Vale of Pickering
Encyclopedia
The Vale of Pickering is a low-lying flat area of land in North Yorkshire
, England
. It is drained by the River Derwent
. The landscape is rural with scattered villages and small market towns. It has been inhabited continuously from the Mesolithic
period. The present economy is largely agricultural with light industry and tourism playing an increasing role.
escarpment to the south, the Corallian limestone foothills of the North York Moors
to the north,
the North Sea
coast to the east and the Howardian Hills
to the west. The east west orientated main roads (A64
and A170
) in the vale follow the shoreline of the glacial lake, which formed in the vale after the last ice age. The main A169 road crosses the vale in a north-south direction, joining the market towns of Malton
and Pickering
. At the eastern edge of the vale the A165
carries traffic along a north-south coastal route through Scarborough. The main line railway crosses the eastern part of the vale from south to north west linking Malton to Scarborough and the east coast rail line links Scarborough to Filey, and Bridlington. There is a heritage railway
from Pickering to Grosmont with connections to Whitby, which operates steam and old diesel engines in the tourist seasons.
Administratively, the Vale of Pickering lies largely in the Ryedale
District Council area with a smaller area to the east lying in Scarborough District.
, the Vale of Pickering generally has cool summers and relatively mild winters. Weather conditions vary from day to day as well as from season to season. The latitude of the area means that it is influenced by predominantly westerly winds with depressions and their associated fronts, bringing with them unsettled and windy weather, particularly in winter. Between depressions there are often small mobile anticyclones that bring periods of fair weather. In winter anticyclone
s bring cold dry weather. In summer the anticyclones tend to bring dry settled conditions which can lead to drought. For its latitude this area is mild in winter and cooler in summer due to the influence of the Gulf Stream
in the northern Atlantic Ocean
.
Air temperature varies on a daily and seasonal basis. The temperature is usually lower at night and January is the coldest time of the year with an average maximum of 5.8 degrees Celsius. July is usually the warmest month with an average maximum of 19.4 degrees Celsius. Average annual rainfall is 755.0 mm with rain falling on 129 days.
, the vale has a predominantly level topography covered by glacial drift deposits, with some rolling low ground on boulder clay and moraines in the far east. The underlying Jurassic sandstones and mudstones have little direct influence upon the landscape. There are minor outliers of Jurassic
limestone in places at the foot of the Howardian Hills
and the North York Moors, and there is some eroded chalk from the Wolds mixed with sands at the base of the Wolds in the southeast. There are springs associated with calcareous aquifers in places on the periphery of the vale.
, which rises on the North York Moors a few miles from Scarborough before draining southwards into the vale. At the western part of the area the River Rye
and its numerous tributaries flow eastwards and join the Derwent to the north of Malton. The Derwent then flows southwards through Malton and the Kirkham gorge to eventually join the River Ouse
at Barmby on the Marsh
. Many of the watercourses in the Vale are maintained by the three Vale of Pickering internal drainage board
s which are the Rye IDB, Thornton IDB and Muston & Yedingham IDB.
The deep-sided drains that are managed by frequent dredging and contaminated by agricultural run off are poor habitats for wildlife.
Drainage has created reasonably fertile soils, which are used for arable cultivation and for pasture. There are flat open pastures, areas of intensive arable production and more varied undulating, enclosed landscapes which creates diversity within the vale as a whole. Woodland is sparse but there is more in the east towards West Ayton
and Wykeham
.
The coastal belt has a rather different landscape. The land to the east was not part of glacial Lake Pickering and glacial deposits have created a more hilly undulating landscape. In all areas agricultural development has resulted in a loss of natural habitats except for small relics of former areas which are now being monitored and conserved.
period, around 7000 BC. The most important remaining settlement of this period is that at Star Carr
near Scarborough, where, due to waterlogged conditions, a considerable quantity of organic remains as well as flint tools, have survived. This is Britain’s best-known Mesolithic site. The site, on the eastern shores of glacial Lake Pickering
, was surrounded by birch trees, some of which had been cleared and used to construct a rough platform of branches and brushwood. Lumps of turf and stones had been thrown on top of this construction to make a village site. The site was probably visited from time to time by about four or five families who were engaged in hunting, fishing and gathering wild plants as well as manufacturing tools and weapons and working skins for clothes.
On the southern edge of the vale lies West Heslerton
, where recent excavation has revealed continuous habitation since the Late Mesolithic Age, about 5000 BC. This site has revealed a great deal of dwelling and occupation evidence from the Neolithic
period to the present day.
