Exploring England’s Most Beautiful Town, Knaresborough

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If there is one city/town/village outside of London you visit, it HAS to be Knaresborough. It does take some effort getting here, depending on your departure point, but it’s so SO WORTH IT.

I guarantee you will fall in love. (I practically want to move here now)!!

Complete Guide: What to do in Knaresborough

Knaresborough is a town located in a gorge on the River Nidd in North Yorkshire, the star attraction is the Victorian viaduct that runs right over the river and is still used today!

It’s so easy to just stroll around and fall in love with this beautiful town and I will help you do just that!

How to Get to Knaresborough

The closest cities are Leeds and York and the closest airport in Leeds/Bradford. Manchester is the closest major international airport.

• By Car: There are several pay and display parking lots throughout the town and the town is easily accessible from the A1(M) which is the closest motorway. The cheapest lot is the long-stay York Place car park, but the Castle Yard and Market Place car parks are more convenient.
• By Bus: There are frequent buses between Knaresborough and Harrogate, but you can get a bus from York or Leeds. With the train and driving being more convenient, I would stay away from bus travel here, unless you are staying in Harrogate.
• By Train: If you are in Leeds or York, then you’re in luck. (And why wouldn’t you want to stay in York, there’s so many hidden day trips you can take!) It’s a short train journey with no changes. You can get from London Kings Cross to Knaresborough with one change and under 2 1/2 hours, so yes, if you plan for an early start then you can do a day trip from London.

I book all my train tickets on TRAINLINE!

Market Square

Not only is this the hub for the Wednesday market which is filled with local merchants and fresh produce (and it’s been going on for over 500 years), but you can find some super cute shops, cafes, and pubs around here.

The Ye Oldest Chymist Shoppe is located in the square and is the oldest chemist shop in England, they no longer sell medicines, but they do have some great homemade chutney and jam.

Have a Drink at Blind Jacks

Blind Jack was one of the most notable residents of Knaresborough, in fact, you’ll see references to him all over town. Blind Jack’s real name was John Metcalf, who was blind by age six.

He was a Jack of all trades and an accomplished fiddler and became known as one of the fathers of the modern road (he built about 180 miles of modern roadways in the mid-1700s).

So now you know the brief -very brief in a nutshell- story of Blind Jack, you can have a drink in this pub! The tiny pub screams “Look at me, I’m British” and is full of cozy rooms and charm. The beer selection is also very good.

Knaresborough Castle & Courthouse

This castle was built by the Normans in the 12th century and reinforced through the years until it was expanded and completed in the 14th century.

It has survived many sieges throughout its time including the English Civil War, you can even take a tour through the underground tunnels.

You can explore what’s left of the castle during the summer months, the castle grounds are open all year round. Included in your ticket is the courthouse which is fully intact from the Tudor period, there’s also a small museum here with a little bit of Knaresborough history.

It’s only a few pounds to visit, so it’s definitely worth it while you’re here, the castle grounds are free to enter.

The Outlook Point

Speaking of the castle grounds. The most well-known photos of Knaresborough are from above, overlooking the River Nidd and getting the magical reflection of the viaduct heading into the train station.

You can find this beautiful view if you walk through the castle grounds, just past the castle. You can even take the path down to the bottom here (this is also one of the easier climbs to get to the top if you are down at the bottom of the viaduct).

Bebra Gardens

These tiered gardens are the perfect walk down to the river banks. They are open all year round, and there’s a small paddling pool at the bottom if you want to splash around during the summer months.

Take a River Walk

Taking a stroll along the river banks is one of my favorite things to do in Knaresborough.

The houses tiered along the hillside are so quintessentially English and watching the rowboats go by on a spring day is like walking through a movie set.

If you continue further down the river you’ll notice cottages and houses at the bottom of the limestone gorge and it will look a little more residential than the town center, you will eventually reach what looks like a castle molded from the rock high above you.

