Pretty UK market town has almost no crowds due to seaside nearby
The UK's 'best' market town receives a surprisingly small number of visitors. Malton in Yorkshire is regularly one of the UK's top market towns, known for its charming lanes and bustling market fairs.
Last year it was judged to be one of the top ten places for both a Spring and Christmas getaway, while also being named England's most desired location, the Yorkshire Post reported.
Despite having such a reputation and being, on paper at least, one of the most sought after spots for a trip in the North, Malton regularly gets overlooked.
According to one local guide, part of its attraction is that it is not a place geared towards mass tourism and therefore retains some of its more traditional characteristics. However, it has very few tourists compared to a nearby coastal resort.
Bradt Guide reports that many tourists miss out on Malton because they only drive close by on the way to resorts in better known Yorkshire spots. "Malton is not a well-known place outside of northeast Yorkshire, even though tens of thousands of holiday visitors pass close by every weekend on the A64 or railway on their way to Whitby, Scarborough and Filey. This is not a place geared to mass tourism, but that is exactly where its attraction lies," the guide writes.
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Malton is often overlooked because so many people drive straight past it on the way to resorts ((Image: Getty))Perhaps part of the town's charm is as a result of this fact. It remains a peaceful place with a slow pace of life, untouched by mass tourism. This quaint riverside town hosts a lively market every Saturday where visitors can stock up on local produce, stop for a cup and coffee and chat to some of the traders.
Even though its cattle market isn't as bustling as it once was, Malton is filled with unique independent businesses, and was even named the food capital of Yorkshire by Antonio Carluccio. Malton is a town that loves its food. The Visit Malton website notes that it's a place "passionate about artisan producers, independent shops and great places to taste the delicious food and drink".
You can try lots of tasty things in places like Market Place, Talbot Yard, The Shambles, Wheelgate, and Saville Street. Of the latter, Visit Malton tempts: "This once forgotten street is now one of the most loved destinations in Malton, packed with quirky, beautiful and buzzing shops and cafes."
One of the best parts of Malton is the Palace Cinema, a family owned and run picture house which promises to show "the latest release family and quality films for a discerning audience." "Fabulous, small and traditional, this informal, family-run establishment is the perfect spot to rub elbows with Malton’s locals. Relax with a glass of wine or cup of tea while watching your film – very civilised," Bradt Guides writes.
Another tourist attraction sits just outside Malton, on the other side of the A64 dual carriageway, and is called the Eden Camp. A banking spitfire is suspended above the entrance of a row of huts which make up a museum dedicated to WWII and telling the stories of life on the Home Front, on the site of a former prisoner of war camp.
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