Osmotherley

• The triangular village green, with its tall stone village cross and low stone bartering table, a reminder of the village's market past. John Wesley preached at the green, and the nearby chapel is described as one of the oldest in the country.
• St Peter's Church and the Friends Meeting House, which together with the chapel show how much religious history is packed into a small place.
• A slow wander of the main street and side lanes, taking in stone cottages, pub signs and benches. Fifteen to thirty minutes covers the core comfortably.
• The village's droving heritage: in the 1800s this was an overnight halt for Scottish cattlemen driving herds south along the Hambleton Drove Road, a route now walked rather than driven.

The Cleveland Way, Coast to Coast and Lyke Wake Walk all pass through, and circular walks of several miles start from the green. Heading north on the Cleveland Way onto Scarth Wood Moor is a good stretch for hearing and seeing curlew and golden plover in spring, though these are moorland birds and not a village-centre sighting.

Combining a short village wander with a longer walk is the best use of a visit. Carry proper footwear, a map and layers: paths turn muddy after rain and the moor above is exposed, with little shelter once you leave the houses.

• Public toilets next to the village hall.
• Top Shop, the village store, sells fresh and frozen food, milk, bread, groceries, sandwiches, pies, hot and cold drinks, stamps, cards, maps and books, and acts as a National Park information point.
• A post office counter operates in the village hall on limited part-days.
• Three pubs offering rooms, plus a cafe and further bed-and-breakfast accommodation in the village; food is served at The Golden Lion and Three Tuns.
• A bus stop serves the village cross.

The core is small and can feel crowded with walkers, cars and pub trade on fine weekends, when narrow streets get tight. There is no substantial sightseeing beyond the green, cross and churches, so treat it as a stop within a walking day. Note also that the reservoir a short distance north has very limited parking and a two-mile clearway through the Sheepwash area, which is separate from village parking; its water is cold, deep and unsupervised, so it is not a swimming spot.