The development of farming during the succeeding Neolithic period is evident in the distribution of earth long barrows throughout the area. Bronze
and Iron Age
remains have been found on the fringe of the vale. There are sections of Roman roads and Roman villas, which indicate economic activity in the vale at the time.
The vale is rich in the remains of the English medieval period, between the 11th and 15th centuries. There are castles, such as those at Helmsley and Pickering, as well as fortified manor houses and churches of the period. There is also a notable example of medieval strip fields at Middleton.
In the 17th and 18th centuries wealthy landowners created fine buildings and estates such as those at Wykeham Abbey estate, Nunnington Hall
and Ebberston Hall.
The settlement pattern of the Vale of Pickering is striking. There are two types of settlement, both relating to the topography
. The first group is the villages and towns on the northern and southern fringes of the area. These settlements were established in close proximity to each other on the approximate shoreline of the glacial lake. They were built along the spring line, where the underlying aquifers met less porous rocks. Many of the parishes associated with the settlements are linear running from the vale bottom upwards to the higher ground, meaning that the long narrow parishes each had an amount of different types of soil and elevation. The second type of settlement is on the valley floor. These are small more widely spaced villages in areas of rising ground. These villages result from the relatively late enclosure of the carr lands following their drainage at the beginning of the 19th century. Long narrow lanes and tracks with wide grass verges link these settlements and solid well managed hedges.
Building materials vary from soft limestones and sandstones to harder gritstones. The steep slopes of the roofs suggests that the older buildings had thatch coverings but these have been mostly replaced by red pantiles.
, Kirkbymoorside
, Pickering
and Malton
are the largest centres of population in the Ryedale District with about half of the population living there. The eastern part of the area is dominated by the influence of Scarborough.
Each of the market towns within the Ryedale District has areas set aside for industrial use and small firms engaged in light industry and the service industries occupy these. The largest employer in the district is the Malton Bacon Factory, employing more than 2000 people. Other businesses generally employ less than 25 people.
In the Scarborough Borough area of the Vale of Pickering a small industrial estate is located at Hunmanby. The main source of employment in the vale is agriculture with tourism and retailing in the market towns and near to the coast.
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is drained by the River Derwent
River Derwent, Yorkshire
The Derwent is a river in Yorkshire in the north of England. It is used for water abstraction, leisure and sporting activities and effluent disposal as well as being of significant importance as the site of several nature reserves...
. The landscape is rural with scattered villages and small market towns. It has been inhabited continuously from the Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period. The present economy is largely agricultural with light industry and tourism playing an increasing role.
Location and transport
The Vale of Pickering is a low-lying plain, orientated in an east-west direction. It is well defined by the Yorkshire WoldsYorkshire Wolds
The Yorkshire Wolds are low hills in the counties of East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire in northeastern England. The name also applies to the district in which the hills lie....
escarpment to the south, the Corallian limestone foothills of the North York Moors
North York Moors
The North York Moors is a national park in North Yorkshire, England. The moors are one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. It covers an area of , and it has a population of about 25,000...
to the north,
the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
coast to the east and the Howardian Hills
Howardian Hills
The Howardian Hills form an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in North Yorkshire, England. located between the Yorkshire Wolds, the North York Moors National Park and the Vale of York. The AONB includes farmland, wooded rolling countryside, villages and historic houses with parkland...
to the west. The east west orientated main roads (A64
A64 road
The A64 is a road in North and West Yorkshire, England which links Leeds, York and Scarborough. The A64 starts as the A64 ring road motorway in Leeds and then is a dual carriageway for the rest of its route, except parts of the road from Malton to Scarborough.The road approximates a section of the...
and A170
A170 road
The A170 is an A road in North Yorkshire, England. It begins at Thirsk, spouting off from the A19 road after about it reaches the very steep viewpoint Sutton Bank, after a steep climb it enters the North Yorkshire Moors and the Hambleton Hills then it reaches the small town of Helmsley and the...
) in the vale follow the shoreline of the glacial lake, which formed in the vale after the last ice age. The main A169 road crosses the vale in a north-south direction, joining the market towns of Malton
Malton, North Yorkshire
Malton is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The town is the location of the offices of Ryedale District Council and has a population of around 4,000 people....
and Pickering
Pickering, North Yorkshire
Pickering is an ancient market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of the county of North Yorkshire, England, on the border of the North York Moors National Park. It sits at the foot of the Moors, overlooking the Vale of Pickering to the south...
