The North York Moors is a highland area and national park in North Yorkshire, England. It has one of the largest areas of heather-covered land in the United Kingdom.

This area became a national park in 1952 because of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The park covers 554 square miles (1,430 km²) and had 22,935 people living there according to the 2021 census. The North York Moors National Park Authority manages the area, and its office is located in Helmsley.

Location and transport

To the east, the area is clearly marked by the tall cliffs along the North Sea coast. The northern and western edges are formed by the steep slopes of the Cleveland Hills, which border the Tees lowlands, and the Hambleton Hills, which rise above the Vale of Mowbray. To the south, the area is bordered by the irregular line of the Tabular Hills and the Vale of Pickering.

Four roads cross the North York Moors from north to south. In the east, the A171 connects Whitby and Scarborough. Further inland, the A169 links Pickering and Whitby. Another road branches off the A170 at Keldholme, passes through Castleton, and joins the A171, which connects Whitby and Guisborough. The westernmost route is the B1257, which runs between Helmsley and Stokesley. The A170, which travels from Thirsk to Scarborough, marks the southern edge of the North York Moors area.

The Esk Valley Line is a rail route that runs east to west, connecting Whitby to Middlesbrough in the north. The North Yorkshire Moors steam railway runs from Pickering to Grosmont, with a connection to Whitby. Other public transportation options include several bus services. The Yorkshire Coastliner route 840 travels from Whitby to Pickering (and continues to York and Leeds). Arriva North East routes X93 and X94 run from Scarborough to Middlesbrough through Whitby and Guisborough. Arriva North East route 95 connects Whitby to Lealholm along the Esk Valley. East Yorkshire route 128 links Scarborough and Helmsley. During summer weekends, Moorsbus services operate from local towns to more remote areas of the national park, which are hard to reach without a car. Some routes are known for their scenic views—the 840 was named Britain’s most scenic bus route by Bus Users UK, and the X93 was ranked as the tenth most scenic.

Cyclists in the 2018 and 2019 Tour de Yorkshire passed through a section of the North York Moors.

Physical geography

The North York Moors are a large, flat area of land covered with moorland, which is cut through by deep valleys called dales. These dales contain farmland or forests. The largest dale is Eskdale, which is the path of the River Esk. This river flows from west to east and reaches the North Sea near Whitby. At the western end of Eskdale, the valley splits into three smaller dales: Westerdale (the higher part of the River Esk’s path), Baysdale, and Commondale. Other smaller dales, such as Danby Dale, Little Fryup Dale, Great Fryup Dale, Glaisdale, and the Goathland valley, drain into Eskdale from the moorland to the south. Kildale, located west of Commondale and separated by a low hill, is drained by the River Leven, which flows west to join the River Tees.

The Cleveland Hills rise north and west of Eskdale. These hills connect to the Hambleton Hills, which form the western edge of the North York Moors and create a steep slope overlooking the Vale of Mowbray.

On the southern side of the moorland, valleys cut through the Tabular Hills to drain into smaller rivers that flow into the River Derwent. The westernmost of these valleys is Rye Dale, with the Hambleton Hills rising to the west of it. Bilsdale is a smaller valley within Rye Dale. To the east of Bilsdale, Bransdale, Farndale, Rosedale, and Newton Dale also cut into the moorland. In the southeast, narrow valleys formed by the upper parts of the River Derwent and its smaller rivers shape the landscape.

About 23% of the North York Moors are covered with forests, mostly in the southwest and southeast, covering more than 300 square kilometers. This area is home to the largest number of very old trees in northern England.

The River Derwent flows through the Vale of Pickering, moving westward, then turns south at Malton. It passes through the eastern part of the Vale of York before joining the River Ouse near Barmby on the Marsh.

