Aysgarth

North Yorkshire

Aysgarth is a village in the Richmondshire former district of North Yorkshire.

Aysgarth is in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The village is 8 miles east of Hawes, 7 miles west of Leyburn, 13 miles south-west of Richmond and 23 miles west of Northallerton.

The village is spread across two areas about half-a-mile apart. Aysgarth village has a village hall, methodist church, pub and a shop at the garage. The area around Aysgarth Falls has a hotel, Aysgarth parish church, Yore Mill and, at the opposite side of the bridge over the River Ure, a visitor centre from where there is access to the falls.

The Aysgarth Falls, where the River Ure falls down a series of rocky steps, have been a popular visitor attraction for more than 200 years and provided a location for the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves". More information about the falls can be found below.

Aysgarth FallsNear the falls, Yore Bridge, dating from the 16th century and widened in the late 18th century, bridges the River Ure, near Yore Mill. The mill was originally built as a late 18th century cotton mill at the site of a medieval fulling mill, but after a serious fire in 1852 was rebuilt as a water-powered corn mill and woollen mill. Today a tea shop and craft shop are based there.

St Andrew's Church, high above the falls, has been the location of a place of worship for more than 1,000 years, although the present grade II listed church dates from a rebuild of 1866. Inside, however, are artefacts rescued from Jervaulx Abbey, including the Jervaulx Screen, dating from the early 16th century.

From 1878, Aysgarth had a station, near Aysgarth Falls, on the Wensleydale railway line which provided a direct connection to the towns and villages of upper Wensleydale from other parts of Yorkshire. The section of the line through Aysgarth was closed in 1964. The station buildings have in recent years undergone restoration and were for many years seen as a target for extension of the heritage Wensleydale Railway which runs along part of the old route to Redmire. However, the station was sold by the public limited company running the line.

Village features

Aysgarth is in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The village is on the River Ure.

Aysgarth has scenic waterfalls.

Aysgarth has pubs.

The village has cafes and tea-rooms.

Places to stay in Aysgarth include hotel, guest house accommodation.

Aysgarth has a shop.

The village has a Post Office.

Aysgarth has a car repair garage.

Aysgarth has a filling station.

Aysgarth has a village hall.

Places of worship: Anglican, Methodist.

Aysgarth has tourist information.

Travel

Bus travel

The village has an infrequent bus service.

Road travel

Aysgarth can be reached via the A684 .

Places to visit

Bolton Castle

Castle Bolton, near Redmire, North Yorkshire
One of Britain's best-preserved medieval castles was built as one of the finest homes in the land and is still in the ownership of a descendant of the castle's original owner. With a commanding view over Wensleydale, the castle is situated near Redmire, about 5 miles west of Leyburn and 6 miles east of Askrigg. Although partially slighted by Oliver Cromwell during a Civil War siege it has been preserved in excellent condition. The castle is opened to visitors daily except on dates when weddings are being held. Visitors can access much of the castle and its gardens and daily displays include birds of prey, archery and wild boar feeding. Full details can be found on the owner's website.

More information at the Bolton Castle website.

Find on map: Bolton Castle

Leeming Bar station

The Wensleydale Railway

Scruton - Leeming Bar - Bedale - Finghall - Leyburn - Redmire
A heritage railway service into Wensleydale running from Scruton and Leeming Bar, near the A1(M) , towards Bedale, Finghall, Leyburn and, if reopened, to Redmire at the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It operates mostly a heritage diesel service and steam on some dates. The line was extended eastwards to Northallerton West, but the effects of flooding on a bridge at the end of 2015 resulted in that section of line remaining closed to passenger services. The railway company currently has a goal of restoring by 2025 another section of the track westward from Leyburn into the National Park at Redmire. This section has also been closed in recent years.

Further information at the Wensleydale Railway website.

