Getting there
It sits on the B1257 beside the newer Sun Inn. Parking in the area is limited, so use only permitted parking and take care around the roadside when arriving and leaving.
Overview
About Spout House, Bilsdale
Why stop
- Preserved cruck-framed interior with real domestic detail
Heads up
- Seasonal access can mean seeing only the exterior
Map
Where it is
Loading the North York Moors map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
Getting there
8 active North York Moors alerts
- ClosureHawnby Bridleway 110 closurePublic Bridleway 25.122/110/1 in Hawnby is closed to pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians because its bridge is unsafe. - The closure is between grid references SE 5309 9073 and SE 5335 9097.Official details
- ClosureWest Ayton Footpath 1 closurePublic Footpath 1 in West Ayton (Forge Valley) is temporarily closed because its boardwalk is unsafe. - The closure is between SE 9860 8494 and SE 9839 8712.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
North York Moors Tour Guide
Your drive to Spout House, Bilsdale, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for North York Moors National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Spout House, Bilsdale0:00 / 0:26
“You're coming up on Spout House in Bilsdale, a thatched longhouse that served as the Sun Inn from seventeen fourteen to nineteen fourteen.”
Plays as you drive up to Spout House, Bilsdale in the Parkwolf North York Moors Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
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- 298 audio storiesacross North York Moors’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Eurasian Otter, Red Deer, Grey Seal, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 126 trails, 65 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Spout House, Bilsdale
What it isA Grade I listed thatched longhouse dating from the 16th century, built around 1550.
A Grade I listed thatched longhouse dating from the 16th century, built around 1550. It served as the Sun Inn from 1714 until 1914, and has been open as a museum since 1979. The name is associated with a spring beside the house.
The buildingSandstone walls with a thatched roof and stone chimney stacks.
- Sandstone walls with a thatched roof and stone chimney stacks.
- A longhouse plan supported by cruck trusses, the curved timber frames that carry the roof.
- Inside: historic fireplaces, a settle, a cast-iron range, exposed beams and joists, small parlours, a dairy and cellar, and built-in beds.
- The thatch was renewed in 2021, so the roof looks crisp and well kept.
VisitingThe house has been restored and is open to the public in principle, but access is seasonal and…
The house has been restored and is open to the public in principle, but access is seasonal and limited. Check current arrangements before travelling. This is a small, selective attraction rather than a full day out.
Making the most of a short stopPair it with a drive or walk through Bilsdale to make the trip worthwhile.
- Pair it with a drive or walk through Bilsdale to make the trip worthwhile.
- For photographs, the low, sweeping thatch and cruck-framed interior are the strongest subjects. Interiors are dim, so brace the camera or use a higher ISO instead of flash, and shoot the exterior in softer morning or late afternoon light.
- If the house is closed when you arrive, the exterior, thatch and setting are still worth a look from the roadside.
Wildlife
Wildlife in North York Moors
15 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
10 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
79 sightingsGrey SealMost seen around noonSighting map
26 sightingsWestern Barn OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
33 sightingsEuropean BadgerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
10 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around noonSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across North York Moors. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
