So is the Little Bird Artisan Market.

Always a popular presence in the Market Place. the Artisan Market attracts dozens of colourful stalls and hundreds of visitors, both regulars and 'just passing by-ers'. And it's no wonder. There'll be all kinds of locally crafted goods for you to browse and take home - they could include flower vases, art prints, scented candles, heather-infused beers from tiny breweries, cinder toffee and hot coffee, pork pies, chutneys and pickles (which we've learned to call 'tracklements'), wooden toys, hand-knitted sweaters, sticky buns and hefty sourdough loaves... You get the idea.

Sunday, 11 May, from 10:00. ​Bring a big bag!

Our latest dip into What's On Richmond pulled out a bumper-sized treat: Mayfest! Mayfest is Richmond's annual blast of music, dance and song at venues all round the town.

Buskers in the Market Place? Story-telling in the Castle? Folk sessions in the pubs? A musical walk to Easby Abbey? Morris Men - everywhere! Jousting? Maypoles? A scratch Messiah? Face-painting? A ceilidh? A parade? Traditional fairground rides..? Take your pick. Over three days we've got dozens of activities for all ages. Many of the events are free, and some are free or discounted for residents of the DL9-11 postcodes.

Find all the details and buy tickets at richmondmayfest.org. You can also pick up tickets at the Info Centre pod in Richmond's Market Hall.

Mayfest - it's where Spring really kicks off!

The Coast to Coast Walk now has its own Passport, endorsed by the Wainwright Society, no less!

This easily carried booklet for you intrepid Coast to Coast walkers offers useful info on stops along the way, plus dozens of valuable discounts on food, drink, walking boots, books - massages even... And when you make it to Robin Hood's Bay, having collected Passport stamps from our agents en route, you'll get a smart Completion Certificate by which to remember your adventure.

The Passport is mainly sold in outlets at the start of the walk, but we also sell it here in Richmond Information Centre. What's more, if you buy a copy in our shop and have already walked half-way to Robin Hood's Bay, we'll even give you stamps for the places you've passed through.

Learn more about the Passport at c2cpassport.com or order a copy from our online shop. (Sorry, we can't provide stamps with online sales). The cover price is £15, but as you're buying it from us, it'll be just £12 - and with the discounts you'll earn, you should have no problem getting your money back!

Two popular Summer Sunday DalesBus services to the Yorkshire Dales have now returned.

Northern DalesBus 831 runs from Richmond at 10:40, travelling up Swaledale by way of Grinton, Reeth, Gunnerside and Muker, and crossing Buttertubs Pass to Hawes. After a short break you can optionally catch the 832, which goes on to Ribblehead, Settle, Clapham and Ingleton. 

The return 832 bus leaves Ingleton at 3pm and Settle at 3.30pm, returning to  Hawes at 4.20pm. At 4.35 the return 831 for sets off back to Richmond, arriving around 5.59pm. These two routes run every Sunday (and Bank Holiday Mondays!) until 19 October.

Did you ever see BBC4's All Aboard! The Country Bus? This is it (Click here to view a clip).

Another tempting Sunday outing is the DalesBus 858, to Wensleydale and the Three Peaks area. Leaving Richmond at 9.10am, it visits Redmire, Carperby, Askrigg, Bainbridge, Hawes and Ribblehead Station. There is plenty of time for a full day’s walking and refreshment afterwards, with the return bus leaving Ribblehead at 6.55pm and Hawes at 7.17pm.

A DalesBus spokesperson said: "This is probably one of the most scenic bus rides in England with unspoilt wilderness, wildflower meadows, heather moorland, caves and waterfalls, limestone scenery, long distance footpaths, classic views of the Three Peaks and Ribblehead Viaduct, with shops, cafes and pubs dotted along the route."  

The national fare cap on bus fares applies to all DalesBus services, so each single journey costs no more than £3 (£1 for under 19s).

You can see the full timetables here.

It feels like ages since the Artisan Market came to Richmond. But hurrah! It's back in town this Sunday, 13 April***. You'll find food, drink, crafts and gifts of all kinds among the dozens of colourful stalls. No mass-produced goods whatsoever; everything is small-scale and locally crafted.

Once you've spend a happy hour browsing and tasting your way round the market, come and visit Richmond Information Centre in the Victorian Market Hall to explore our wide range of maps and guidebooks, or just to get advice on the rest of the town's attractions: castle, waterfall, walks,  ancient alleyways and more...

If find a parking space in the Market Place itself, you won't need a Parking Disc - parking is free and unlimited. Otherwise, we suggest Nun's Close Pay and Display Car Park, which is a pleasant five-minute walk away. (A flat walk, which is a bit of a rarity in Richmond!)

***Great news! The Artisan Market will reappear on the second Sunday of each month, from now until September. 

Two tiny treats in one: a pocket-sized orchestra and a bijou theatre!

Yes, Richmondshire's own chamber orchestra returns to the little jewel-box that is the Georgian Theatre Royal for an afternoon concert of colourful classical music from Northern Europe.

Warning! There are not many seats left!

The concert is at 3pm on 6 April - a great way to fill a Sunday afternoon! For details and tickets, visit the theatre's box office. 

This looks fun.

Visiting Richmond? Then be sure to visit The Station, our wonderful Victorian-era railway terminus, now a multi activity centre with three cinema screens, a cafe-bar, ice-cream parlour, craft shop, bakery, brewery, jeweller, fudge-maker and - the subject of this post - a wonderful art gallery.

The next show at the gallery is called Heather and Grouse, a hint that it's all about the Yorkshire Dales. You'll find atmospheric paintings, hand-thrown pottery, textile sculptures, traditional rope, nature-inspired stained glass, pictures made from the felted wool of Wensleydale sheep (see image), and much more.

It's all on sale - so you can take away a fabulous memento of your time in North Yorkshire!

​The exhibition runs 11 - 22 April, at The Station. Entry is free.

Two bits of news just in:

A number of footpaths and bridleways in Arkengarthdale, Calver Hill and Gunnerside Gill will be closed for "works to be executed" from now until September. The Yorkshire Dales National Park website offers a little more detail, and some alternative routes, but doesn't say what the "works" are. A mole suggests they may be not-unconnected to the shooting of Warner Bros' remake of Wuthering Heights...

• These works affect Walk no. 7, Calver Hill from Reeth, in our Pootling Round Richmond and Swaledale booklet. 

At the same time, we hear that the Coast to Coast route through Whitecliffe Woods, just before Richmond, will be diverted by North Yorkshire Council during repair works. The closure starts 1 April, and will continue until 30 Sept at the latest.

• These works affect Walk no. 4, Willance's Leap, in our Richmond Walks booklet. 

Some people say it's snowdrops that are the first sign of Spring. Others say it's the first cuckoo. But here, in the Richmond Information Centre pod, it's the arrival of the National Garden Scheme booklet, with its cheerful daffodil-yellow cover. And it's come!

​Gardens Open for Charity: Yorkshire 2025 is on our shelves now, and will start flying off the shelves very soon. Drop in and pick up your copy soon.