YHA Helmsley - August 2023

A rare moment of sun in the Rye Valley.

Autumn: a time of contemplation, of schoolyard memories, of last-minute getaways, but principally, a time of rain. This is how an English summer dies.

And yet, between the August showers of 2023, there were walks to be had aplenty. Gentle perambulations in the gentle sun - when it graced us with its fleeting presence. The picturesque North Yorkshire village of Helmsley, replete with historical attractions, played host to my late-summer venture. Since the Norman era, Helmsley has boasted a castle in various materials and states of construction. The final iteration, left in ruins from the English Civil War, looms commandingly over the village, and the walk from there to Rievaulx Abbey, sorry victim of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, is short and sweet, winding through rolling hill and dale. Byland Abbey, a fellow casualty of Henry VIII's infamous decrees, is also only a couple of hours walk south west.

Helmsley Castle, Rievaulx Abbey and the woods north of Helmsley.

I found joy in routes both south, past the stately Duncombe Park and along the Rye Valley, and north, through shaded woods and round, passing the St Mary Magdalene Church and returning along the path beside Borough Beck. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, Helmsley also boasts an open air swimming pool, although the opportunity for a dip went unfulfilled on this visit for want of the appropriate swimwear.

Duncombe Park, the seat of the Barons of Feversham (formerly the Earls of Feversham).

Helmsley also marks one end (officially the 'start') of The Cleveland Way, whose coastal stretches I have previous mentioned in my post on YHA Whitby. The sweeping moorland makes for wonderfully evocative surroundings, although I was there a little early in the season to enjoy the heather in bloom.

The dusk setting in over the wheat fields above Helmsley.

YHA Helmsley verdict: Great!

A lovely clean hostel, set aside from the town but well-situated for walks to points of historical interest, of which there are many.