Castleton

Castleton sits on a spur above the Esk, looking out across the head of the dale to Danby Dale and Westerdale. It takes its name from a Norman castle, of which only earthworks remain behind the village.

This is the best-served village in the upper valley, with a village shop, a butcher, tea rooms and pubs, making it a natural base for exploring the moors. The Esk Valley Walk starts here, looping round the head of the valley through Westerdale and Danby before following the river all the way to Whitby.

Castleton Moor station is a short walk below the village. From here the road climbs steeply south onto Castleton Rigg and over Blakey Ridge to Hutton-le-Hole, one of the great moorland drives, passing Ralph Cross, the emblem of the North York Moors National Park.

Around Castleton

• Danby Dale and Westerdale: two of the most unspoilt side dales in the park, both reachable on foot or by bike.
• Ralph Cross and Fat Betty: medieval stone crosses on the moor top south of the village.
• The Moors National Park Centre is a couple of miles east at Danby.