A Bangers & Cash Day Out in Thornton-le-Dale

Plenty of people arrive in Thornton-le-Dale to see Mathewsons, the classic-car auctioneers of the television series Bangers & Cash, and leave wishing they had allowed longer. The village rewards a full day. This guide sets out an easy, unhurried plan: start at the Mathewsons gift shop and museum in the village, wander the beck and the famous thatched cottage, take lunch in a village pub or tea room, then round off the afternoon with a gentle walk or a drive up into Dalby Forest. One thing to know before you set off: the gift shop and museum are in the village, while the auctions happen a few miles away at Pickering and are not open to the general public. Entry to the museum is £2.50 per person, and viewing the cars at Pickering on a view day before an auction is £5 per person, which goes to charity; both are correct at the time of writing, so check before you travel.

Start at Mathewsons

Begin in the village at the Mathewsons gift shop and museum at Roxby Garage on Pickering Road, where a selection of Derek Mathewson's own classic cars can be seen in one of the showrooms. Entry is £2.50 per person, correct at the time of writing. Opening times and prices change, so check the Mathewsons website before you travel. For the full story of the business, the family and the show, and for the difference between the village museum and the Pickering auctions, read our Bangers & Cash and Mathewsons guide.

Where to park

The village has parking around the green as well as a car park, and both are at their busiest in the middle of the day. Our visitor information page has the postcode, how payment works and the quieter options if you are arriving at a peak time.

Coffee and the village

Thornton Beck runs right through the middle of the village, crossed by little stone bridges, with the thatched Beck Isle thatched cottage beside it, one of the most photographed scenes in Yorkshire. The green, the market cross and the shops are all a short stroll apart, which is why the village suits an unhurried morning. Our village guide walks you round it all.

Lunch

Pubs, tea rooms and Balderson's ice cream are all in the village, so lunch is a matter of taste rather than distance. See eating and drinking for the options, and it is worth booking ahead at busy times, especially on summer weekends and bank holidays.

The afternoon: a walk or a drive

For a gentle option, the village and the beck make an easy stroll, and there is a pretty woodland walk out to Ellerburn if you would like a little more; our things to do and walks page has the detail. For something bigger, Dalby Forest is minutes away with its Forest Drive, cycling and dark-sky stargazing, while the wider Moors, Pickering and the coast are all within easy reach, as our Yorkshire Moors guide explains.

Allow half a day at least, and a full day if you want the museum, the village, lunch and a walk or Dalby Forest. It is an easy, family-friendly and dog-friendly day out.

Want to see the sale cars at Pickering?

The saleroom is at the Mathewsons site at Pickering, a couple of miles from the village rather than in it. The auctions themselves are not open to the general public, and on sale day the site is closed to visitors. What you can attend is the viewing held on view days before each sale, which costs £5 per person and goes to charity, correct at the time of writing. If you want to see the cars at Pickering, go on a view day. A free shuttle bus runs between Thornton-le-Dale and Pickering on view days only, so you can leave the car in the village; its times and pick-up points are not published here, so check the current arrangements with Mathewsons directly. View dates and sale dates are on the Mathewsons website, worth a look before you plan your day around one.

Written by a local enthusiast

This guide, along with a small family of advertising-free classic-car archives, is written by a local classic-car enthusiast, the sort who loves exactly the cars that cross Mathewsons' block.

Common questions

Can you make a day out of visiting Mathewsons?

Yes. The museum, the village, lunch and a walk or a trip up to Dalby Forest make an easy full day. Museum entry is £2.50 per person, correct at the time of writing.

Where do you park for the Mathewsons gift shop and museum?

In the village, around the green and in the village car park, both busiest in the middle of the day. See the visitor information page for details. The auction site is separate, a few miles away at Pickering.

Is there more to Thornton-le-Dale than Mathewsons?

Yes. The beck, the thatched Beck Isle cottage, village walks and Dalby Forest nearby make it one of Yorkshire's prettiest villages.

Can you attend a Mathewsons sale?

Not the auction itself, which is at the Pickering site and is not open to the general public. What visitors can attend is the viewing held on view days before each sale, which costs £5 per person and goes to charity, correct at the time of writing. A free shuttle bus runs between Thornton-le-Dale and Pickering on view days only; it does not run on auction days. Check current view dates, prices and shuttle times with Mathewsons before you travel.

How long do you need in Thornton-le-Dale?

Half a day at least, and a full day if you want the museum, the village, lunch and a walk.