Situated half-way between Scarborough and York, the market town of Malton seems to have more hat shops, shoe shops and pubs than a town its size has a right to.  But that just adds to the charm of the place.

The centre of Ryedale since Roman times, there are actually three Maltons - Roman Malton, Old Malton and New Malton.

Malton past and present

Roman Malton was centered around Orchard Fields, off the Old Malton Road.  Although there's not much to be seen today, the site has yielded several important archaeological discoveries.

Old Malton, which is full of listed buildings, dates from the twelfth century.  The town grew up around St Mary's Priory, which today is the sole remaining example of a Gilbertine monastery church in England.

When a Norman castle was built near the River Derwent, a second town called New Malton was created.  The castle was demolished on the orders of King John, and is now the site of St Leonard's church, whose spire can be seen in the picture opposite.

During the Middle Ages, Malton, like many other towns, was enclosed within a wall.  The wall no longer exists, but four streets - Wheelgate, Castlegate, Yorkergate and Old Maltongate - are named after the four gated entrances to the town.

Malton once had its own racecourse, and is still one of the main centres of horse racing in the north, as is evidenced by the number of racing photos and paintings which adorn the local pubs.  One of the area's most famous trainers was John Scott, known as "The Wizard of the North".  His record of five Derby winners, eight Oaks, seven 2000 Guineas, three 1000 Guineas and an amazing 16 St Legers still stands today.

Around town

Any walk around Malton soon arrives at the Market Place, where a traditional street market is held every Saturday.   At other times, Market Place acts as a "pay-and-display" car park.

In one corner, the old Town Hall building now houses Malton Museum, and opposite it on Saville Street is the Tourist Information office.

On the opposite side of Market Place is the Milton Room, which is used for concerts and events, while in the centre is St Michael's church.  Parts of the church date from Norman times, but most of it has since been added to and subsequently restored.

The pillars and capitals of the north and south aisles are believed to be Norman, as is the font.  The tower is thought to date from the 15th century, but many alterations were carried out during the 19th and 20th centuries, some of which can clearly be seen in the photograph opposite.

New Malton's second church, St Leonard's, is thought to originate from the late 12th century, with the spire and clock being added in the 19th. Somewhat unusually, this former Anglican church was handed back to the Roman Catholic church in the 1970s, making it one of only a few medieval catholic churches in the England.

Between St Michael's church and the museum is a shop well worth taking a look at.  Woodall's Ropes, Nets and Covers has been in Malton for more than a century, and originally made all its own ropes at the old ropery.

The shop is a delightful mix of walking gear, dog leads, ropes and halters, and upstairs they manufacture covers for all sorts. Among the more unusual requests have been a coat for an Afghan hound and a backpack for a motorcyclist to carry his dog in.

Opposite St Michael's church, a short way up from the virginia-creeper clad Kings Head pub, is The Shambles. Leading to the pens which hold the livestock for the three-times weekly market, this olde-worlde row of shops used to house butchers shops.

Today, the units are occupied by a variety of small businesses, ranging from heavy-rock records to boots and shoes.  Cobbler Ian Hill has been trading here for fifteen years, and his skills are respected world-wide.

Ian said:  "Most of my customers are from the Ryedale area, but some come from as far afield as York, Leeds, and the USA."

Yes.  One American tourist was so impressed with Ian's work, he now has boots shipped out to him in the US, and sends them back to Ian when they need repairing.  Now that's a service you wouldn't get from your high-street chain.

For a sweet treat, there's a little oasis of sugary heaven on St Michael's street, just off Market Place.

Mennells Confectioners is yet another Malton stalwart, having been established nearly eighty years ago.  When Mrs Wheater, daughter of the original founder, announced she was retiring, it was feared the shop might close.

However, more than 60 people expressed an interest in taking over the shop, and the lucky new owner is Sharon Smallwood, a Malton lady with a passion for sweets.  The only change Sharon has made to the shop is to give it an overhaul to make it appear even more old-fashioned.

Among the favourites, for children - "Millions", while the older generation have a penchant for liquorice. My favourites though were the seriously delicious, devilishly wicked hand-made chocolates, which come from nearby Wensleydale. Bliss.

Today, many of Malton's buildings belong to The Fitzwilliam Estate , and it is partly because of the estate's influence that the town remains relatively free of chain shops. Malton has a real old-fashioned feel to it, and it's a pleasant change to find such a broad variety of independent businesses, many of which have been in the town for generations.

Yorkshire beer 

One such business is Suddaby's Ltd, which is now on its fifth generation of Suddabys.

The company runs The Crown Hotel on Wheelgate and started Suddaby's Brewery twenty years ago.  At first, beers were brewed on site, but are now produced to Suddaby's special recipes at a larger brewery in Selby.

In December 2004, Suddaby's opened "Malt'on Hops", a specialist shop within the hotel building which sells a huge range of bottled beers and fine wines.   With everything from Belgian Hoegaarden to Fullers London Pride, there's sure to be something to please everyone.

There is a distinctly Yorkshire flavour to many of the beers though, as proprietor Neil Suddaby explains:  "We try to stock as many locally produced real ales as we can, and we also aim to keep prices below 2 per bottle."

Pride of place goes to Suddaby's own tipples, which include "Last Chance" - a porter ale with a hint of chocolate,  "Auld Bob" - a strong ruby ale named after a family member, "Malton Goddess" - created following the discovery of a plasterwork of a Roman goddess now at the Malton Museum, "Ginger Whinger" - a classic English ale with a hint of ginger, and "Double Chance" - a full-bodied bitter, named, in keeping with Malton's horse-racing connections, after the 1925 Grand National winner.

The shop is open from 11am to 6pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and from 10am until 6pm on Saturday.  Closed on Tuesday and Sunday.  For more information, visit Suddaby's website.

Practicalities

Nearby attractions

Malton Museum on Market Place, and just outside Malton, the excellent "Eden Camp" - a themed museum depicting life during World War II.  See our separate reviews.

A short drive away, Castle Howard, Kirkham Priory, Flamingoland, Beck Isle Museum and the North York Moors Railway.

With at least a dozen pubs, most of which also serve food, there's no shortage of choice when it comes to somewhere to eat.  If caf-style is more to your liking, we spotted a good half-dozen.  The one on the corner of Market Place and St Michael's Street has some very tempting cakes.

There are also several restaurants, both eat-in and take-away, including a Mexican restaurant, open evenings only, half-way up Saville Street, and a couple of Chinese and Indian restaurants.

Getting there

Malton is easily accessible by train and bus, and is the main hub for Yorkshire Coastliner services.  The train and bus stations are adjacent, on the Norton side of the river.  Malton, and its shops and pubs are a short walk away along Railway Street.

Trains run approximately hourly from Scarborough and York/Leeds, on the main Trans-Pennine route to Liverpool Lime Street, via Manchester Piccadilly, where connections can be made for Manchester Airport.