As part of the United Kingdom, the North York Moors have warm summers and mild winters. Weather changes often, both daily and seasonally. The area’s location means it is affected mainly by winds from the west, which bring unsettled and windy conditions, especially in winter. Between these winds, high-pressure systems sometimes bring calm, sunny weather. In winter, these systems bring cold, dry air, while in summer, they often lead to dry, settled conditions that can cause drought. Due to the Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current, the area is milder in winter and cooler in summer compared to other places at the same latitude. Temperatures vary daily and seasonally, with January being the coldest month. The two main factors affecting the climate are the protection from strong west winds provided by the Pennines and the closeness of the North Sea. The area experiences late, cool springs and warm summers, with often pleasant autumn weather. Winds from the sea in spring and early summer can bring fog or low clouds to the coasts and moorland. Differences in height, slope, and shelter within the area also cause local climate variations.

Snowfall varies each year, but the area receives more snow than many other parts of the country. Heavy snow is often linked to winds coming from the northeast over the North Sea. Roads on the high moorland are often blocked by drifting snow because the terrain is exposed.

Average weather conditions include:
– 100 days of rain
– 215 days without rain
– 50 days with snow
– 1,000 to 1,520 mm (39 to 60 inches) of rain near the coast
– 635 to 760 mm (25 to 30 inches) of rain inland
– Summer temperatures between 20 and 32°C (68 and 90°F)
– Winter temperatures between -1 and 10°C (30 and 50°F)

The geology of the North York Moors is mainly made of rocks from the Jurassic period, which were formed in subtropical seas 205 to 142 million years ago. Changes in sea level created different rock types, including shales, sandstones, and limestones from coral. These rocks are clearly visible along the Yorkshire coast from Staithes to Filey.

• Lower Jurassic: At the start of the Jurassic period, shales, clays, and thin layers of limestone and sandstone were deposited in a shallow sea. These layers are very thick and include iron-rich rocks used to extract alum.
• Middle Jurassic: A gradual rise in land led to the deposition of mudstone and sandstone on a coastal plain with rivers. Occasionally, the sea flooded the area, leaving layers of limestone with marine fossils, known as the Ravenscar Group. The Oxford Clay was deposited at the end of this time.
• Upper Jurassic: The land sank again, and the sea returned, depositing calcareous sandstones and limestones, called Corallian rocks, in the Tabular Hills. Above these rocks lies the Kimmeridge Clay, which covers the Vale of Pickering but is not visible at the surface.

About 30 million years ago, the land was lifted and tilted toward the south by geological movements. Upper rock layers were worn away, exposing older rocks. The oldest rocks, found on the northern edge of the North York Moors and Cleveland Hills, are shales and iron-rich rocks. Middle layers form the sandstones of the high moorland, while the youngest layers form the Tabular Hills. In valleys where rivers have cut through the younger rocks, older shales, ironstone, and sandstone are also exposed, such as in Rosedale.

During the last 2 million years, the area experienced repeated ice ages. The most recent, called the Devensian, ended about 11,000 years ago. The higher parts of the North York Moors were not covered by ice, but glaciers moved southward on either side of the land.

As the climate warmed after the ice age, snow on the moors melted. Meltwater was blocked by ice and forced southward. Water from the Esk valley carved out the deep Newtondale valley. Meltwater from the moors formed a large lake in the Vale of Pickering. Eventually, the lake overflowed at Kirkham, carving a steep gorge there. When the ice melted, it left thick deposits of boulder clay, which blocked the eastern end of the Vale of Pickering and changed the course of the River Derwent. Silt and soil from glacial meltwater cover many areas

Natural history

The North York Moors National Park has three main types of landscapes, which are clearly different from each other, and a coastal area. The park includes green areas used for farming, purple and brown heather moorland, and woodland. These different landscapes are shaped by the types of rock beneath the ground, and each supports different kinds of plants and animals.

Sandstone rocks erode slowly and create poor, acidic soils that lack nutrients. These soils do not allow water to pass through easily, which causes water to collect and form bogs. Sphagnum moss grows in these wet areas, and cotton grass is a plant that lives in bogs. In the cold, acidic water of peat bogs, dead plant material does not break down quickly. Over time, this builds up into thick layers of peat, which raises the bogs and dries them out. Heather then grows in these areas. Large parts of the moorland are now covered with heather, bilberries, and grasses growing on thick peat layers.

