Rylstone is a Village in the county of North Yorkshire.
Rylstone in North Yorkshire is located 7.2 km N from Skipton.
Rylstone is a small and picturesque village in North Yorkshire, located about six miles south-west of Grassington and not far from Cracoe. It sits at the edge of Barden Fell, with the distinctive landmarks of Rylstone Cross and Cracoe Pinnacle rising above the surrounding landscape. The setting is peaceful and rural, with open countryside and a strong sense of local history.
The name Rylstone appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as “Rilestun”, and the area has roots stretching back to Viking and then Norman control. One of the village’s literary associations comes from William Wordsworth’s poem The White Doe of Rylstone, written in 1815. The poem is based on local legend and weaves in the real historical events of the Rising of the North in 1569, a failed Catholic rebellion that involved the local Norton family.
At the heart of the village is St Peter’s Church, an ancient stone building with a square embattled tower. The church dates back to the Norman period and has been altered and extended over the centuries, particularly in the 17th and 19th centuries. Looking down on the village from Barden Fell is Rylstone Cross, a prominent stone monument. The original structure was erected in 1815 to mark the Peace of Paris, and after several wooden versions fell into disrepair, a new stone cross was installed in 1995.
In more recent times, Rylstone became widely known due to the Rylstone Women’s Institute. Members of the group created a charity calendar in the 1990s to raise money for leukaemia research, an event which later inspired the film Calendar Girls. Despite this brush with fame, the village remains quiet and traditional, with stone cottages, a village green, and a duck pond forming the centre of the community.
Rylstone is a popular spot for walkers, thanks to its proximity to open moorland and scenic routes that connect to other parts of the Yorkshire Dales. It is a place where history, landscape, and local life continue to blend in a quiet corner of the countryside.
Rylstone postcode: BD23 6LH
There are great places to visit near Rylstone including some great waterfalls, ruins, historic monuments, hiking areas, villages, rivers and streams, towns, caves, limestone pavements, mountains, cities, historic buildings, hills, geological features, castles, old mines, country parks, parks, gardens and ancient sites.
There are a several good waterfalls in the Rylstone area like Catrigg Force, Lockin Garth Force, Whitfield Gill Force, Slape Wath Waterfall, Mill Gill Force, Cotter Force, and Aysgill Force.
The area around Rylstone boasts some of the best ruins including Bolton Abbey, Byland Abbey, Norton Tower (ruin), Easby Abbey (ruin), Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, Fountains Abbey (ruin), and Trig Point on Warrendale Knotts.
There are a several good historic monuments in the Rylstone area like Bolton Abbey, Rylstone Crag and Rylstone Cross, Culloden Tower, and Robin Hood's Well (Fountains).
The area around Rylstone boasts some of the best hiking areas including Deepdale, Cotterdale, Southerscales, Ingleton Waterfalls Trail, Swilla Glen, Baxenghyll Gorge, and Raven Ray.
Pool-in-Wharfedale, Askrigg, Hardraw, West Burton, Bainbridge, Aysgarth, and Malham are some of Rylstone best villages to visit near Rylstone.
Rylstone has some unmissable rivers and streams nearby like Whitfield Beck, Mill Gill, Hardraw Beck, River Wharfe, and Walden Beck at West Burton.
The area around Rylstone boasts some of the best towns including Hawes, Skipton, Grassington, Richmond, Middlesbrough, Harrogate, and Settle.
The area around Rylstone features a number of interesting caves including Great Douk Cave, White Scar Cave, Yordas Cave, Gaping Gill, Janet's Cave, Horseshoe Cave, and Jubilee Cave.
Don't miss Southerscales, Malham Cove, and Warrendale Knotts Limestone Pavement's limestone pavements if visiting the area around Rylstone.
Mountains to visit near Rylstone include Ingleborough.
Rylstone has some unmissable cities nearby like York, and Ripon.
Rylstone's best nearby historic buildings can be found at York Minster, Marton House, Norton Tower (ruin), Church of St Peter - Rylstone, Culloden Tower, and Beggar’s Bridge.
The area around Rylstone features a number of interesting hills including Addlebrough, Embsay Crag, Rylstone Crag and Rylstone Cross, Warrendale Knotts, Giggleswick Scar, Blua Crags, and Sugar Loaf Hill.
There are a several good geological features in the Rylstone area like Malham Cove, Grassington Lead Mines, and Brimham Rocks.
Rylstone has some unmissable castles nearby like Skipton Castle, Richmond Castle, and Bolton Castle.
Grassington Lead Mines is a great place to visit close to Rylstone if you like old mines.
There are a number of country parks near to Rylstone including Brimham Rocks.
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, Fountains Abbey (ruin), and Studley Royal Water Garden are some of Rylstone best parks to visit near Rylstone.
There are a number of gardens near to Rylstone including Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden.
There are a number of ancient sites near Rylstone including Schoolboys Tower, Jubilee Cave, and Victoria Cave.
Rylstone History
There are some historic monuments around Rylstone:
