Villages of the Esk Valley
The Esk rises on the moors above Westerdale and reaches the sea at Whitby. In between are a dozen stone villages, each with its own bridge, pub or green, and most with a railway halt.
No station
Westerdale
A scattered farming hamlet at the head of the valley, where the Esk is little more than a moorland beck.
Station: Commondale
Commondale
A small moorland village on a tributary of the Esk, distinctive for its orange-brick houses built from the local brickworks.
Station: Castleton Moor
Castleton
The main village at the top of the valley, with a good range of shops and pubs and the start of the Esk Valley Walk.
Station: Danby
Danby
Home to The Moors National Park Centre, a medieval castle and a beacon with views to the sea.
Station: Lealholm
Lealholm
Perhaps the prettiest village in the valley: a green beside the river, stepping stones, a pub and tea rooms.
Station: Glaisdale
Glaisdale
A long hillside village famous for Beggar's Bridge, an elegant packhorse bridge with a romantic story.
Station: Egton
Egton Bridge
A leafy riverside village with two pubs, stepping stones and the grand church of St Hedda, host of the famous Gooseberry Show.
No station
Egton
A hilltop village above Egton Bridge with a wide main street, a pub and one of the moors' biggest agricultural shows.
Station: Grosmont
Grosmont
Where the steam trains of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway meet the Esk Valley line, with engine sheds you can visit.
No station
Goathland
The moorland village of Heartbeat and Harry Potter fame, with sheep on the green, a steam station and Mallyan Spout waterfall.
Station: Sleights
Sleights
A long village climbing the hill from the Esk on the road to Pickering, with pubs, shops and riverside walks.
Station: Ruswarp
Ruswarp
Rowing boats and a riverside walk into Whitby: the Esk's last village before the sea.
Station: Whitby
Whitby
Where the Esk meets the sea: abbey ruins, 199 steps, Captain Cook, Dracula and the best fish and chips on the coast.