This is known as the House in the Rock and was chiseled out of the rock for a 16-year period in the late 1700s. It’s a personal home now, so you can’t go inside, but it is probably really awesome.

Just a little bit further down from the “house in the rock” is the Chapel of Our Lady of the Crag.

This shrine was carved out of the rock in 1408 with permission from the king.

Visiting hours are limited and services are held outside the chapel because the actual inside of the shrine is too small to hold more than a handful of people.

Eat by the Viaduct

There’s a cute outdoor cafe right on the riverside (every table has the perfect view!) called the Marigold Cafe and it’s the perfect spot to grab a cup of tea or have a sandwich, and if it’s hot outside, grab an ice cream cone!

Row a Boat on the River Nidd

During the summer months, you can rent a row boat, there are several boat rentals around, but since you are already having a cup of tea at the Marigold Cafe, you might as well rent a row boat from them!

They have 38 boats and carry a max of 6 people (honestly, that’s too crowded for me, I would put a max of 3 people).

Walk up the Gallons Steps

These steps are Grade II listed and the perfect way to enjoy your stroll back up to the train station and are some of the most attractive steps I’ve walked up. They connect the river banks with Kirkgate.

It’s a little bit of a steep climb and some of the steps are uneven, so if this is an issue, then you are better off taking the steps down from Kirkgate.

Mother Shipton’s Cave

Known as England’s most famous witch and prophetess who, according to legend, was born in this cave in 1488.

She predicted major events throughout history including the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

She also predicted that once the high bridge (located in Knaresborough, close to the entrance of Mother Shipton’s Cave) fell three times, the world would end. Guys… it’s already fallen twice!

The Petrifying Well is probably the highlight here. It is England’s oldest ticketed attraction, dating back to 1630.

It’s semi-creepy when you first see it, because teddy bears and other objects are dangling on strings with water dripping down them, but the high mineral content in the water will petrify any object within 3-5 months. You can even buy one of the teddy bears in the gift shop!

Search for the Painted Windows

In the Georgian history of the town, window tax was high and in order to avoid paying such a high tax (or just to create more symmetry with your home), people would board up and brick up some of the windows.

In the early 2000s, several artists were commissioned to paint over the bricks and create trompe l’oeil or trick-of-the-eye windows around the town featuring famous past residents of Knaresborough and little snippets of history.

There were initially 10, but it seems more have popped up since then. It’s definitely fun to walk around and see how many you can spot!

Visit A Very British Christmas Filming Location

Fun Fact: this little town is the backdrop for the Christmas movie called A Very British Christmas. Filming took place in March 2019 and the movie was released in December 2019 on Showtime.

From the little clips I saw here and there (Yes, they were filming while I was here and YES, I brought my winter jacket to be an extra in the final scene!) it seems like all of Knaresborough is highlighted throughout!

I STILL haven’t seen the movie because I literally can’t find it anywhere in the UK… help a girl out – if you know where to find it, leave me a comment!!!

Don’t forget to check out my guide to ALL the filming locations for A Very British Christmas!

*UPDATE: A Very British Christmas is known as A Very Yorkshire Christmas in the UK and will premiere on Channel5 on Sunday, November 29th at 4:10pm

Walk Through the Train Station

If you don’t arrive by train, then you need to walk through the train station. This is a grade II listed station and is super unique due to the 74 ft viaduct on one side of the station and the tunnel on the other end.

The station was built in the late 1800s and has a level crossing you can walk across, getting that perfect Victorian train station shot.

Visit Harrogate

Guess what is right next door to Knaresborough? Harrogate! Another quintessential English town to visit.

Make sure you visit the original Betty’s Tearoom, spend the afternoon at the Turkish Baths, take a bar crawl around the traditional pubs, and end your night with a stay at The Majestic.

More Yorkshire Guides

• Harry Potter Filming Location: Malham Cove
• The Ultimate Guide to York
• Ride to the Steam Train on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway

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