Local History
Discover Some Of The Fascinating Local History
Derwent Mill & Yew Tree Cottage
Believed to be one of the oldest cottages in West Ayton and surrounded by the beautiful countryside of the North York Moors National Park, yet just four miles inland from the seaside and the Yorkshire Heritage Coast.
This self catering holiday cottage is part of Derwent Mill Farm which sits alongside the River Derwent. The peace and tranquillity of this location makes it ideal for fishing breaks.
Derwent Mill remains a significant historic building, known well by both locals and visitors to the area, and stands proudly in one of the most iconic scenes of the village.
Ayton Castle
Ayton Castle sits on the edge of a plateau just north of the village of West Ayton. It was built in the late 14th century, probably by Sir Ralph Eure, and was a typical Northern tower house. Eure was from Northumberland, where the tower house was a familiar site, and married the Ayton heiress.
The surviving ruins reach their full height at one corner, and enough survives to give us a fairly clear idea of the castle’s original layout. The tower was three stories high, with two rooms on the ground floor.