the moors message north york moors national park esk ...€¦ · regional routes are an easy and...

THE MOORS MESSAGETREAD GENTLY – despitesurviving all sorts of weather, themoors, their plants and animals arefragile and sensitive.

FENCES & WALLS – keep someanimals in and some out, use stilesor gates (and shut them).

FIRE – uncontrolled fires candevastate miles of moorland whichmay never fully recover. Don’t startfires or drop cigarettes or matches.

LITTER – is dangerous as well asunsightly – take it home.

DOGS – running loose canharm sheep and ground-nestingbirds. On moorland, please keepyour dog on a lead or to heel atall times. Dogs must be kept onrights of way on most OpenAccess moorland in the NorthYork Moors; please follow signsat access information points.

SAFETY – weather conditionscan change quickly, are youfully equipped?

FOOTPATHS – are for feet.Bicycles may be ridden on bridleways.Motorcycles and other vehiclesshould stick to roads.

The North York Moors National Parkis one of the most beautiful parts ofEngland and Wales. As the largestexpanse of open heather moorland

in the country, it is a treasuredlandscape which deserves all the

care the nation can give it.

£2.95

North York Moors National Park AuthorityThe Old Vicarage

BondgateHelmsley

YorkYO62 5BP

www.visitthemoors.co.uk

014002

North York Moors National Park

A REGIONAL ROUTE including Ordnance

Survey Maps

ESK

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LLEY

WA

LK

ESK VALLEY WALK

More than a stroll but less than a trek,

Regional Routes are an easy and enjoyable

way to explore the countryside. They are

designed for a short walking holiday

and are ideal for a long weekend.

The Esk Valley Walk follows the River Esk

from its source high on the

North York Moors to the coast at Whitby.

The 35 mile route takes you through a

variety of countryside from open

moorland to riverside pastures.

Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps OL 26 and OL 27 cover the North York Moors National Park.

The maps in this guide are reproduced from the Ordnance Survey Explorer Map Series with the permission of the Controller of

Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown Copyright

First published by the North York Moors National Park Authority 1992 Revised 1997 and 2008

© North York Moors National Park Authority

ISBN 978-1-904622-19-2

ESK

VALLEY W

ALK

ROADS AND PATHS HEIGHTS AND NATURAL FEATURES not necessarily rights of way

RAILWAYS VEGETATION

PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY

Feet

1200

1000

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400

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0 21 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34

35miles

30miles

25miles

20miles

15miles

10miles

5miles

Metres

366

305

244

183

122

61

0

Whitby

Sleigh

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Grosmo

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Egton

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ArncliffeWoods

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DanbyBeacon

Danby

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Esklets

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YOUR ROUTE

KEY TO THE MAP

Esk Valley Walk

River Esk

Railway

‘A’ Road

Bell Heather

WESTERDALE MOOR

Salmon

The Moors Centre, Danby Whitby Abbey

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway

DANBY HIGH MOOR EGTON HIGH

MOOR FYLINGDALES

MOOR

GLAISDALE MOOR

Castleton ❉

Danby❉

Lealholm❉

Glaisdale ❉

Egton Bridge

❉

Grosmont❉

Sleights ❉

Ruswarp ❉

Whitby

River Esk

A171

A16

9

A171

ACCESS LAND OTHER PUBLIC ACCESS

Scrub Access land boundary and tint

Access land in wooded area

Access information point

Portrayal of access land on this map is intended as a guide to land which is normally available for access on foot, for example access land created under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, and land managed by the National Trust, Forestry Commission andGENERAL FEATURES Woodland Trust. Access for other activities may also exist. Some restrictions will apply; some land will be excluded from open access rights. The depiction of rights of access does not imply or express any warranty as to its accuracy or completeness. Observe local signs and follow the Countryside Code.

BOUNDARIES

National Park

TOURIST AND LEISURE INFORMATION

National Park Information Point

INTRODUCTION The River Esk starts high up on the Moors at the head of Westerdale. Its source is not a clear bubbling spring but a series of trickling becks, Esklets, which meet as they flow down to the valley. The river then wends its way east for 25 miles to join the sea at Whitby.

