Thirsk

Thirsk is a small market town of approximately 4,500 people in North Yorkshire, England. The town lies in the Vale of Mowbray, close to the North York Moors, 20 miles north of York.

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The town is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1089 as Tresche, derived from the Viking word Thraesk, or Town by the Brook. It is surrounded by a number of small villages also having names of Danish origin, such as Thirlby, Boltby and Borrowby (the -by ending meaning village or farm).

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Thirsk is built around a large medieval market square, which still hosts an open-air market each Monday and Saturday. Thirsk possesses a museum and the 15th century church of St Marys.

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Thirsk's chief modern claim to fame is its thinly-disguised appearance as 'Darrowby' the late veterinary suregon Alf Wight's semi-autobiographical books published under the pen name James Herriot, later adapted for film and television adaptations under the name All Creatures Great and Small. His home and veterinary surgery have been preserved as a museum in the centre of town. Another local attraction is the Kilburn White Horse, a chalk horse carved into the hillside about four miles east of the town.

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The race course at Thirsk is a leading venue for horse racing on the flat in the Spring and Summer months.

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Market town: In medieval law, a market town is a town that has the right to hold markets. Market towns are opposed to villages, which are typically smaller and do not have this right, and to cities, which are typically larger and often have additional rights....

North Yorkshire: North Yorkshire is a county within the region of Yorkshire and the Humber in England. It is divided into the districts of Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby....

England: :For an explanation of often confusing terms like England, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology)....