Thirsk's a popular tourist destination attracting visitors, especially with Thirsk Racecourse and the North York Moors. The town lies in the Vale of Mowbray, 23 miles north of York. Cod Beck runs through the centre of Thirsk - the area to the east of the river's called Old Thirsk. The A19 road now, after a bypass was built in the 1960s, passes Thirsk to the east; the former route of the A19 through the town's the A61 to the north to South Kilvington and the A170 to the south at the junction wh… (More on Thirsk)