For walkers, the Esk Valley offers an attractive variety of scenery and landscape. In some parts the valley is wide and open with the Moors rising clearly on either side, in others it narrows into a steep wooded gorge. On the walk you can enjoy woods, farmland and riverside pastures.

The name, Esk, stems from a Celtic word Isca meaning water or stream and the valley is rich in historical remains from prehistoric earthworks to medieval packhorse bridges. Yorkshire’s only salmon river, the Esk has been a popular fisherman’s haunt for centuries. Look carefully and you may see

trout and grayling as well as salmon. If you are tempted to fish, however, remember that you need a permit and a licence - these are usually available locally or you can contact a local angling club or the Environment Agency.

ABOUT THE WALK The whole route is about 35 miles long, starting at Castleton and ending in Whitby. For details of the distances and heights see the inside cover. From Castleton you walk on to the Moors and to the source of the River Esk at Esklets. You then follow the river on its

Fishing near Lealholm

journey to Whitby where it flows into the North Sea. The route is marked by a special waymark with a leaping salmon; yellow arrows mean a footpath and blue denote a bridleway.

GETTING TO THE START The walk starts at Castleton which can be reached by train on the Esk Valley Line which runs between Middlesbrough and Whitby. As the train stops at eight villages along the Esk Valley Walk, it may also be a welcome relief if you change your plans or overstretch yourself.

A service bus and Moorsbus, the National Park’s own bus network, also run through Castleton and timetables are available.

WHAT YOU NEED Wear strong shoes or boots as some of the paths may be muddy. Take an extra layer and a waterproof - however sunny it is when you start out, the weather changes quickly and on the Moors it is often cooler.

FURTHER INFORMATION The Moors National Park Centre Tel: 01439 772737.

It is important to be dressed for all weathers

KEY TO MAPS

ON INSIDE

BACK COVER

© Crown Copyright. North York Moors National Park Authority. Licence No. 100021930 2008

CASTLETON From the station turn right along the road. Cross the Esk and turn

right. After the right-hand bend turn left up the footpath at the corner of the drystone wall. At the top of the hill turn right up the road. Turn left before the junction at the first footpath sign (the entrance to Didderhowe). Walk straight down the track to the farm. At the farmhouse carry on down left of the house and go through the gate. Walk straight across the field to the gate opposite. Carry straight on down by the hedge for two fields. Go through the gate by the beck and bear right parallel to the beck. Follow the waymarked route through a series of fields and gates eventually to arrive at the road. Go through the gate and straight on along the road leading to West Green Farm and Plum Tree Farm.

Sheep farming is the main type of farming in the National Park


DANBY DALE Honey Bee Nest Farm is part of Botton Village, a special

community for adults with special needs. Run according to the principles of the Camphill Movement, the community is largely self-sufficient and products ranging from wholemeal bread to toys are sold in Botton and nearby villages.

Danby Dale

At Plum Tree Farm carry straight on passing West Cliff Farm and Blackmires along the public footpath. At the road go straight on through the farmyard of Stormy Hall. Pass through a series of gates then around the field-edge and over the wall-stile. Go through the next series of fields towards Nook House Farm. Just before the farmhouse the path leaves the fields to join a road. Walk along the road in front of the farmhouse and through the gate. Follow it to the next farm (Honey Bee Nest Farm). Go through the farmyard and turn right through the gate. Head straight up the daleside. At the top of the field turn left to join the path across the moorland. Follow it to the road and turn left. Take the first left following the public bridleway.


Standing Stone above Rosedale

White Cross

ROSEDALE HEAD The North York Moors have a

remarkable number of moorland crosses and standing stones. Most date from the Middle Ages when they marked boundaries or routes across the Moors. Over 30 are named and at the road you pass White Cross, also known as Fat Betty.

Last century Rosedale had a flourishing ironstone industry. Over to the left the line on the

hillside marks the route of the railway which was built in 1861 to transport the iron ore from Rosedale to Durham. It was dismantled in 1929. Further along the daleside is a row of arched kilns where the ironstone was roasted to remove impurities and make it lighter for transportation. Looking at this peaceful valley today it is hard to imagine that it was such a hive of industry and had a population of nearly 3,000 people.

Follow the bridleway across the moorland. At White Cross go straight over the road and stay on the bridleway. It bears right to join the Castleton to Hutton-le-Hole road. Turn left at the road and walk past the Lion Inn to the turning for Farndale.

