In the south-east corner of Richmond Castle is the two-storeyed Scolland's Hall, built at the same time and probably the oldest hall in England. After 1485 the castle belonged to the Crown when Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, became King Henry VII. The boundaries of the Market Place follow the line of the castle's outer bailey, from which medieval streets radiate, and the walk starts here, passing the church that houses the Museum of the Green Howards.
The River Swale begins at an altitude of over 2,000 feet on Birkdale Common as a moorland beck, fed by numerous small streams in Upper Swaledale and maturing as it passes through Keld, Reeth, and Richmond before entering the Vale of York and joining the River Ure towards the Humber and North Sea.
Easby Abbey owes its existence to Roald, Constable of Richmond, who founded the monastery in 1151. The monks wore white habits and were known as the White Canons; as endowments increased, they expanded from 19 to 29 monks leading a tranquil existence, though peace was shattered by Scottish raids in the 14th century and damage inflicted by English troops billeted here on their way to fight the Scots (though a considerable amount of ruins remains today).
The parish church of St Agatha stands next to the abbey, dating mainly from the 13th century (though its foundation predates the abbey itself). Near the altar is a replica of the Easby Cross, an Anglo-Saxon sculpture dating to the 7th or 8th century (the original found in two pieces in 1932 is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, suggesting an earlier Anglo-Saxon church or monastery on the site), alongside detailed 13th-century wall paintings that have survived the centuries.
The return route crosses the old railway bridge and follows the opposite riverbank along the former railway line, offering fine views of the abbey in its riverside setting and dramatic prospects of the castle perched high on a cliff above the river. After re-crossing the river back to town, the way to the market place goes up steep Cornforth Hill and through a gate in the medieval town walls.
Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.
