Nearest History & Heritage North Yorkshire
Our History and Heritage category brings all Coast Radar’s North Yorkshire listings related to looking for something to do or a place to visit together where they offer some form of historic or heritage based activity.
Finding the best things to see and do on a North Yorkshire day out with your family or friends is easy – simply explore the historic and heritage links below, hit the jump to my location button or use the search bar to plan your next North Yorkshire activity.
- Bootham Bar is gateway to the city of York in North Yorkshire. Standing on the site of one of the four main entrances to the Roman fortress in York, Bootham Bar’s archway dates back to 11th century with the rest of the structure built in the 14th and 19th centuries. It consists of a passageway with arches at each end of a rectangular gatehouse with two storeys above. The bar was damaged during the Siege of York in 1644 and was also sometimes used, like other gateways in York, to display the heads of traitors.
- Of the four main medieval gateways in York in North Yorkshire, Walmgate Bar is the most complete. It still retains its barbican, its portcullis and inner doors. With the oldest part of the structure dating back to the 12th century, other parts of the bar are from construction during 14th to 16th centuries. During its history, it has been burned by rebels in 1489 and battered by cannon during the siege of 1644.
- Byland Abbey is a ruined 12th-century abbey in the small village of New Byland, near Coxwold in North Yorkshire. The abbey lies within the North York Moors National Park. Once one of the greatest monasteries in England, the abbey is a fantastic example of medieval gothic architecture. Founded in 1135, it was absorbed into the Cistercian order in 1147. Today, visitors can see the impressive remains of Byland Abbey, now in the care of English Heritage. A lower half of a huge rose window is still in place, as well as some medieval floor tiles. The abbey is open from March to November. There is a museum, as well as a small gift shop and snack shop on site.
- The older part of the Scarborough lies around the harbour and is protected by the Castle Headland in the sheltered South Bay.
- Rievaulx Abbey, in the middle of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, Rievaulx Abbey was founded by St Bernard of Clairvaux in 1132 and became one of England’s wealthiest monasteries before its dissolution by King Henry VIII in 1538. Includes interactive museum, cafe and walking and cycling trails.
- Clifford’s Tower is an imposing tower set on a mound overlooking the heart of the old part of York in North Yorkshire. The tower is now only what remains of York Castle, which was built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century. Over the centuries, Clifford’s Tower has served as a prison, a royal mint and also a public place for displaying the bodies of enemies during King Henry VIII’s reign. Now maintained by English Heritage, the tower is a great place for visitors to explore and is one of the most popular attractions in Yorkshire. Open throughout the year, there is a small gift shop on site.
- Castle Howard is a grand stately home set within 1,000 acres of beautiful countryside, 15 miles from York in North Yorkshire. The majority of this spectacular residence was built between 1699 and 1712 for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, and is still one of the finest private residences in Britain. It has been the home of the Howard family for more than 300 years and is often seen in film or TV productions, most notably Brideshead Revisited. Not a castle in the true sense of the word, the term is often used for English country houses constructed after the castle building period and doesn’t have a military function. Castle Howard is not only a visitor attraction but also a working estate, supporting farming and forestry enterprises. The grounds and on-site shops and cafes are open all year round, with the house open to the public from March to November.
- The Shambles is an old street in the city of York in North Yorkshire. The street has over-hanging timber-framed buildings, some of which date back to the 14th century. Once known as The Great Flesh Shambles, it referred to the shelves where butchers used to display their meat. Right up to the late 19th century there were 25 butchers’ shops in The Shambles. The Shambles today is a mixture of cafes and gift shops, alongside a bookshop and a bakery. Some still display meat hooks outside as a homage to the street’s history.
- Pickering Castle, an early Norman castle, set in an attractive moors-edge market town, Pickering is a classic and well-preserved example of an early earthwork castle refortified in stone during the 13th and 14th centuries. Includes an exhibition.
- York Theatre Royal is a theatre in York, North Yorkshire, that dates back to 1744.
- Nunnington Hall, a Yorkshire manor house set on the banks of the River Rye.
- The Museum is in Walker’s House which belonged to Captain John Walker to whom the great explorer, Captain Cook was apprenticed in 1746, and to which Cook returned in the winter of 1771–72 after his First Voyage. Much is known about the furnishings of the house from an inventory of contents taken in 1754, this means the two ground floor rooms are furnished according to this inventory and decorated in the original colour.