Rosedale Kilns

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Farndale from High Blakey


BLAKEY RIDGE

With high moorland on all sides you experience the open space and remoteness typical of the Moors on this stretch. These Moors are part of the largest expanse of continuous heather moorland in England - the very reason this area became a National Park.

Heather moorland is home to a variety of wildlife. Ling is the most common heather but you will also see bell heather and cross-leaved heath. Up until the 1930s ling was used for thatching. It is still used now for making besoms or brooms in some places. Today the Moors generate a different source of income - grouse shooting. The season begins on the ‘glorious’ 12th of August and continues until December. The heather is burned regularly to encourage new growth as the young shoots are essential food for young grouse. Other moorland birds to look out for are golden plover, curlew, merlin and meadow pipit.

Turn right down the road to Farndale. Turn right along the wide track signposted bridleway. This is the track bed of the old Rosedale railway.

Red Grouse


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Westerdale Moor

ESKLETS The sound of trickling water

accompanies you for the next few miles. Several small becks flow down from the Moors here becoming the River Esk at Westerdale. The path passes through the remains of Esklets. In the 12th century it was a monastic grange (or sheep farm) owned by

Meadow Pipitthe monks at Rievaulx Abbey near Helmsley. Although the buildings were used until the mid 1940s they were finally abandoned because of their isolated position. On the hillside to the left are the waste tips from the jet mines which were worked until the end of the 19th century.

Where the track is crossed by a path turn right following the Esk Valley Walk signpost. Walk down to the beck. Cross the fields and go through the gate. Bear right down towards the beck. Cross the footbridge and continue along the hillside. The beck is now on your left. Cross the ford and turn right along the path with the beck on the right. Cross the footbridge and carry straight on to the stone stile. Walk behind the farm buildings on the right to the gate. Go through it and left across the fields.

Esklets is the most remote part of the walk


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Westerdale

Drystone walls are built using local stone without cement and mortar

WESTERDALE Carry on across the fields with the beck on the right. One field

after the footbridge the track forks. Bear left and go through the gate in the drystone wall. Turn right along the track. At the right-hand

turn keep straight, on the path beside the wall. Before the farm bear left up the track and go through the gate. Cross the field to Hawthorn Farm. Go straight on keeping the farm on the right. After the stream the path forks. Keep left and walk up to the metal gate. Go through it and carry on to the junction. Turn right up the road. Bear left at the first public footpath sign

to cross the moorland. Keep the grouse butts on your left and Westerdale village in view on your right. The path through the heather is not always visible, eventually running close to a drystone wall. As the wall bends away to the right take the waymarked path on the left across the heather. Where the path meets a drystone wall, continue beside the wall with the wall on your right. Continue down the valley side to the River Esk. Cross the bridge and go up the slope. At the corner of the field bear left - not by the fence but across the rough ground. Continue beside the river. At the road turn right.


Looking south from Danby Park

Green Woodpecker

ESK DALE Commondale Beck joins the River Esk here adding to its size

and strength. The first of several mills along the river is on the left as you head down the road. Now extensively converted, Esk Mill

was used for spinning and weaving flax in the late 18th century. It was later adapted for grinding corn and continued to operate until the 1930s.

Danby Park is the remnant of a medieval deer park. In the Middle Ages, deer hunting was an exclusively royal pastime anyone else who wanted to hunt had to apply to the king for permission. To get around this, landowners enclosed their own deer parks for private hunting. This deer park belonged to

the de Brus family who lived in the Norman Castle in Castleton before it was dismantled in the 13th Century.

Walk up the hill and turn left at the cross roads following the sign to the station. Go left over the bridge. Go under the railway bridge past the station and up the hill. Turn right off the road following the bridleway signposted Danby. Walk past the houses beside the stone wall and the fence. Carry on straight through the wood and along the track until the bridleway meets the road.


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Danby Dale and Little Fryup Dale

DANBY Danby Lodge now The Moors National Park Centre, is an old

hunting lodge but since 1976 it has been a National Park Visitor Centre, it has a tea room, a shop, attractive grounds, exhibitions and the ‘Inspired by ….’ gallery showing local art and crafts.