. At the eastern edge of the vale the A165
A165 road
The A165 is a road that links Scarborough and Kingston upon Hull, both in Yorkshire, England. It is close to the coast for the northern part of the route...
carries traffic along a north-south coastal route through Scarborough. The main line railway crosses the eastern part of the vale from south to north west linking Malton to Scarborough and the east coast rail line links Scarborough to Filey, and Bridlington. There is a heritage railway
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England. First opened in 1836 as the Whitby and Pickering Railway, the railway was planned in 1831 by George Stephenson as a means of opening up trade routes inland from the then important seaport of Whitby. The line...
from Pickering to Grosmont with connections to Whitby, which operates steam and old diesel engines in the tourist seasons.
Administratively, the Vale of Pickering lies largely in the Ryedale
Ryedale
Ryedale is a non-metropolitan district of the shire county of North Yorkshire in England. Settlements include Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside, Malton, Norton-on-Derwent, Pickering, and Terrington.-Derivation of name:...
District Council area with a smaller area to the east lying in Scarborough District.
Climate
As part of the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the Vale of Pickering generally has cool summers and relatively mild winters. Weather conditions vary from day to day as well as from season to season. The latitude of the area means that it is influenced by predominantly westerly winds with depressions and their associated fronts, bringing with them unsettled and windy weather, particularly in winter. Between depressions there are often small mobile anticyclones that bring periods of fair weather. In winter anticyclone
Anticyclone
An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon defined by the United States' National Weather Service's glossary as "[a] large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere"...
s bring cold dry weather. In summer the anticyclones tend to bring dry settled conditions which can lead to drought. For its latitude this area is mild in winter and cooler in summer due to the influence of the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
in the northern Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
Air temperature varies on a daily and seasonal basis. The temperature is usually lower at night and January is the coldest time of the year with an average maximum of 5.8 degrees Celsius. July is usually the warmest month with an average maximum of 19.4 degrees Celsius. Average annual rainfall is 755.0 mm with rain falling on 129 days.
Geology
The site of the post glacial Lake PickeringLake Pickering
Lake Pickering was an extensive proglacial lake of the Devensian glacial. It filled the Vale of Pickering between the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Wolds, when the ice blocked the drainage, which had hitherto flowed north-eastwards past the site of Filey towards the Northern North Sea basin...
, the vale has a predominantly level topography covered by glacial drift deposits, with some rolling low ground on boulder clay and moraines in the far east. The underlying Jurassic sandstones and mudstones have little direct influence upon the landscape. There are minor outliers of Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
limestone in places at the foot of the Howardian Hills
Howardian Hills
The Howardian Hills form an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in North Yorkshire, England. located between the Yorkshire Wolds, the North York Moors National Park and the Vale of York. The AONB includes farmland, wooded rolling countryside, villages and historic houses with parkland...
and the North York Moors, and there is some eroded chalk from the Wolds mixed with sands at the base of the Wolds in the southeast. There are springs associated with calcareous aquifers in places on the periphery of the vale.
Drainage
The Vale of Pickering is a drainage basin for the surrounding hills. At the eastern end of the area the canalised and straightened River Hertford drains west into the DerwentRiver Derwent, Yorkshire
The Derwent is a river in Yorkshire in the north of England. It is used for water abstraction, leisure and sporting activities and effluent disposal as well as being of significant importance as the site of several nature reserves...
, which rises on the North York Moors a few miles from Scarborough before draining southwards into the vale. At the western part of the area the River Rye
River Rye, Yorkshire
The River Rye is a river in the English county of North Yorkshire. It rises just south of the Cleveland Hills, east of Osmotherley, and flows through Hawnby, Rievaulx, Helmsley, Nunnington, West and East Ness, Butterwick, Brawby, and Ryton, before joining the River Derwent at near Malton.On some...
and its numerous tributaries flow eastwards and join the Derwent to the north of Malton. The Derwent then flows southwards through Malton and the Kirkham gorge to eventually join the River Ouse
River Ouse, Yorkshire
The River Ouse is a river in North Yorkshire, England. The river is formed from the River Ure at Cuddy Shaw Reach near Linton-on-Ouse, about 6 miles downstream of the confluence of the River Swale with the River Ure...
at Barmby on the Marsh
Barmby on the Marsh
Barmby on the Marsh is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately west of the market town of Howden...