Aysgarth Falls

Aysgarth
Aysgarth Falls have been a much-visited Wensleydale beauty spot and a tourist attraction for more then two centuries. The River Ure falls down a series of rocky steps near to the village of Aysgarth. The falls provided a dramatic film location for the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves", starring Kevin Costner. A woodland nature reserve alongside the falls is run by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, which also runs a National Park Centre, cafe and car park there. Nearby is the Yore Bridge across the river and the Yore Mill, a grade II listed watermill on the site of a medieval fulling mill. The present mill dates from 1854 and was built to produce both woollen textiles and corn. It replaced an earlier 18th century cotton mill which was damaged by fire. There is now a tea shop and craft shop at the mill.

Find

Aysgarth Falls on map.

Hardraw Force

Hardraw, near Hawes
Situated about a mile north of Hawes in Wensleydale, this waterfall visitor attraction claims fame as "England's highest single-drop waterfall". The fall is around 30 metres (100 feet) high and was used as a backdrop to scenes in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. There is now also a Heritage Centre in the grounds of the falls, access to which is usually open from 10am to dusk with an admission fee.

Details can be found on the

Hardraw Force website.

Dales Countryside Museum

Station Yard, Burtersett Road, Hawes
The Dales Countryside Museum is located at the former Victorian station in Hawes and tells how the landscape and people of the Yorkshire Dales have evolved over thousands of years. An old locomotive and carriages are preserved at the platform as a reminder of the days that train services connected the isolated Wensleydale town to the rest of Yorkshire. A Yorkshire Dales National Park Centre is also housed at the museum.

Find out more at the

Dales Countryside Museum website.

Yorkshire Dales National Park

The western half of Richmondshire is all within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Leyburn is the gateway to the Wensleydale area of the National Park, the wide and beautiful upper valley of the River Ure into which many tributaries flow. There is a National Park Centre in Hawes. Find out more on our Yorkshire Dales National Park page.

Emergency services

North Yorkshire Police

North Yorkshire Police website.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service website.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust website.

Local government

Civil parish council

Aysgarth and District Parish Council
Provides some local services in the area.
Link to council website:

Aysgarth and District Parish Council

Unitary authority

North Yorkshire Council

The North Yorkshire Council is a new unitary authority formed from the previous County Council from April 1, 2023. It covers the existing county duties including highways, schools, libraries and transport planning over an area of 3,109 square miles while also taking over the responsibilities of the seven huge district authorities also created in 1974 — Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby — these including local planning, waste collection, street cleaning, parks and car parks, housing and markets serving a population of around 615,500*.

Councillors were elected to the County Council in 2022 and continue as councillors of the new North Yorkshire Council unitary authority. There have been a few by-elections to fill councillor vacancies since then.

Places in North Yorkshire

Link to council website: North Yorkshire Council

^ Area figure from ONS Standard Area Measurements 2022 (converted from hectares).
* Population figure from Census 2021 (combined total of former districts).
Contains public sector information licensed under the

Open Government Licence v3.0.

Political composition:

453CI 1311 NY Ind92 LC421

90 members

CI = Conservative & Independent NY Ind = North Yorkshire Independents group LC = Labour & Cooperative
Composition and groupings - source North Yorkshire Council (February 2024)

Strategic authority

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority
The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority was created in December 2023 combining the unitary authority of York and the unitary authority of North Yorkshire — that created in April 2023 after the abolition of the county authority and its seven district authorities. The combined authority will run some functions under the new mayor elected in May 2024 as part of the government's so-called "Devolution deal" which ties the availablity of funding to the new governance arrangements. As well as having powers over housing development, transport and boosting skills and education across the 3,214 square miles of York and North Yorkshire, the elected mayor also takes on the role and functions of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner across the area.

Elected mayor: ❚ David Skaith Labour & Cooperative

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority website.

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner North Yorkshire
Covers the county of North Yorkshire and City of York. This role is being transferred to the new elected mayor of York and North Yorkshire in 2024.

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner North Yorkshire website.

Parliamentary constituency

Richmond and Northallerton
Elected MP: ❚ Rishi Sunak Conservative

National government region

Yorkshire and the Humber

Ceremonial county

North Yorkshire

Historic

- 1974: Within the North Riding of Yorkshire.
1974 - 2023: In the Richmondshire shire district of the North Yorkshire county.

Also in Yorkshire.guide

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