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Thirsk Castle

WildlifeBirdsSeasonal

Dogs welcome

Getting here

54.23207, -1.34546

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
🌿Foraging is at its best in summer here
☕Courthouse Café — a good base for a longer summer day out

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
🌿Foraging is at its best in summer here
☕Courthouse Café — a good base for a longer summer day out

Good to know

🐕Dogs welcome

Bike parkingCaféParking· PaidToilets

Best for

7 activities

Wildlife

Very strong match

Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals; Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals

Free

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Magpie +70 more · last seen 2026; Birds — Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Magpie +70 more · last seen 2026

Free

Seasonal nature

Strong match

Plants — Japanese Knotweed, Thyme-leaved Speedwell, Winter Aconite +166 more · last seen 2025; Plants — Japanese Knotweed, Thyme-leaved Speedwell, Winter Aconite +166 more · last seen 2025

Free

Foraging

Strong match

Plants — Thyme-leaved Speedwell, Amphibious Bistort, Smooth Hawk's-beard +21 more foraging species

Varies

Insect spotting

Strong match

Insects — Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee, 7-spot Ladybird +32 more · last seen 2026; Insects — Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee, 7-spot Ladybird +32 more · last seen 2026

Free

Heritage

Strong match

Historic site

Free

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

1 signed route nearby · 13 public paths nearby

Signed route nearbyPublic paths

Swale WayWalking route

Named routeRegional walking route

🚴

Cycling

30 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

White Rose Route - Thirsk VariantCycling route

Named routeRef 657National Cycle Network

Route 71Cycling route

Named routeRef 71National Cycle Network

The White Rose Cycle RouteCycling route

Named routeRef 65National Cycle Network

Thirsk Station Cycle RouteCycling route

Named routeLocal cycle route

Main RouteCycling route4.7 km

Named routeRef 657Length 4.7 kmNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt

Main RouteCycling route379 m

Named routeRef 657Length 379 mNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt

🚵

Mountain biking

1 signed route nearby

Signed route nearby

Paradise TrailMountain bike route28.5 km

Named routeLength 28.5 kmLocal cycle route

Wildlife to spot

6,605 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

6,605 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds52 species

spring

2026

Magpie · Great Tit · Robin · Mallard · Blackbird +47

MagpiePica pica
Great TitParus major
RobinErithacus rubecula
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
BlackbirdTurdus merula
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
House SparrowPasser domesticus
Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
GreenfinchChloris chloris2025
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2025
DunnockPrunella modularis2025
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2025
BuzzardButeo buteo
JackdawColoeus monedula2025
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
House MartinDelichon urbicum2025
SwiftApus apus2025
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2025
GoldcrestRegulus regulus2025
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
KingfisherAlcedo atthis2025
NuthatchSitta europaea2025
Sand MartinRiparia riparia2025
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea2025
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris2025
KestrelFalco tinnunculus2025
SwallowHirundo rustica2025
SkylarkAlauda arvensis2025
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla2025
RookCorvus frugilegus2025
Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus2025
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula2025
Coal TitPeriparus ater2025
FieldfareTurdus pilaris2025
Rock DoveColumba livia2025
WhitethroatCurruca communis2025
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2025
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii2025
SiskinSpinus spinus2025
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major2025
Mandarin DuckAix galericulata2025
Grey PartridgePerdix perdix2025
RedwingTurdus iliacus2025
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella2025
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2025
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2025
Grey HeronArdea cinerea2025
Tree SparrowPasser montanus2025

🐟

Fish1 species

summer

2025

Dace

DaceLeuciscus leuciscus

🐝

Insects17 species

winter

2026

7-spot Ladybird · 14-spot Ladybird · Pine Ladybird · 10-spot Ladybird · Marmalade Hoverfly +12

