Sessay

Sessay is a small, unhurried village in North Yorkshire's Vale of Mowbray, lying around four miles south-east of Thirsk and a couple of miles west of the A19. It sits on flat, fertile farmland close to the East Coast Main Line, with Birdforth Beck threading south of the village towards the River Swale. A field near here has even been suggested by the Ordnance Survey as a candidate for the geographical centre of Yorkshire, which says a lot about how quintessentially rural this pocket of the county is.

The village itself is a classic Yorkshire linear settlement, first recorded in the Domesday Book as 'Sezai', with a history that runs through the Percy, Darrell and Dawnay families. Today it is best known locally for its cricket club, founded in 1850 and twice a winner of the National Village Cup at Lord's, and for Grade II* listed St Cuthbert's Church, rebuilt in the 1840s by the noted architect William Butterfield. It is a village to pass through slowly on the way to the Hambleton Hills, rather than a destination with a high street of its own.

Top things to do near Sessay

Sessay is more about peaceful countryside and nearby market towns than a run of visitor attractions, but there is plenty within easy reach.

• Thirsk — The historic market town made famous by vet-turned-author James Herriot, with the World of James Herriot museum, a cobbled marketplace and regular markets.
• The Oaks Lakes Fishing Complex — A coarse fishing venue with several stocked lakes and an on-site café, right on the edge of the village.
• Hambleton Hills and the Yorkshire Wolds — The escarpment rises to the east, with walking and cycling routes including views towards Sutton Bank.
• Sessay Cricket Club — A genuine slice of village life; matches are played through the summer at this Lord's-winning club.
• Byland Abbey and Rievaulx Abbey — Impressive ruined Cistercian abbeys within a short drive, set among the Hambleton and Howardian Hills.

Getting to Sessay

Sessay lies just off the A19 between Thirsk and York, making it an easy stop by car for anyone travelling the York-to-Teesside corridor. Thirsk railway station, on the East Coast Main Line, is the nearest station with regular services to York, Darlington and beyond; Sessay itself lost its own station back in 1958. From Thirsk it is a short drive or a pleasant cycle out into the surrounding villages.

Best time to visit Sessay

Summer suits Sessay best, when the cricket season is in full swing and the surrounding farmland and hedgerows are at their greenest. Spring and autumn bring quieter roads and good walking weather in the nearby Hambleton Hills, while winter has a stark, wide-skied charm across the Vale of Mowbray, though country lanes can be exposed in poor weather.

Where to stay near Sessay

Accommodation in Sessay itself is limited, so most visitors base themselves at nearby parks and farms. Options in the surrounding area include The Oaks Lakes Caravan Park, White Rose Holiday Park and White Rose Country Cottages, plus farm bed and breakfasts such as Cundall Lodge Farm. Thirsk, a short drive away, has a wider choice of hotels, pubs with rooms and guest houses.

Food and drink near Sessay

Sessay does not have its own pub, so the nearest options are just outside the village. The Moor & Pheasant in neighbouring Dalton is a popular country pub, while the café at The Oaks Lakes Fishing Complex is known locally for its breakfasts. White Rose Holiday Park also has its own on-site pub. For a wider choice of restaurants, cafés and traditional Yorkshire pubs, Thirsk market town is only a few miles away.