Great Ayton & Stokesley

Great Ayton sits at the foot of the Cleveland Hills and is closely linked to Captain James Cook. The Captain Cook Schoolroom Museum occupies the building where he attended school and sets out his early life and links with the local shipbuilding and seafaring trades. A memorial to Cook stands on Easby Moor above the village, and nearby Roseberry Topping rises to 320 metres, its shape marking local walking routes into the North York Moors.

Stokesley is a small market town serving surrounding farms and villages, with a marketplace on the high street and an annual agricultural show. The River Leven runs through the parish and joins fields, small woods and hedged lanes within a short distance of town. Independent shops, cafés and community facilities concentrate around the square, and regular market days continue to link producers and residents. Road and footpath connections provide access to neighbouring settlements and to moorland tracks used by walkers, cyclists and riders.