Osmotherley Village, Coast to Coast
More Articles in the Danby Wiske to Swainby subsection
The Three Tuns Inn, Village Centre, Osmotherley
Osmotherley, Coast to Coast
The village of Osmotherley is located at the western foot of the Cleveland Hills at the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park and is one of the most attractive villages adjoining the Coast to Coast walk. Northallerton is a few miles to the south west. The Village is about 1 mile south of Ingleby Arncliffe. Mount Grace Priory is less than 1 mile to its north west and the Lady Chapel is 1/2 mile to its north. The popular Cod Lake Reservoir and its circlet walk is 1 mile north.
There is significant religious history in Osmotherley, including St Peter's Anglican church sited just off the village green, the Osmotherley Friends Meeting House, the Methodist Chapel in Chapel Yard, the nearby significant remains of Mount Grace Priory and of the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Grace (The Lady Chapel), and the Barter Table standing on the Village green from where John Wesley sometimes preached. These religious edifices are ancient.
Upon the surrounding moors there are many Neolithic barrows and other striking evidences of ancient habitations, e.g. substantial earthworks, the Seven Stones (part of an ancient orthostatic wall) and the Old Drove Road (part of an ancient highway).
North End Osmotherley
Looking up North End (Quarry Lane), from the village green it is usually bustling with visitors and traffic. Osmotherley always attracts many visitors and parking places rarely stand free. There are many attractions for visitors, particularly ramblers and historians.
South End Osmotherley
Most of the village's bustling activity appears to take place in the village centre and the North End. In contrast the South End is quiet and peaceable. The Cod Beck and Oakdale Beck merge a little beyond the South End, near to Thimbleby Hall. The Cod Beck is the main tributory to the River Wiske.
Village Cross Osmotherley
The Village Cross which sits on the village green, dates to 1874. It replaces the earlier village cross which had been on site since the 14th century. The steps upon which the Cross stands are medieval.
14th Century Village Cross
The former Village Cross, dating to the 14th century now stands upright beside Thompsons store in the village centre. It was replaced in 1874 by the Cross currently in situ.
Thompsons of Osmotherley
The grocery business of the Thompson family begain in 1786, and was passed down through 6 generations. Grace Thompson was the last heir to run the shop, having started to work there when she was 16. At the age of 75 she was still delivering newspapers from the shop. She retired in 2004 and passed away in 2014 aged 87. She left sale instructions that required any new purchaser to retain the shop front and interior as they were. And so the shop still stands empty.
Barter Table Osmotherley
The Barter Table, thought to date to the 16th century, was once a permanent market stall for the selling of dairy produce including cheese and butter. It was used many times by John Wesley during the 18th century to preach from. The Table has a Grade II Listing with Historic England.
Coast to Coast Trail Guide
Hiking the Coast to Coast
"Hiking the Coast to Coast" is a digitally enhanced eBook available from Apple Books for all people who have either a Mac, an iPhone or an iPad, and is designed to accompany you on your walk of the Coast to Coast path. The trail guide contains Ordnance Survey maps and other advanced mapping features, step by step directions, hundreds of colour photographs, details of the route, its conditions in different weather and research snippets relating to places of interest along the way.
