The largest settlement on the route, with a population of 8,000, but catering for a much larger population in the surrounding district. Richmond is an attractive country market town with an interesting and well-preserved Norman castle, set on a crag high above the Swale. The large, sloping and irregularly shaped cobbled market square is typical of the region, and has at its centre the 12th church of the Holy Trinity. The Georgian Theatre Royal was opened originally in 1787. Some of the attractive Georgian streets have been pedestrianised. There is a wide range of shops and the town is particularly well-equipped with eating-places. For those who wish to depart from or arrive on the Coast to Coast route at this point, a bus service links Richmond with Darlington and Northallerton.