Spotlight
The Chocolate Factory
By Jon Cosson · Last checked
Half-term for most North Yorkshire council schools runs from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, and the Chocolate Factory on the Square makes an easy treat stop. It sells handmade chocolates, bars and novelty figures, with a range of diabetic chocolate, and it is open every day of the week from February to the end of December.
At a glance
- Where
- The Forge, The Square, Thornton-le-Dale, YO18 7RN.
- Open
- Monday to Sunday, 10.30am to 5pm, from 1 February to 31 December, by its own website.
- Parking
- the National Park car park off Maltongate (YO18 7SD), a short walk from the Square.
- Sister shop
- Hutton-le-Hole, open 1 March to 31 October, so its season ends this week.
What you will find
Handmade chocolates, bars and novelty figures, and a range of diabetic chocolate for anyone who needs it. The firm's website says visitors can sometimes watch chocolate being made, at times that vary; as written, that is about the Hutton-le-Hole shop, so ask in Thornton-le-Dale rather than count on it.
A half-term day in the village
Pair it with the beck and Beck Isle Cottage, lunch on the green, and the Ellerburn circular for legs that need stretching. Forestry England's Dalby events page lists Gruffalo Granny storytelling at the Dalby Forest Visitor Centre on 31 October, free and with no booking, though the usual parking charges apply for non-members.
Links
Sources: The Chocolate Factory website; Visit Thornton-le-Dale, chocolatiers page; North Yorkshire Council, school term dates; Forestry England, Gruffalo Granny at Dalby. Checked 11 October 2026.
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