Helmsley
Historically part of the North Riding of Yorkshire, the town is located at the point where Ryedale leaves the moorland and joins the flat Vale of Pickering.Helmsley is a compact town, retaining its medieval layout around its market place with more recent development to the north and south of its main thoroughfare, Bondgate.The town is a popular tourist centre and has won gold medals in the Large Village category of Yorkshire in Bloom for three years.Archaeological discoveries indicate that the area around Helmsley was first settled in around 3,000 BC and small farming communities existed here throughout the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages and into Roman times.On 30 June 2011, the BBC Two programme History Cold Case featured an archaeological investigation into four 2,000-year-old skeletons found in Windy Pits caves, concluding that at least one had been the victim of a ritual killing, including scalping.[5] The findings, including the facial reconstruction of the scalping victim, were presented, at Duncombe Park, to local history experts.After the conquest it was governed within the wapentake of Maneshou in the North Riding of Yorkshire, held by William the Conqueror’s half brother the Count of Mortain;[8] land to the west of Helmsley was a royal deer park.The town remained with the holders of the barony of De Ros through the Earls of Rutland and the Dukes of Buckingham until it was sold to the city financier, Sir Charles Duncombe in about 1689.Some of the larger, more imposing town houses and civic buildings have been constructed using ashlar stone and slate as a demonstration of affluence.[11] Helmsley is situated on the southern boundary of the North York Moors National Park approximately 200 feet (61 m) above sea level.Helmsley lies in a hollow in undulating open countryside, flanked by heather moor to the north and the rolling farmland of the Howardian Hills to the south.Meadows south of the Rye form an important buffer and create an attractive setting for the town from the southern approach.North Yorkshire County Council, however, estimated in 2000 that the population of the actual urban town area was approximately 1,500,[11] measured at 1,515 in the 2011 census.Helmsley draws the largest number of day visitors (32%) within the year, for the North York Moors National Park as a whole.[19] Helmsley has an open-air swimming pool and a recreation ground providing facilities for tennis, bowls, cricket and football.[23] Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC North East and Cumbria and ITV Tyne Tees.
Helmsley (disambiguation)North Yorkshire2011 censusOS grid referenceLondonUnitary authorityCeremonial countyRegionYorkshire and the HumberCountryEnglandSovereign statePost townPostcode districtDialling codePoliceAmbulanceYorkshireUK ParliamentThirsk and Maltoncivil parishHistoricallyNorth Riding of YorkshireRyedaleVale of PickeringRiver RyeA170 roadThirskPickeringNorth York Moors National Parkconservation areaEarls of FevershamDuncombe ParkHelmsley CastleFeversham MonumentHelmsley Market CrossB1257 roadStokesleyCleveland WayNorth York MoorsCivil WarHelmsley Town HallBBC TwoHistory Cold CaseWindy PitsscalpingOld EnglishDomesday BookVikingsOld NorseNorman ConquestWilliam the ConquerorCount of Mortainroyal deer parkWalter EspecRobert De RosBorough CharterburgageBlack DeathMiddle Agesdissolution of Rievaulx AbbeyCanon's GarthSir Charles DuncombeAll Saints' Churchscheduled ancient monumentsashlarHowardian Hillselectoral wardNorth Yorkshire County CouncilRyedale SchoolThe Black Swan HotelOne Night OnlySaltburn-by-the-SeaRievaulx AbbeyBBC North East and CumbriaITV Tyne TeesBilsdaleBBC YorkshireITV YorkshireFreesatBBC Radio YorkGreatest Hits Radio York and North YorkshireChurch of All Saintslisted buildingSt Mary's Church, HelmsleyListed buildings in HelmsleyAmpleBosomUK CensusOffice for National StatisticsHistoric EnglandNational Heritage List for EnglandThe IndependentCeremonial countyMiddlesbroughRedcar and ClevelandStockton-on-TeesBedaleBenthamBoroughbridgeCatterick GarrisonColburnEasingwoldEastfieldGrangetownGrassingtonGuisboroughHarrogateIngleby BarwickKirkbymoorsideKnaresboroughLeyburnLoftusMaltonMashamMiddlehamNormanbyNorthallertonNorton-on-DerwentPateley BridgeRedcarRichmondScarboroughSettleSherburn in ElmetSkelton-in-ClevelandSkipton