Boroughbridge, a peaceful village in pretty Yorkshire countryside

Visit Boroughbridge

Boroughbridge is a quiet village though with a thriving high street compleet with pubs, restaurants and a selection of independent shops. Just down the road is the very picturesque village of Aldborough.

Explore Boroughbridge

Boroughbridge's main high street is a charming street of cottage-style houses and whilst not one of the top tourist destinations of the area exploring its shops and cafes is a pleasure. At one end of the high street is Hall Square which has a cobbled pavement and fishermen's cottages which once housed the River Tutt fishermen.

At the other end is Saint James Square with its striking Market Well the current structure of which dates back to 1875 and donated by the Lawson family from the neighbouring village of Aldborough.

Boroughbridge occupied a strategic position from the 13th century to the early 19th century and the well was important in providing water for the livestock that passed through and in the early 19th century for the stage coach that stopped here between Edinburghand London.

Nowadays it is more likely a pub lunch or a walk by the canal and River Ure that draw you to the village but when here be sure to look for "the Devil's Arrows". These three stone monoliths are late neolithic or early bronze age and one of them is taller than the stones at Stonehenge. Their original purpose is unknown.

Also to see is the Butter Market Museum where you can see exhibits of rural life in the past.

The area is popular with walkers and you can pick up a leaflet of walks from the Tourist Information Centre.

Just a few kilometers from Boroughbridge is the beautiful village of Aldborough which was once the Roman capital of Britain's largest tribe - the Brigantes. A walk from the town centre leads to two mosaic pavements and there is an on-site museum with a collection of finds from the site.

In May Aldborough holds a Children's May Day and when we visited the May Pole was decked in ribbons at the ready.

Places to visit nearby

As well as he lovley village of Aldborough the Staveley Nature Reserve is nearby and is a wetland site near to the River Tutt. Newby Hall and gardens are a favourite outing of ours both for the beautiful large herbaceous borders and all the children's activities. It is host to the Aldborough and Boroughbridge show every July.

The cathedral town of Ripon is nearby as is the charming riverside town of Knaresborough which is home to a ruined castle and has a lovely riverside walk. Harrogate is a beautiful spa town and should definitely be visited when in the area.

You can find more local travel ideas in the North Yorkshire guide.