Esk Valley Walk
A 35-mile long-distance walk exploring the North York Moors area where the source of the River Esk lies, before following the river downstream from the moors to the sea. With map, statistics, and GPX route file.
Statistics and Files
Grid Ref: NZ 683 085
Distance: 35 miles (56 km)
Time: 12–17 hours
Duration: 2–3 days
Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps (1:25,000):
OL26 North York Moors – Western Area
OL27 North York Moors – Eastern Area
Summary
The Esk Valley Walk is a long-distance footpath in North Yorkshire, England. The route first follows a loop on the North York Moors to the south of Castleton, then shadows the River Esk on its journey to the North Sea. Waymarking uses the symbol of a leaping salmon, with yellow arrows denoting footpaths and blue arrows denoting bridleways. From Castleton, the route leads to Danby Dale, Rosedale Head, and Blakey Ridge. It then passes through the remains of Esklets (a medieval sheep farm) on to Westerdale and, passing Castleton once more, into Eskdale proper. Next it reaches Danby — including the Moors National Park Centre located just outside — before climbing to Danby Beacon. From here it leads to Lealholm, Glaisdale, Egton Bridge, and Grosmont (the terminus of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway). The final section passes through Ruswarp to reach the end of the route at the old port of Whitby. (Source: Wikipedia)