Event space · Co-working
Free co-working in Thirsk on Wednesdays and Thursdays
Every wednesdays and thursdays, 9am to 4pm, the room above the cafe is a free place to work. Bring a laptop, take a seat at the big table, order lunch when you are hungry. No membership, no booking, no charge for the desk.
It is a proper room rather than a corner of a cafe: upstairs, with its own entrance from the street, its own toilet and a door between you and the coffee machine.
Days
Wednesdays and Thursdays
Hours
9am to 4pm
Cost
Free
What to expect
A hot desk above a cafe in a market town
North Yorkshire is short of places to work that are not a kitchen table or a forty-minute drive to Harrogate or York. This is a small answer to that: one room, two days a week, no charge.
One big table, and room to spread out
Most people sit at the long table in the main room. It is companionable rather than silent, so there is usually a bit of chat first thing and then everyone gets on with it.
Your own room, away from the cafe
The co-working room is upstairs with its own entrance and its own toilet, so you get a quiet room with a door on it rather than a corner of the cafe.
Free WiFi
The same connection the cafe runs on, at no charge. Ask at the counter for the details when you arrive.
Power
Bring your charger. If you need a socket right by your seat for the whole day, ring ahead and we will make sure you get a spot near one.
Food and drink brought up
Order from the cafe menu and it comes to you. Coffee, a bacon sandwich at nine, soup and a toastie at one.
Just turn up
It is free and open to anyone, whether you buy anything or not. Walk in on the day, take a seat, and work for as long as you need.
A door that shuts
The private room for calls and small meetings
Open plan is fine until the call is confidential or you are interviewing somebody. The breakout room sits off the main space and holds up to 12 people round a table.
There is no set price for it. It is usually free or a small charge, depending on what you need it for, because we would rather earn it on the lunch than on the room. Ring and say what you need it for. Book in advance if the call matters, because there is only one of it.
Need it on another day?
Outside the co-working days the whole space is hired by the session: meeting room hire runs from a morning to a full day, with the whiteboard, both rooms and catering from the kitchen. Ring us for a price. What it costs depends on what you need the room for and what food goes with it.
Who uses it
Remote workers, freelancers and people passing through
- Remote and hybrid workers who want a day away from the kitchen table
- Freelancers and sole traders in Thirsk, Sowerby, Topcliffe and the villages
- People passing through on the A19 or A1(M) who need a few hours and a signal
- Anyone between appointments in town on a market-day morning
- Students and people revising who need somewhere out of the house
- Small teams who want one day a week in the same room
Getting here
Parking on the square
Market Place
First hour free, then pay and display
On our doorstep
Marage Road
Pay and display
About 3 minutes
Millgate
Pay and display
About 4 minutes
The first hour on the Market Place is free, which is no use for a full day, so most regulars use Marage Road or Millgate. Trains from York take 16 to 23 minutes and Northallerton about 10, though the station is a mile and a half out of town. Full detail on trains, buses and parking.
Questions people ask
Co-working in Thirsk, answered
- Is the co-working really free?
- Yes. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9am to 4pm, free and open to anyone. Most people buy a coffee and some lunch while they are here, which is what pays for the room, though the desk is free either way.
- Do I need to book a desk?
- No. Turn up on a Wednesday or Thursday between 9am and 4pm and take a seat. If there are five or more of you, drop us a line first so we can make sure there is room.
- Where is the co-working room?
- Above Tea Time Cafe at 87 Market Place, on Thirsk market square. It has its own entrance from the street, separate from the cafe door.
- Can I take a call?
- Quick ones at the table are fine. For anything longer, or anything confidential, the breakout room is the better bet. It is a private room off the main space with a door that shuts.
- What does the private room cost?
- There is no set price. It is usually free or a small charge, depending on what you need it for, and it holds up to 12 people. We would rather make the money on the food than on the room, so ring and tell us what you need it for. Book in advance if you know you need it, because there is only one.
- Is there WiFi and power?
- The WiFi is free. Bring your charger, and if you need a socket by your seat all day then ring ahead and we will keep you a place near one.
- Can I get lunch?
- Yes, from the cafe menu, brought up to you. Cooked breakfast, soup, toasted sandwiches, flatbreads, and cake made in the kitchen that morning.
- Is the room accessible?
- The room is upstairs and we have not had step-free access confirmed, so we are not going to claim it. Ring 01845 523869 first if you need step-free access and we will tell you honestly what the way in is like.
- What about the other days of the week?
- Co-working runs on Wednesdays and Thursdays only. On other days the room is hired out, so ask at the counter or ring before you set off with a laptop.
Back to the room and what else it does, or see meeting room hire and parties and wakes.