. Many of the watercourses in the Vale are maintained by the three Vale of Pickering internal drainage board
Internal Drainage Board
An internal drainage board is a type of operating authority which is established in areas of special drainage need in England and Wales with permissive powers to undertake work to secure clean water drainage and water level management within drainage districts...
s which are the Rye IDB, Thornton IDB and Muston & Yedingham IDB.
Natural history
Following the last glaciation Lake Pickering gradually drained away leaving a complex of rivers and marshes. The carrs, marshes, ings and wet meadows have now all been drained by humans and, as well as the rivers, the landscape is crossed by a network of canalised drainage ditches and canals which regulate the water table. In spite of this legacy of river engineering and land drainage the rivers of the Vale of Pickering remain one of the most important wildlife features of the area. There are many species of aquatic birds, plants insects and mammals inhabiting the riparian areas and greyling and brown trout fish thrive in the rivers of the western area.The deep-sided drains that are managed by frequent dredging and contaminated by agricultural run off are poor habitats for wildlife.
Drainage has created reasonably fertile soils, which are used for arable cultivation and for pasture. There are flat open pastures, areas of intensive arable production and more varied undulating, enclosed landscapes which creates diversity within the vale as a whole. Woodland is sparse but there is more in the east towards West Ayton
West Ayton
West Ayton is a village and civil parish in the Scarboroughdistrict of North Yorkshire, England.According to the 2001 UK census, West Ayton parish had a population of 831....
and Wykeham
Wykeham
-Places:*Wykeham, Lincolnshire, a series of Deserted Medieval Villages*Wykeham, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England*Wykeham, Ryedale, North Yorkshire, England*Wickham, Hampshire, England...
.
The coastal belt has a rather different landscape. The land to the east was not part of glacial Lake Pickering and glacial deposits have created a more hilly undulating landscape. In all areas agricultural development has resulted in a loss of natural habitats except for small relics of former areas which are now being monitored and conserved.
History and settlement
The earliest known evidence of human presence in the area dates back to the MesolithicMesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period, around 7000 BC. The most important remaining settlement of this period is that at Star Carr
Star Carr
Star Carr is a Mesolithic archaeological site in North Yorkshire, England. It is around five miles south of Scarborough.It is generally regarded as the most important and informative Mesolithic site in Great Britain...
near Scarborough, where, due to waterlogged conditions, a considerable quantity of organic remains as well as flint tools, have survived. This is Britain’s best-known Mesolithic site. The site, on the eastern shores of glacial Lake Pickering
Lake Pickering
Lake Pickering was an extensive proglacial lake of the Devensian glacial. It filled the Vale of Pickering between the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Wolds, when the ice blocked the drainage, which had hitherto flowed north-eastwards past the site of Filey towards the Northern North Sea basin...
, was surrounded by birch trees, some of which had been cleared and used to construct a rough platform of branches and brushwood. Lumps of turf and stones had been thrown on top of this construction to make a village site. The site was probably visited from time to time by about four or five families who were engaged in hunting, fishing and gathering wild plants as well as manufacturing tools and weapons and working skins for clothes.
On the southern edge of the vale lies West Heslerton
West Heslerton
West Heslerton is a small village in North Yorkshire, England, located 10 kilometres southeast of Pickering.The village is the site of one of Britain's largest archaeological excavations, that of a large settlement which seems to have been occupied for several centuries until about 800 AD...
, where recent excavation has revealed continuous habitation since the Late Mesolithic Age, about 5000 BC. This site has revealed a great deal of dwelling and occupation evidence from the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period to the present day.
The development of farming during the succeeding Neolithic period is evident in the distribution of earth long barrows throughout the area. Bronze
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
remains have been found on the fringe of the vale. There are sections of Roman roads and Roman villas, which indicate economic activity in the vale at the time.
The vale is rich in the remains of the English medieval period, between the 11th and 15th centuries. There are castles, such as those at Helmsley and Pickering, as well as fortified manor houses and churches of the period. There is also a notable example of medieval strip fields at Middleton.
In the 17th and 18th centuries wealthy landowners created fine buildings and estates such as those at Wykeham Abbey estate, Nunnington Hall
Nunnington Hall
Nunnington Hall is a country house situated in the English county of North Yorkshire. The river Rye, which gives its name to the local area, Ryedale, runs past the house, flowing away from the village of Nunnington...
and Ebberston Hall.