7-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata
14-spot LadybirdPropylea quattuordecimpunctata
Pine LadybirdExochomus quadripustulatus
10-spot LadybirdAdalia decempunctata
Marmalade HoverflyEpisyrphus balteatus2025
Green ShieldbugPalomena prasina
Cream-spot LadybirdCalvia quattuordecimguttata
Harlequin LadybirdHarmonia axyridis
Hawthorn ShieldbugAcanthosoma haemorrhoidale
Eyed LadybirdAnatis ocellata
Birch ShieldbugElasmostethus interstinctus
Adonis' LadybirdHippodamia variegata
2-spot LadybirdAdalia bipunctata
Orange LadybirdHalyzia sedecimguttata
Juniper ShieldbugCyphostethus tristriatus
Alder Leaf BeetleAgelastica alni2025
SyrphusSyrphus2025

🌿

Plants4 species

springsummer

2025

Thyme-leaved Speedwell · Lesser Stitchwort · Thread-leaved Water-crowfoot · Common Water-crowfoot

Thyme-leaved SpeedwellVeronica serpyllifolia
Lesser StitchwortStellaria graminea
Thread-leaved Water-crowfootRanunculus trichophyllus
Common Water-crowfootRanunculus aquatilis

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

6,605 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds52 species

spring

2026

Magpie · Great Tit · Robin · Mallard · Blackbird +47

MagpiePica pica
Great TitParus major
RobinErithacus rubecula
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
BlackbirdTurdus merula
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
House SparrowPasser domesticus
Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
GreenfinchChloris chloris2025
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2025
DunnockPrunella modularis2025
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2025
BuzzardButeo buteo
JackdawColoeus monedula2025
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
House MartinDelichon urbicum2025
SwiftApus apus2025
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2025
GoldcrestRegulus regulus2025
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
KingfisherAlcedo atthis2025
NuthatchSitta europaea2025
Sand MartinRiparia riparia2025
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea2025
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris2025
KestrelFalco tinnunculus2025
SwallowHirundo rustica2025
SkylarkAlauda arvensis2025
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla2025
RookCorvus frugilegus2025
Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus2025
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula2025
Coal TitPeriparus ater2025
FieldfareTurdus pilaris2025
Rock DoveColumba livia2025
WhitethroatCurruca communis2025
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2025
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii2025
SiskinSpinus spinus2025
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major2025
Mandarin DuckAix galericulata2025
Grey PartridgePerdix perdix2025
RedwingTurdus iliacus2025
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella2025
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2025
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2025
Grey HeronArdea cinerea2025
Tree SparrowPasser montanus2025

🐟

Fish1 species

summer

2025

Dace

DaceLeuciscus leuciscus

🐝

Insects17 species

winter

2026

7-spot Ladybird · 14-spot Ladybird · Pine Ladybird · 10-spot Ladybird · Marmalade Hoverfly +12

7-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata
14-spot LadybirdPropylea quattuordecimpunctata
Pine LadybirdExochomus quadripustulatus
10-spot LadybirdAdalia decempunctata
Marmalade HoverflyEpisyrphus balteatus2025
Green ShieldbugPalomena prasina
Cream-spot LadybirdCalvia quattuordecimguttata
Harlequin LadybirdHarmonia axyridis
Hawthorn ShieldbugAcanthosoma haemorrhoidale
Eyed LadybirdAnatis ocellata
Birch ShieldbugElasmostethus interstinctus
Adonis' LadybirdHippodamia variegata
2-spot LadybirdAdalia bipunctata
Orange LadybirdHalyzia sedecimguttata
Juniper ShieldbugCyphostethus tristriatus
Alder Leaf BeetleAgelastica alni2025
SyrphusSyrphus2025

🌿

Plants4 species

springsummer

2025

Thyme-leaved Speedwell · Lesser Stitchwort · Thread-leaved Water-crowfoot · Common Water-crowfoot

Thyme-leaved SpeedwellVeronica serpyllifolia
Lesser StitchwortStellaria graminea
Thread-leaved Water-crowfootRanunculus trichophyllus
Common Water-crowfootRanunculus aquatilis

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Nick W · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

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🌱St James GreenUrban park400 m→🌱Nursery Little GreenUrban park400 m→✦Market ClockHistoric site200 m→⛪St Mary's ChurchReligious grounds300 m→🐄Monk Park FarmVisitor farm4.3 km→🌱Castle GarthUrban park0 m→

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