Go left along the road. Go over the wall-stile on your right and through the gate on your left. Follow the path and cross the wall-stile near the houses and turn right down the road. Bear left over the beck and immediately right. Turn right at the road. After two bridges, turn left up the bridle path by the converted chapel. At the top turn left, following the road. Turn left through the wooden gate signposted Danby. Cross the railway carefully. Keeping the hedge on your left, cross the Esk and continue to the road. Turn right. Take the footpath on the left. Cross the field following the direction of the signpost to the far side. At the far side turn right and go straight on parallel to the wall. Cross the stile keeping the farm on your right and carry on straight up the track to the next farm. Walk through the farmyard past the house and continue straight along the road. Turn first left up the track. At the road go straight ahead and then right to Danby Beacon, the highest point in the area.

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A pause to explore The Moors National Park Centre is well worth while

OAKLEY WALLS The remoteness of the Moors has meant that evidence of early

man can still be found in many places. Burial mounds, known locally as howes, boundary dykes and the remains of ancient fields are typical of the archaeological landscapes in the National Park. Many of these features are over 3,000 years old. On the open moorland they often stand out as the only visible landscape features although in some cases they are so camouflaged by vegetation that it takes an expert to spot them. The Moors around Danby were surveyed in 1988 and over 400 sites of archaeological interest were found. They range from early prehistoric tool production sites which may be over 6,000 years old to 19th century boundary stones. Along Oakley Walls two prehistoric cist burials were discovered by the farmer in 1946. These consisted of crudely constructed stone chambers which contained cremated bones and may be 3,500 years old.

At Danby Beacon, bear right along the unmade road towards Lealholm. At the junction turn right and continue to the road. Follow the road ahead to the next junction.

Lapwing


Mist in the valley: looking south from Oakley Walls


Stepping stones

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LEALHOLM Sandstone is a popular building stone locally. Underpark Farm

is built of sandstone which has been ‘dressed’ or decorated.

Mill Wood has a variety of traditional native woodland trees including alder, downy birch, hazel, oak and holly. This together with the range of plants, (wood sorrel, bluebell, broad buckler fern, greater woodrush among others) suggests it is an ancient woodland i.e. it has been tree-covered for over 400 years.

Turn right at the road and head down to the village. After the car park go left along the bridleway. Follow the track to Underpark Farm. Go right, keeping the buildings on your left, through the farmyard. Go through the gate into the field. Carry on beside the River Esk. Climb up to the handgate and cross the wooden bridge next to the railway. At the end of the path turn right down the track. Cross the river and follow the track up the slope. At the road go straight on. Take the footpath on the left between the houses. Walk over the lawn to the field gate. Carry on down to the stile and the gate. Follow the path round the hill to the next stile. Carry on into the woods.

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River Esk at Lealholm


Beggar’s Bridge

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GLAISDALE Terraces of slate-roofed cottages are the first sign that you are

coming to a mining area. Both Glaisdale and Grosmont were ironstone mining villages last century.

Beggar’s Bridge was built in 1619 by Thomas Ferries, the son of a moorland farmer. When he was courting he had to swim across the Esk to meet his sweetheart, Agnes. Her father, a wealthy landowner, thought that Thomas was far too poor for Agnes so Thomas decided to go to sea to seek his fortune. The night before he was due to leave he couldn’t get across the river to say goodbye to Agnes and swore that one day he would build a bridge at the spot. He returned from the sea a rich man, married Agnes and built Beggar’s Bridge!

The stone trods through Arncliffe Woods are part of an ancient pannierway, used in the past by monks, packhorses and travellers. As this oak woodland is fed by several springs, moisture loving plants such as large bittercress and soft rush can be seen as well as greater stitchwort and wild strawberry.

Cross the stile in the wall. Go down past Mill Wood Cottage and up the drive to the road. Turn left. Follow the road to the junction at the Arncliffe Arms. Turn left. The route goes right at the signpost before the railway bridge but it is worth carrying on under the railway bridge to see Beggar’s Bridge first. Back on the route climb up the step and follow the path left through the wood and carry on to the road. Turn left down the road to Egton

The ancient pannierway Bridge. through Arncliffe Woods

River Esk

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EGTON BRIDGE Until the 1940s anyone using the Egton Estate toll road had to

pay a charge – look out for the noticeboard on the toll house towards the end of the road. Today it is used by permission of the landowner.

