Norton on Derwent is situated roughly half-way between the historic medieval city of York and Scarborough together on the Yorkshire Heritage Coast – linked by the A64 which bypasses the town but offers convenient access.
Norton is a thriving community separated from its twin town of Malton by the River Derwent and the York to Scarborough rail line. The 2011 Census listed the population of Norton as 7,387. Norton has grown a lot with new housing developments over the past three decades which has expanded the size of the town considerably.
At the heart of Norton are Church Street and Commercial Street, our main shopping area, consisting of a good mix of local shopping and businesses, including butchers, supermarkets, a flower shop, hardware store and more. There are also two petrol stations on Church Street and Welham Road.
Norton is served by two schools: Norton Community Primary School, one of the largest primary schools in the county and, Norton College, a secondary and sixth form centre now part of the Arete Trust.
Since the 1970’s an industrial estate has been developed at Norton Grove on the eastern side of the town. Within the estate is the Malton Bacon Factory (Karro Food Group), the town’s largest employer, providing over 2000 jobs and Yorkshire Baker, another big employer in Norton.
Norton has a swimming pool and fitness centre on Church Street, and there is also an indoor bowls centre at Ryedale Community & Leisure Centre on Bowling Lane off Scarborough Road and an outdoor Bowls Club on Park Road off Welham Road.
Malton and Norton Golf Club is a 27 hole parkland golf course and has an excellent reputation and attracts visitors from far and wide.
Norton is known nationally and internationally for the horse racing. Its vibrant horse racing industry is evident within and on the outskirts of the town, with numerous trainers and stables based locally.
The bus station and the railway station are both situated in Norton. The railway station is on the Trans Pennine Express Route with trains every hour running from Scarborough to York, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool.
The parish church of St Peter is on Langton Road and sits on the site of a Roman settlement and burial ground. Built in cathedral style it can hold a large congregation. The adjacent church house provides an excellent venue for community events, concerts and plays. There are also two Methodist Churches in Norton – Trinity and Bethel – on Commercial Street, a Salvation Army base on Wood Street and the Elim Church also meets in Norton.