Discover Bedale

Bedale combines a long-established weekly market with local history, distinctive buildings, a park and the Wensleydale Railway. If you’re looking for a hotel in Bedale, consider whether the market and museum, architecture, landscape or a historic train journey matters most to your stay.

Market Day and Museum

A market is held in Bedale every Tuesday, a tradition dating back more than 750 years. This regular day of the week is a useful point of reference when planning your trip if you’d like to experience market day. The town’s long market tradition gives Tuesday a special place in local life.

Bedale Museum displays artefacts, photographs and stories about the people, trades and traditions that have shaped Bedale. Its exhibition topics include the town’s medieval origins and its 13th-century market charter, as well as agriculture, the railway and Britain at war. Anyone interested in local history will find different perspectives on Bedale here, from early urban developments to subjects related to everyday life, work and transport.

Historic Traces and Architecture

Bedale’s Heritage Trail also explores the town’s medieval history. Another topic is the development of the town centre during the prosperous economic period of the late 18th century. Bedale’s 14th-century Market Cross stands at the junction of Wynd, Emgate and Market Place. Together with the 13th-century market charter, it offers a point of comparison with the later developments of the town centre.

Bedale Hall is a Grade I listed building and features an exceptional example of Rococo plasterwork. Plasterwork is sculpted ornamentation; here, this craft detail is part of the building. Bedale Hall thus combines a clearly stated listing status with a distinctive feature of its interior.

The Church of Saint Gregory has a five-stage tower with architectural features dating from the 13th to the 15th century. On the north wall of the nave aisle is a 14th-century depiction of St George and the Dragon. The dates therefore span several centuries of the Middle Ages, complementing the historical themes of the museum and Heritage Trail with specific architectural features.

Park, Footpath and Bedale Beck

Bedale Park has mature trees and a bandstand beside Bedale Hall. A footpath along the edge of the park offers views of Bedale Hall and the Church of Saint Gregory. The park and buildings can be seen together here: the path opens up views of two distinctive buildings, while the mature trees and bandstand characterise the park.

Bedale Beck offers a different perspective on the landscape, flowing through the town in a quiet, tree-lined hollow. The park path and the beck offer different impressions of Bedale: from the footpath, the hall and church are the visible landmarks; by the beck, the stream and tree-lined hollow shape the view. If you enjoy combining local history with walks, you can explore these separately, without assigning them a specific route.

Wensleydale Railway

Bedale station is on the Wensleydale Railway. Its line runs from Northallerton to Redmire in the heart of Wensleydale; the historic journey begins at Bedale station. The line’s endpoints and the starting point of the historic journey are therefore different details about the railway. If you’re planning a journey, check the timetable in advance.

Discover more destinations: Redcar, Huby, Willerby, Dalton, York, West Rounton, Leyburn, Malham.

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