Richmond is a pretty special place to live

A cohesive and vibrant community spirit forms the background of Richmond life - as a resident you can't walk across the Market Place without running into people you know!

The town has a varied selection of housing, ranging from beautiful stone cottages clustered around the centre of town, with modern developments slightly further out, but still within easy walking distance of the centre (there are also regular buses). The town centre also has a number of flats, both newly built and converted from historic buildings.

Richmond has lots of green space: Friary Gardens, dominated by the tower of the old Friary, and Ronaldshay Park, with a playground and skate park. By the river is a wide, green area called The Batts and the famous waterfall, an inviting place in summer for picnics and paddling in the River Swale. Above the town is the former Georgian racecourse, which gives great views for miles in all directions.

Richmond has a three-screen cinema at the converted station as well as its own historic theatre, along with numerous cafes, restuarants and pubs, and lots of high quality independent shops.

There are plenty of opportunities for running and cycling locally, and the town has two gyms, and a swimming pool.

Beautiful walks start in the town centre, following the river downstream to Easby Abbey, upstream through the beautiful Billybanks Woods, or along the ridge of Willance’s Leap, with expansive views over Lower Swaledale.

Richmond has several respected schools, catering for primary education through to A-levels.

Transport links

Transport links to the rest of the country are excellent, with the A1 and A66 intersection at Scotch Corner only four miles away.

Darlington and Northallerton railway stations, on the East Coast mainline are both within around 15 miles of Richmond, with regular fast trains to London and Edinburgh. The nearest airports are Newcastle International and Leeds/Bradford (around 1 hour drive) and Manchester (2-hour drive).

Lulu Fidler

Lives in Richmond and runs The Showcase Gallery

I have lived in a few places now, but Richmond has been the most rewarding. It is a beautiful town with its castle and history, some good quirky shops, decent pubs, a good variety of restaurants, a great collection of walks and The Best atmosphere to live and work in.

James Gravenor

Trustee of Richmond Station and Richmond Resident

Richmond is a great place to live in as it is small enough to be friendly and to feel part of the community, but large enough to support a range of shops, services and entertainment including a theatre, cinema, and museums. It is also beautiful.

Christine Clark

A Happy Resident

When we were moving back from France to the UK we had a list of things we were looking for. They were: within walking distance of shops, restaurants and pubs with theatre, cinema and beach. Richmond fulfilled all but the beach but who needs that with the lovely river and walks. Also, no cold wind blowing in from the sea! Friendly people and good links to cities