The settlement pattern of the Vale of Pickering is striking. There are two types of settlement, both relating to the topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
. The first group is the villages and towns on the northern and southern fringes of the area. These settlements were established in close proximity to each other on the approximate shoreline of the glacial lake. They were built along the spring line, where the underlying aquifers met less porous rocks. Many of the parishes associated with the settlements are linear running from the vale bottom upwards to the higher ground, meaning that the long narrow parishes each had an amount of different types of soil and elevation. The second type of settlement is on the valley floor. These are small more widely spaced villages in areas of rising ground. These villages result from the relatively late enclosure of the carr lands following their drainage at the beginning of the 19th century. Long narrow lanes and tracks with wide grass verges link these settlements and solid well managed hedges.
Building materials vary from soft limestones and sandstones to harder gritstones. The steep slopes of the roofs suggests that the older buildings had thatch coverings but these have been mostly replaced by red pantiles.
Economy
The market towns of HelmsleyHelmsley
Helmsley is a market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. The town is located at the point where the valleys of Bilsdale and Ryedale leave the higher moorland and join the flat Vale of Pickering. It is situated on the River Rye and lies on the A170 road, east...
, Kirkbymoorside
Kirkbymoorside
Kirkbymoorside is a small market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England which lies approximately 25 miles north of York midway between Pickering and Helmsley, and has a population of approximately 3,000.-History:...
, Pickering
Pickering, North Yorkshire
Pickering is an ancient market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of the county of North Yorkshire, England, on the border of the North York Moors National Park. It sits at the foot of the Moors, overlooking the Vale of Pickering to the south...
and Malton
Malton, North Yorkshire
Malton is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The town is the location of the offices of Ryedale District Council and has a population of around 4,000 people....
are the largest centres of population in the Ryedale District with about half of the population living there. The eastern part of the area is dominated by the influence of Scarborough.
Each of the market towns within the Ryedale District has areas set aside for industrial use and small firms engaged in light industry and the service industries occupy these. The largest employer in the district is the Malton Bacon Factory, employing more than 2000 people. Other businesses generally employ less than 25 people.
In the Scarborough Borough area of the Vale of Pickering a small industrial estate is located at Hunmanby. The main source of employment in the vale is agriculture with tourism and retailing in the market towns and near to the coast.
Places of interest
- Ruins of Helmsley CastleHelmsley CastleHelmsley Castle is a medieval castle situated in the market town of Helmsley, North Yorkshire, England.-History:...
begun after 1120 by Walter EspecWalter EspecWalter Espec was a prominent military and judicial figure of the reign of Henry I of England.His father was probably William Speche, a follower of William I of England In the years up to 1120 he with Eustace Fitz John controlled northern England. He was the builder of Helmsley Castle; he built...
, who also founded Rievaulx AbbeyRievaulx AbbeyRievaulx Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey headed by the Abbot of Rievaulx. It is located in Rievaulx , near Helmsley in North Yorkshire, England.It was one of the wealthiest abbeys in England and was dissolved by Henry VIII of England in 1538...
and Kirkham PrioryKirkham PrioryThe ruins of Kirkham Priory are situated on the banks of the River Derwent, at Kirkham, North Yorkshire, England. The Augustinian priory was founded in the 1120s by Walter l'Espec, lord of nearby Helmsley, who also built Rievaulx Abbey...
. - Nunnington HallNunnington HallNunnington Hall is a country house situated in the English county of North Yorkshire. The river Rye, which gives its name to the local area, Ryedale, runs past the house, flowing away from the village of Nunnington...
, 17th century manor House with a sheltered walled garden on the banks of the River Rye. - Pickering CastlePickering CastlePickering Castle is a motte-and-bailey fortification in Pickering, North Yorkshire, England.- Design :Pickering castle was originally a timber and earth motte and bailey castle. It was developed into a stone motte and bailey castle which had a stone shell keep. The current inner ward was originally...
, a classic and well-preserved example of an early earthwork castle. - FileyFileyFiley is a small town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the borough of Scarborough and is located between Scarborough and Bridlington on the North Sea coast. Although it started out as a fishing village, it has a large beach and is a popular tourist resort...
- Flamingoland
- MaltonMalton, North YorkshireMalton is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The town is the location of the offices of Ryedale District Council and has a population of around 4,000 people....
, the largest of the market towns in the vale, with Roman beginnings and good exhibitions of local archaeology in the museum.