Featured Partners

Recommended Accommodation

Sevenford House Bed and Breakfast	Eleven Westgate
Judges Country House Hotel	Carr Lodge Orchard Chalets
Golden Lion Hotel and Restaurant	High Farm Bed and Breakfast and Holiday Cottages
The Inn at Hawnby (formally the Hawnby Hotel)	Captain Cooks Cottage
Lyke Wake Cottage	Park View Town House Whitby

An Overview of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park

Find out more about the spectacular North York Moors, the East Coast and the surrounding North Yorkshire region

The North York Moors National Park Overview
The North York Moors cover an area of 554 square miles / 1.436 square km and are home to the largest expanse of heather moorland in England and Wales. The purple heather can be seen at its best in late summer and autumn when it is in full bloom covering the moors with a spectacular carpet of purple. However the Moors are a great place to visit all year round with its high moorland plateau and panoramic views stretching for miles and its river valleys that divide the moors, some wide and grassy, others narrow and wooded. The park is covered by 22% forestry making it one of the most wooded national parks in the country, many of which are working forests and are managed to provide timber, recreation & conservation value. Ancient deciduous woodlands and large conifer plantations offer a precious homes for many different animals. The North York Moors National Park stretches from Helmsley in the South to Saltburn in the north and from Whitby on the North Eastern coast of to the Cleveland Hills in the West. The park is managed by the North York Moors National Park Authority, an independent authority within the local government, however Farmers and other private entities are the main landowners, who mainly manage the land for grouse shooting. Dry stone walls which are typical of the North York Moors surround picturesque fields which are grazed by rugged sheep and cattle. Agriculture is the main occupation on the moors however there are signs of an industrial past, with mining for coal, jet, limestone and iron ore.

Rivers
One of the main rivers in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park is the River Esk, it is a major river stating at Westerdale as a collection of becks called Esklets and flows eastwards into the sea at Whitby. Fishermen can fish for sea trout and salmon in the River Esk which is the only river in Yorkshire that this can be done. There is a lot of beautiful wildlife that inhabits around the river and its banks. Voles, otters, dippers and kingfishers are just some of the diverse animals that can be found in and around the river habitats. The River Derwent starts at Fylingdale Moor before flowing south which brings the main supply of drinking water to Scarborough. Derwent is also an established trout and grayling fishing venue.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The moors are also famous for the North Yorkshire Moors Railway a 18 mile stretch of track running from the traditional market town of Pickering and the picturesque village of Grosmont. First completed by Georg Stephenson in 1835
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway was one of the earliest lines in the country. Travelling along the railway is a great way to explore the moors and if you break your journey you can stop to explore Levisham, Pickering, Goathland and Grosmont stations and also take one of the several enjoyable walks over the moorlands and through wooded valleys.

The East Coast
The North Yorkshire Moors National Park shares its border with the North Sea, here moors meet sea along the sensational East Coast with a stunning and rugged 26 mile heritage coast line, with towering cliffs reaching over 650 feet / 200 metres at Boulby; (the highest point on the east coast of England.) The delightful fishing village of Robin Hood bay, which is associated with its smuggling past, is the focal point of the coastline. A population of grey seals also frequent the coastline.

Whitby just outside the National Park on the Eastern Coast is another traditional fishing village, but also famous for its connections with vampires! Places of interest include the Captain James Cook Memorial Museum, there is also a fine sandy beach, ruined abbey and historic Georgian buildings. The Cleveland Way runs the entire length of the North Yorkshire Moor Coastline and is a designated national trail offering superb views to the many walkers.

Useful Links
Ampleforth | Bridlington | Carlton in Cleveland | Castleton | Chop Gate | Commondale | Crathorne | Danby | Easingwold | Eastfield | Egton Bridge | Filey | Goathland | Great Ayton | Great Broughton | Grosmont | Guisborough | Hawnby | Helmsley | Hutton Rudby | Hutton-le-Hole | Ingleby Arncliffe | Ingleby Cross | Kirkbymoorside | Lastingham | LealHolm | Little Ayton | Malton & Norton | Northallerton | Osmotherley | Pickering | Rievaulx | Robin Hoods Bay | Rosedale-Abbey | Runswick Bay | Ryedale | Sandsend | Saltburn by Sea | Scaling | Scarborough | Staithes | Stokesley | Swainby | Thirsk | Thornton-le-Dale | Whitby | York