Since then, the town has adopted the compliment as its strapline and gone all-out to do it justice. In 2011, the legendary Italian chef and regional food enthusiast Antonio Carluccio visited Malton and was so impressed that he declared it, ‘Yorkshire’s food capital’. Suggested walksįour town trails are detailed in an excellent leaflet produced by the tourist information centre: three on the Malton side of the river and a fourth around Norton. Like most towns of its size, Malton is slow and sleepy enough to have retained some genuinely old-fashioned traditional shops and businesses. The marketplace was the hub in days past, and still is on Saturdays, but the cattle market is now a shadow of its glory days. This is not a place geared to mass tourism and that is where its attraction lies. It is not a well-known place outside of northeast Yorkshire, even though tens of thousands of holiday visitors pass close by every weekend on the A64 or railway on their way to Whitby, Scarborough and Filey. Malton is a proud and traditional riverside market town at the foot of the Wolds and in sight of the North York Moors and Howardian Hills.
There’s an artisan and farmers’ market held every Friday at the Market Cross.įor accommodation, try the Old Bell Hotel, which is reputedly the oldest purpose-built hotel in England (built in 1220), and today offers traditional Cotswold comfort. Malmesbury has numerous independent shops along its High Street, together with an exciting mix of great cafés, pubs and restaurants. For a detailed description of a peaceful walk around town, take a look at Caroline Mills’s suggestions for 48 hours in Malmesbury. There are scenic walking routes in and around Malmesbury, as well as cycling opportunities along Fosse Way.
ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY FREE
You can find out more about the abbey and the history of the townĪt the bite-sized Athelstan Museum, which is free to enter and run by volunteers.
The former abbot’s house (not open to the public) is striking enough but the five-acre gardens in which it sits with views across to the mystical remains of the abbey walls are outstanding. One of the best places to view the abbey is next door from the Abbey House Gardens. Visible from all around town Malmesbury Abbey, although what is visible today is only a third of its original size, having been built in the 12th century in a cruciform shape. The charming town of Malmesbury clusters around the River Avon, which ultimately flows south to Bradford-on-Avon and west to Bath and Bristol. What could be better than a leisurely day spent discovering local history, perusing all manner of quirky shops and quaint cafés or simply admiring the idyllic surroundings?įrom Bamburgh and Beccles to Malmesbury and Malton, our pick of the best market towns in England is sure to help you plan your rural retreat. Rural market towns lend themselves perfectly to slow travel.