Gilling East offers several clearly distinct reasons to choose it for a short stay: listed architecture, a miniature railway and a circular walk through woodland and agricultural land. The village lies at the eastern end of the Gilling–Coxwold Gap, between the Hambleton Hills to the north and the Howardian Hills to the south. This lets you balance culture, rail travel and outdoor activity.
Location and orientation
Gilling East overlooks a pass through the Howardian Hills, which the B1363 follows to York. The main entrance to the grounds of Gilling Castle is on Main Street (B1363) in Gilling East. These two references to the road are not the same: the pass points towards York, while the entrance marks a specific point in the village. Together with its location between the two hill ranges, they provide precise orientation when choosing your destination.
Gilling Castle and Holy Cross
Gilling Castle is a Grade I listed building. At Holy Cross, by contrast, specific architectural features take centre stage: the surviving Norman elements are limited to the nave arcades, with cylindrical piers and square capitals. The round piers and square capitals give you precise details of the form of the surviving arcades. The two places therefore have different points of interest: the listed status at Gilling Castle and the description of the surviving Norman fabric at Holy Cross.
Circular walk and miniature railway
The Gilling East–Grimston–Cawton Heights–Cawton circular walk is 4¾ miles long and starts in Gilling East. It passes through a section of woodland and agricultural land; the return route follows a quiet country road. When planning, therefore, consider not only the distance but also the different sections and the road on the return journey. Check the current right-of-way information before setting out.
The miniature railway in Gilling offers a different way to experience the route: children and adults can travel the entire line on passenger trains for a small fee. The trains are usually hauled by real steam locomotives. The activities are therefore clearly different: on the circular walk, you cover a route through woodland, farmland and a road on the return journey; on the railway, the focus is on riding the full length of the line.
Events and planning your dates
The Gilling Main Line Rallies, organised by RSME, take place every year over a two-day weekend in early May and for three days over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Quiz nights at the Fairfax Arms are held on the second Sunday of each month from September to March. The rallies are held on specific weekends in spring and summer, while the quiz nights offer a monthly date from September to March. If you want to plan your stay around a particular event, check the exact dates before travelling.
Gilling East Village Hall can be hired for exhibitions. If this is relevant to your plans, check the hall’s current booking information. When looking for a holiday apartment, your preferred travel dates can be a starting point—for example, if you plan to attend a rally weekend or a quiz night on a Sunday. For a walk, take account of the current right-of-way information; for an exhibition, check the relevant booking information.
Discover more destinations: Great Broughton, Hawnby, Carperby, Rosedale Abbey, Thornton Watlass, York, Well, Kettlewell.
For the wider travel guide: North Yorkshire.