The church on the left after the toll road turn-off is St. Hedda’s, a Roman Catholic Church. Egton Bridge was the home of the martyr Father Nicholas Postgate who was executed in 1679 because he refused to conform to the established religion.

Go past the Horseshoe Hotel. Immediately before the junction go left down the steps. Walk along the path to the stepping stones across the River Esk*. Cross the river and follow the path behind the gardens to the road. Turn right, continue to the junction and turn left. Join the private toll road on your right opposite St. Hedda’s Church.

*If the Esk is in full spate go straight on at the junction to the road bridge. Follow the road up towards the church. The toll road is on the right. Wellingtonia tree


GROSMONT Listen out for the puffing steam train of the North Yorkshire

Moors Railway here in the summer. Engineered by George Stephenson in the 1830s, the line used to link Whitby to Pickering. Today only the Grosmont to Pickering section is open, passing through the stunning and dramatic Newtondale Gorge.

At the end of the toll road turn left and first right. Continue round behind the houses. Carry straight along the bridleway to Grosmont Farm. Go through the farmyard and follow the bridleway up towards Fotherley’s Farm.

Go through the bridlegate left of Fotherley’s Farm. Follow the stone trod up through the woods,

turning right at the signpost. Go through the gate at the top. Go straight ahead

following the edge of the field to the next gate on the right. Keep straight along the track past Newbiggin Hall and go through the farm gates into the field. Carry straight on and go through the gate into the wood. Follow the path through and out of the wood. Continue along the path and bear left along the field edge to the gate. Pass through the gate and follow the

trod with the hedge on your left.

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North Yorkshire Moors steam train

Ramsons


Boating at Ruswarp

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RUSWARP

The land bordering the river is known as the ‘Carrs’ which means flat wet land

likely to flood. One of the first stone bridges over the Esk was built

here in 1190. Since then several bridges have been washed away in high floods - the last time one was destroyed was in 1930 when some areas were under 8ft (2.5m) of water and villages upstream as far as Castleton were cut off by

Kingfisher the floods.

Go through the gate and continue straight on and down through the scrubland. Turn right at the road, then left on the bridleway, down to the stream. Cross the bridge and go through the gate. Walk across the middle of the field. Go through the gate and straight on. At the road turn right. At the farm turn right over the stile. Follow the path along the edge of the field and up the hill. At the road turn right. Walk down past The Woodlands. Cross the main road and take the road to Ruswarp. After 150m turn right onto the bridge over the river. Cross the railway and bear left up Lowdale Lane and continue past the houses and turn left over the bridge into the cricket field. Pass the pavilion, go through the gate on the right, turn left following the track ahead which turns right past the houses into Echo Hill. Go through the gate and up the hill. Pass through the next gate and along the field edge to the signpost. Turn left and follow the waymoors.

RUSWARP - WHITBY The final stretch of the walk brings you to the ancient port of

Whitby. Fishing and shipbuilding have played an important part in Whitby’s development and in the 18th century two of Captain Cook’s ships, the Endeavour and the Resolution were built here.

Turn left just before the farm buildings at Hagg House. Go past the cowshed and down the slope into the field. Walk down the field to the railway. Cross the railway and turn right. Cross back again at the next level crossing and follow the lane to the road. Turn left. Cross the river and railway into Ruswarp. Walk up the main street and on the right hand side before the hill, turn right along the footpath signposted to Whitby. Follow the stone trods and go up the steps. Rejoin the trods and at the fork bear right. Go up the steps and along the path. Cross the old railway cutting. Follow the path over the school playing fields. Walk past the school entrance. Before the main road take the path by the fence on the right. Follow it parallel to the road. Go under the road via the underpass and turn right down the tarmac path to the road. Turn

right at the road, then bear right onto the unmade track. Go through the white gate and cross the railway with care. Pass through the car park (with care) and into Whitby. To see the River Esk complete its journey from moors to sea, carry on into Whitby and make your way to the pier where the walk ends.

Whitby Harbour

the moors message north york moors national park esk ...€¦ · regional routes are an easy and...

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