A quick reminder that our free, thrice-weekly guided walks are still going ahead, come rain, come shine!

Led by knowledgeable volunteers, these walks explore Richmond's Historic Centre in a gentle stroll of about an hour and a quarter. Learn the fascinating facts of this ancient town, and discover some of its nooks and crannies.

Walks start from the town's Victorian-era Market Hall, at 11:00 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Groups are limited to 10, so ideally you should book ahead - which you can do by phone, email, or by visiting Richmond Information Centre at the back of the Market Hall (open 10:00 - 16:00). Walks are free, but you are very welcome to make a donation to help keep our entirely volunteer-run Information Centre healthy.

You can find more information, and phone and email details, on our Free, guided town walks page. Enjoy!

PS: if you can't join a guided walk, the second-best solution is to pick up a town map, free of charge, at the Information Centre or the Town Hall (also on the Market Place). The map includes a short, self-guided Town Trail, which visits a number of the key sights of the town.

The Melsonby Hoard is an amazing collection of over 800 Iron Age metal artefacts from around 2,000 years ago. It was discovered to the north of Richmond in 2021, by a metal detectorist. It includes components from wagons and chariots, elaborate horse harnesses, ceremonial spears, and cauldrons, suggesting a highly developed society with international connections. One of the most significant Iron Age finds in the UK, it was secured for public display after a successful fundraising campaign.

At 7:30 on Wednesday 22 October, at Richmond Methodist Church, Prof. Tom Moore of Durham University, will give an illustrated presentation on the extraordinary find. Free to members of the Richmondshire Civic Society, £10 at the door for non-members.

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If you like opera, or think you might, Richmond's Station Cinema is the place to go. With comfortable seats, a big screen, top-quality sound, and the best performers in the world brought to you live from the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden you can't go wrong.

You've heard of 'Grand Opera'? It doesn't get any grander than Tosca, Puccini's high-emotion drama of love and betrayal, which screens at the Station Cinema on Wednesday 1 October.

You could buy train tickets to London, book into a city-centre hotel, and find seats at Covent Garden (except that they're all sold out). But why not save yourself several hundred pounds and stay local for a night of amazing entertainment right here in Richmond. Fabulous! Bring tissues!

Information and tickets here. 

200 years ago, a steam engine changed the world. The 26-mile journey from Shildon, via Darlington, to Stockton-on-Tees was the first time a locomotive had transported members of the public. That historic journey, on 27 September 1825, is being commemorated over the area.

Coming up on Wednesday 3 September is a talk by Chris Lloyd, Chief Features Writer of the Northern Echo, on The Stockton and Darlington Railway. This is sure to be an entertaining event, packed with facts and details from a knowledgeable specialist. The talk is organised by Richmond Civic Society, and takes place at 19:30 at Richmond Methodist Church. Entry is £10 at the door.

On Saturday 6 September, there's a Railway Collectors Fair at The Station. Step back in time and celebrate 200 years of railway history in this beautifully repurposed Victorian railway terminus. More details here. Free entry. 

Meanwhile, the S&DR200 Festival, a large-scale 200th celebration of that epoch-defining first journey, is taking place all over the region. You can find more details here. And while you're at it, pay a visit to Hopetown in Darlington, where you can visit the Stockton and Darlington Railway's 1833 Goods Shed, a railway station from 1842 and a carriage works from 1853. You'll discover lots of steamy ironmongery and over 30,000 railway heritage items, and your kids will enjoy the cafe and the railway-themed adventure play park.

Fancy a walk? Here's a nice countryside ramble, with a difference!

Since 1577, the citizens of Richmond, together with their Councillors and Mayor, have ridden the boundary of the town every seven years. (Though the custom began In 1577, it is relatively modern, as Richmond was already over 500 years old at that point.) 

The walk is about 14 miles long, and is open to all, residents or not. 

There will be pomp and circumstance, of course! The Mayor, dressed in civic robes and carrying the Silver Mace, will be joined by the Town Clerk, Macebearers, Halberdiers, a Banner Bearer, and a Pinder carrying an axe. (Because. Just because. Don't ask difficult questions.) At various places, the Mayor stops to proclaim the boundaries of Richmond against neighbouring parishes and manors. One such place is the middle of the River Swale; the Mayor is usually carried!

To take part in the Boundary Walk, meet at 08:30 on 27 August in the Market Place; the walk departs at 08:45. There are generally several hundred walkers! You should wear suitable footwear and clothing, and expect rough ground. Bring water and snacks; there will also be two refreshment stops en route, selling food and drinks. Strictly no dogs - sorry, Fido.

Everyone who finishes the walk will receive a certificate of achievement.

Commemorative water bottles are available from Richmond Information Centre for £6 each or two for £10.

Leave the tux; ditch the stiletto heels. Wellies and an old jacket are the order of the day!

Late August, early September - this is when the agricultural shows come to Swaledale and Wensleydale. You may not be planning to buy a heifer or sell your old tractor, but you can have a fabulous day out anway. There'll be handicrafts, homecrafts, countryside books, clothing, hot pies and cool beers. There'll be sheepdog competitions, carriage-driving demonstrations, live music, inflatables, children's areas, vintage tractors, vegetable shows, cool beers - again - and much, much more. Don't miss the terrier racing - it's hilarious and chaotic.

We've got three wonderful shows coming up soon. Click the links for details:

• The Wensleydale Show, Saturday 23 August - just outside Leyburn. The largest of our three.
• The Reeth Show, Monday 25 August - between Reeth and Grinton, in mid-Swaledale.
• The Muker Show, Wednesday 3 September, in wild upper Swaledale.

You'll enjoy the shows, but beware! You know how you go​ to Lidl for a bag of potatoes, and come out with a lawnmower? That's the risk with these shows: hot sun, cool beer, and you may come away with a heifer after all!

The Artisan Market returns this Sunday - in the Market Place from 10 to 4. It's always a great opportunity to pick up hand-made souvenirs or gifts from local craftspeople: soap, beer, fabrics, jewellery, wooden toys, delicious pies - who knows what you'll find?

And when you've finished browsing the colourful stalls, take a stroll round Richmond's equally colourful Historic Centre. Where better to begin than Richmond Information Centre, based in the Victorian-era Market Hall, also in the Market Place. Our helpful volunteers, and hundreds of leaflets, maps and other information, are ready to offer advice and useful pointers. 

Foxglove Covert Local Nature Reserve is a wonderful place - and a rather unusual one. It just happens to be situated in the middle of a very large Army garrison, which means that most visitors have to be escorted in and out, through the barracks. This is inconvenient and a deterrent for visitors, and probably not what the soldiers signed up for.

Good news! A new access gate is being prepared, which will reduce the inconvenience - for visitors coming by car, at any rate. (Or by bike or horse.)

The new way in will be off the Richmond-to-Leyburn road, the 'Tank Road', as it is known locally. Click the image above to see an enlarged map. The access road is shown in red, and is expected to open at the end of September.