Richmond Castle – Richmond Town Centre loop from Richmond

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Richmond Castle – Richmond Town Centre loop from Richmond

Moderate

runners

Richmond Castle – Richmond Town Centre loop from Richmond

01:02

9.46km

160m

Running

Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: October 14, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

5.99 km

Willance House

Highlight • Historical Site

Willance House is a Grade 2 listed building set in Frenchgate, a cobbled street just 2 or 3 minutes walk from the Market Place. Reputedly the oldest house in Richmond, it was the home of Robert Willance the first Alderman of Richmond.

Robert Willance left his mark on Richmond in two ways. He was the first Alderman (the equivalent of Mayor) of Richmond in 1608, but two years earlier he survived a hunting accident at a site on Whitcliffe Scar, just outside Richmond. The site is now known as Willance's Leap in commemoration of the amazing event in 1606.

Robert Willance, whose family owned property at Clints near Marske as well as in Richmond, was out hunting one day, riding an inexperienced and nervous young horse, when a thick mist suddenly came down. The horse bolted and fell 212ft over the edge of Whitcliffe Scar and was killed. Willance survived the fall but with a broken leg. Realising he would not be rescued until the fog lifted, he used his hunting knife to slit open the horse’s belly and inserted into it his fractured leg. This probably saved his life, as the extra warmth would delay the onset of gangrene.

Later, he was taken back to his house in Richmond, now No. 24 Frenchgate or Willance House, where his injured leg was amputated. He made such a good recovery that he was able to serve as the first Alderman of Richmond in 1608.

Robert Willance also gave Richmond a silver ‘boulle’ or cup which is on display with other civic plates in the Green Howards Regimental Museum in the Market Place. He died in 1616 and was buried in the churchyard of St. Mary’s parish church, close to the garden wall of Willance House. According to tradition, he was reunited with his leg which had been buried there ten years earlier. His grave is marked by a flat stone near a door in the garden wall, but the inscription is no longer legible.

Tip by

6.59 km

View of the River Swale & Richmond Castle

Highlight • Castle

The Little Drummer Boy Tea Room -worth a visit

Tip by

6.66 km

Richmond Castle

Highlight • Viewpoint

Standing proudly on a tall rocky outcrop above the River Swale, Richmond Castle is one of the oldest Norman fortresses in Britain. The castle was constructed from 1071 onwards following the Norman Conquest of England. The site is managed by English Heritage.

Tip by

6.86 km

Richmond Town Centre

Highlight • Settlement

Referred to as the jewel in the heart of North Yorkshire, the picturesque town of Richmond is renowned for breathtaking beauty that has inspired painters and poets for centuries. Boasting a fine example of a Norman castle, Georgian architecture, a traditional cobbled market place, the beautiful River Swale, and with plenty of museums, cafes, and restaurants, there is plenty for you to explore here.

Tip by

6.91 km

The Talbot Hotel

Highlight • Historical Site

One of the only or the only half-timbered house in Richmond

Tip by

7.00 km

The Green Howards Museum

Highlight • Historical Site

Monday to Saturday 10am to 4.30pm. Last entry at 4pm.

Museum entry: £8 | ages 10-16: £5 | under 10s: free

Three hundred years of friendship and adventure, service and sacrifice. At the museum they tell the absorbing story of this famous regiment through the eyes of the soldiers who served.

Tip by

7.17 km

Richmond Market Town and Castle

Highlight • Historical Site

Referred to as the jewel in the heart of North Yorkshire, the picturesque town of Richmond is renowned for breathtaking beauty that has inspired painters and poets for centuries.

Boasting a fine example of a Norman castle, Georgian architecture, a traditional cobbled market place, the beautiful River Swale, and with plenty of museums, cafes, and restaurants, there is plenty for you to explore here.

Tip by

9.46 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types