
Blue Badge Guide Colin Crosby is available to lead Guided Walks around Richmond for groups.