Osmotherley
An invitation
Osmotherley is a small, unspoilt and picturesque village on the edge of the North York Moors National Park. The charming village of Osmotherley is an ideal start to explore the Hambleton and Cleveland Hills, and also boasts a good selection of restaurants and shops.
Nearby attractions include Mount Grace Priory and Captain Cook's Schoolroom Museum in Great Ayton.
Surrounded by moors and pastureland, the village has a long association with farming.
The market place was used for sheep and cattle sales until quite recently. Smugglers were also known to frequent the village, as they crossed the moors with contraband from the coast.
Visiting
Today's visitors are tourists and walkers and cyclists. Osmotherley is the starting point of the Lyke Wake Walk, covering 42 miles across moorland to Ravenscar. The Cleveland Way National Trail also runs through the village, as does the Sustrans White Rose cycle route, while Wainwright's famous Coast to Coast walk passes close by.
Many 'Coast to Coasters' make a short diversion to stay in the village overnight, attracted by its pretty stone built cottages and the good reputation of its pubs which cluster around the village cross.
10 circular walks have been devised by the Osmotherley Society. Leaflets about each can be obtained from the Top Shop, next door to Vane House.
Some history
Osmotherley has a number of historic sites. John Wesley preached from the barter table in the centre of the village, and the world's oldest Methodist Chapel, built in 1754, can be found in Chapel Yard. St Peter's church is built on an earlier Saxon site, with parts of the building dating from the Norman period.
The village has two newsagent/grocery shops - There is also an outdoor shop, a tea shop, a traditional fish and chip shop and a gift shop.
Northallerton (7 miles away) provides a full range of shops, restaurants and cafés including the famous Betty's Tearooms. The town also has a leisure centre with facilities including a swimming pool and badminton courts. Osmotherley is on a main bus route and there is a regular, convenient service to Northallerton and other towns in the area, while in summer months the Moors Bus service is particularly useful for excursions into the North York Moors National Park.
At Mount Grace Priory near Osmotherley, we can find the remains of the finest example of a Carthusian monastery in England. It was one of only nine Carthusian priories in the country and was the only one in Yorkshire. Mount Grace was founded by Thomas of Holland, the Duke of Surrey (nephew of Richard II) in 1398. Thomas was later executed at Cirecnester for plotting against Henry IV and was buried at Mount Grace. The Carthusian order of monks obeyed a strict order of silence and monks were strictly separated from one and other in cells. Each cell had a little garden attached and a hatchway for food to be passed to the monks. Around twenty monks were based at the priory. They only ate together on Saturdays.