Great Edstone brings together the village’s architectural history and a walking option in the surrounding area. Church of St Michael, Great Edstone House, and The Grey Horse Inn represent different periods of construction and architectural details; the Kirkbymoorside and Gillamoor circular walk adds a specific outdoor activity to the picture. This allows you to consider cultural highlights in the village and a walk as separate focal points of your stay.
Historic buildings and their details
The Church of St Michael is a Grade II* listed building. Great Edstone House dates from the late 18th century and is built of ashlar limestone with a slate roof. The two buildings offer different architectural points of interest: the church’s listing designation, and the house’s period and materials. Ashlar limestone refers to regularly cut stone blocks; the slate roof adds a second clearly identified building material to the masonry. Anyone interested in architectural history will find more here than a single date.
The interior of Great Edstone House also has a feature of its own: an open staircase from the 18th century with turned balusters. This complements the details about the masonry and roof with an aspect of the interior architecture. The exterior materials and staircase can therefore be considered as different features of the same house. Balusters are the small supports of the staircase railing.
The Grey Horse Inn and its architectural history
The inn building, The Grey Horse Inn, dates from the early 18th century. Inside the building is a locally made, barrel-shaped oven from the 19th century. The dates refer to different elements: the inn building and the oven, which was made later. Its barrel shape and local manufacture give this architectural detail a distinctive artisanal character. The comparison also makes the time gap between the building and the oven clear, without treating them as though they were built at the same time.
Bus and walking in the surrounding area
Ryedale Community Transport operates a weekly bus service from Great Edstone to Malton on Saturdays. Both the destination and the day of the week are relevant to your planning. Check the timetable before travelling, as details may change. The bus provides a connection on a set day of the week, while the circular walk is an activity with a specified distance and difficulty rating.
As an outdoor option in the surrounding area, the Kirkbymoorside and Gillamoor circular walk is near Kirkbymoorside. It is 9.3 kilometres long, of moderate difficulty, and is used for hiking, walking, and trail running. The three activities listed reflect different ways of using the route; the distance and rating refer to this circular walk. Check current route information and conditions before setting out, as details may change.
Discover more destinations: Bedale, Oswaldkirk, Clapham, Scotch Corner, Hinderwell, Otterburn, Tadcaster, Lothersdale
For the broader travel overview: North Yorkshire.
