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York Minster
Attractions in Bishopthorpe

Bishopthorpe Palace is the place to visit in Bishopthorpe

National Railway Museum sees about 808K visitors a year. Mapped inside Bishopthorpe’s built-up area is one place to visit, and within 5 km of its edge another 39. Look for 18 museums, 5 attractions and 3 castles. Among them, 4 are cared for: 2 by English Heritage and 2 by the National Trust. A day out reaches Castle Howard, 26 km away.

Photo: York Minster, MatzeTrier (CC BY-SA 3.0)
In Bishopthorpe
1
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
39
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
20
in or near town
Castles & historic places
12
in or near town
Cared for
4
National Trust, English Heritage, Cadw and others
Best known

Start here in Bishopthorpe

3 museums, a church and a castle follow Bishopthorpe Palace.

AttractionAttractionBishopthorpe Palacein townChurchYork Minster4.2 km outside town, to the northMuseumBig drawMuseumNational Railway Museum3.8 km outside town, to the north · 808K visitors a yearCastle · English HeritageClifford's Tower3.6 km outside town, to the northMuseumYorkshire Museum4.1 km outside town, to the north · 164K visitors a year (2019)MuseumYork Castle Museum3.5 km outside town, to the north · 284K visitors a year (2013)

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

The map view

Head to the north for most of the 39 on the list.

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The dashed line is Bishopthorpe’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

Kinds of place

Most are museums or galleries, 20 in all, ahead of castles or historic places (12).

Museums & galleries 18 museums · 2 art galleries0 in town · 20 nearby
Castles & historic places 3 castles · 3 forts · 2 historic sites · 1 church · 1 abbey or priory · 1 historic house · 1 ruins0 in town · 12 nearby
Gardens & estates 2 gardens0 in town · 2 nearby
Zoos, theme parks & days out 1 zoo0 in town · 1 nearby
Other attractions 5 attractions1 in town · 4 nearby

Green: inside Bishopthorpe. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

4 places are cared for: 2 by English Heritage and 2 by the National Trust (Clifford's Tower, Treasurer's House Garden, Goddards Garden and York Cold War Bunker).

Every place

All the places to visit

One in town leads, with 39 more within 5 km of its edge after it.

The one inside Bishopthorpe comes first, then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

15 listed buildings are on Bishopthorpe’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Bishopthorpe →

Big names nearby

The wider area

Allow a day for Castle Howard, 26 km away, the pick of 12.

Historic houseCastle Howard26 km northeastAbbey or priory · English HeritageFountains Abbey38 km northwestGarden · National TrustStudley Royal Park38 km northwestHistoric houseHarewood House28 km westCastleCawood Castle9.9 km southCathedralRipon Cathedral37 km northwestCastlePontefract Castle28 km southwestCastle · English HeritageSpofforth Castle24 km westCastleSandal Castle39 km southwestCathedralLeeds Cathedral32 km southwestCastleKnaresborough Castle26 km westCathedralWakefield Cathedral37 km southwest

Places well known beyond Bishopthorpe (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Bishopthorpe: questions and answers

What are the main attractions in Bishopthorpe?

The place to visit inside Bishopthorpe’s built-up area is Bishopthorpe Palace. In all, 1 place to visit is mapped inside the town, and 39 more within 5 km.

Does Bishopthorpe have a museum?

20 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Bishopthorpe: National Railway Museum, Yorkshire Museum, York Castle Museum and York Art Gallery.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Bishopthorpe?

Yes. In or within 5 km of Bishopthorpe, 4 places are cared for: 2 by English Heritage and 2 by the National Trust (Clifford's Tower, Treasurer's House Garden, Goddards Garden and York Cold War Bunker).

What are the best-known days out near Bishopthorpe?

Within 40 km: Castle Howard (26 km), Fountains Abbey (38 km), Studley Royal Park (38 km), Harewood House (28 km).

Where are Bishopthorpe’s historic buildings listed?

Bishopthorpe has 15 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Bishopthorpe when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (33)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.