'Richmond' is a
market town on the
River Swale in
North Yorkshire,
England and is the administrative centre of the district of
Richmondshire. Situated on the edge of the
Yorkshire Dales National Park, it is a popular tourist destination, with a total population of 8970.
History
Etymology
The town of
Richemont in
Normandy (now in the
Seine-Maritime département,
Haute-Normandie region) was the origin of the name Richmond. This Richmond was the eponymous
honour of the
Earls of Richmond (or ''comtes de Richemont''), a dignity normally also held by the
Duke of Brittany from 1136 to 1399.

The town of Richmond as seen from the top of the keep of Richmond Castle
Early history
Richmond was founded in 1071 by the Norman,
Alan Rufus, on lands granted to him by
William the Conqueror. Richmond Castle, completed in 1086, consisted of a keep with walls encompassing the area now known as the Market Place.
The constitutional ambiguity of Dukes of Brittany as vassals of both
France (in right of
Brittany) and
England (in right of Richmond) was the source of much tension in Breton history, particularly during the great
Breton War of Succession. Richmond was also the first title held by
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, who began the
House of Lancaster. Richmond was held perpetually by those with Lancastrian titles, until the
17th century when the
Duke of Richmond was from the
Lennox line in the Royal House of Stuart, also whose titles were linked intrinsically with the
Auld Alliance. When this branch became extinct, the title was reconferred on an illegitimate son of
Charles II, whose descendants continue to hold the title.
The prosperity of the medieval market town and centre of the
Swaledale wool industry greatly increased in the late 17th and 18th centuries with the burgeoning lead mining industry in nearby
Arkengarthdale. It is from this period that the town's attractive
Georgian architecture originates, the most notable examples of which are to be found on Newbiggin and in Frenchgate.
Landmarks
Richmond Castle situated in the town centre overlooking the River Swale is a major tourist attraction. Based in the old Trinity Church in the centre of the town's market place is the
Green Howards Regimental Museum. The town is also home to the
Richmondshire Museum.
Richmond is also home to the Georgian Theatre, originally founded in 1788 by the actor, Samuel Butler. Although the decline in the fortunes of theatre led to its closure in 1848, the Georgian Theatre was restored and reopened in 1963, with a theatre museum added in 1979. More recently, the theatre has become the
Georgian Theatre Royal and was extended in 2003.
Media and filmography
Richmond has been used as a filming location for a significant number of TV programmes & films including
The Fast Show,
Century Falls,
Earthfasts and
All Creatures Great and Small amongst others.
Fresh Radio, the local radio station for the
Yorkshire Dales, broadcasts programmes from studios in Richmond.
Education
The town is home to two
secondary schools:
Richmond School and
St Francis Xavier School.
Transport
The fine stone terminus of
Richmond Railway Station, built in a Tudor/Elizabethan style, opened in 1846 and closed in 1968, shortly before the railway line itself was taken out of service. After the station closed, the building was used for many years as a garden centre. It is now being renovated by the Richmondshire Building Preservation Trust and will re-open in late 2007 - retitled, simply, The Station - as a mixed-use space for community and commercial activities.
There have been
many places around the world named Richmond after this town.
Nearby settlements
★
Middleham
★
Bedale
★
Ravensworth
★
Constable Burton
★
Thornton Steward
★
East Witton
★
Brompton-on-Swale
★
Catterick
★
Catterick Garrison
★
Darlington
★
Leyburn
★
Reeth
★
Colburn
Twinned locations
★
Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier
★
Vinstra
References
External links
★
Richmond Mini Guide.
★
Richmond Guide.
★
Richmond Online.
★
A History of Richmond : edited from Langdale's Yorkshire Dictionary (1822) and Baine's Directory of the County of York (1823).
★
Robinson's Guide to Richmond :(1833).
★
A Brief History of Richmond
★
Fresh Radio.
★
Richmond Operatic Society.
★
The Station.