The acidic soils and peat bogs do not support earthworms, so animals that eat earthworms, like moles and shrews, are not found in these areas. The pygmy shrew survives by eating insects and spiders in the heather. Birds such as lapwings, curlews, and redshanks nest on the moorland. Sandpipers live near streams, while wheatears and golden plovers prefer grassier areas. Ring ouzels live in rocky places. Red grouse, which eat young heather shoots, are common. People burn strips of heather to encourage new growth for the grouse. Grouse hunting is an important part of the moorland economy. About 20% of the park is covered in bracken, a plant that grows densely and makes it hard for other plants or animals to live there. Bracken spreads quickly and is hard to control.

Sheep are common on the moorland. Their grazing helps keep the land open, which is important for other plants and animals to live.

Limestone rocks break down quickly to form rich, alkaline soils on well-drained land. Glacial meltwater carved deep valleys, and streams now flow through these valleys. The streams, which have nutrient-rich water, support many aquatic insects and crustaceans. These, in turn, support fish like trout and grayling. Insects that emerge from the water in summer are an important food source for birds such as gray wagtails, swallows, and spotted flycatchers. Dippers and kingfishers are also common. Otters, which had declined in number, are beginning to return to the rivers and streams.

Farndale is known for its wild daffodils in spring. To the south of the high ground, sheltered woodlands with sessile oaks are found. These woodlands are home to pied flycatchers, sparrow hawks, and wood warblers. Roe and fallow deer also live here. Woodlands and grasslands on the limestone areas provide good homes for many butterflies.

The rich, alkaline soils support many wildflowers. Bluebells and primroses grow along hedgerows in spring, and rarer plants like wood vetch and orchids can also be found. Adders are common throughout the park. On the moors, they eat common lizards, and near hedgerows and woodlands, they hunt mice and voles.

Limestone grasslands have many wildflowers and are home to several rare butterflies, including the pearl-bordered fritillary, Duke of Burgundy fritillary, marbled white, dingy skipper, and grayling.

The cliffs and sandy beaches of the northern part of the Yorkshire Coast have many types of seashore habitats. Where the Cleveland Hills meet the sea, an area called the Heritage Coast has been protected. The cliff at Boulby, which is 690 feet (210 meters) high, is made of Jurassic shales, clays, and ironstones. Jurassic rocks with fossils are also visible near Robin Hoods Bay and Ravenscar.

Rocky shores have different zones of seaweed, some more tolerant of air, salt, or clear water than others. Rock pools contain sea anemones, blennies, crabs, and mollusks.

Sandy shores have plants and animals that live buried in the sand. Birds like curlews and oyster catchers dig in the sand to find food. A few cormorants and fulmars nest along the coast, where stonechats and rock pipits can also be seen. Herring gulls are the most common birds nesting in coastal towns.

History

There are records of 12,000 archaeological sites and features in the North York Moors National Park, of which 700 are scheduled monuments. Scientists use a method called radiocarbon dating to study pollen found in peat. This helps them learn about the types of plants that lived in the area long ago.

About 10,000 years ago, the cold climate of the ice age improved, and temperatures rose above 5.5 °C (41.9 °F). Plants began to grow again, and animals and humans returned to the area.

Around 8,000 BC, Britain was still connected to Europe. People from the Middle Stone Age moved to England and lived in the North York Moors. Tools made of flint, such as arrow and spear parts, have been found across the area.

By 5000 BC, rising sea levels created the North Sea, separating Britain from Europe. During the New Stone Age (about 4500 to 2000 BC), people farmed the land and cleared forests. They lived in fertile areas with limestone and grew crops, raised animals, made pottery, and created stone tools. They buried their dead in long, low mounds.

Around 2000 BC, the Bronze Age Beaker People lived in the moors. Over 1,400 years, they occupied all parts of the area and cleared much of the forest. The warmer and drier climate allowed them to live on high moors year-round. When the land became poor, they moved on, leaving behind heathland. About 3,000 Bronze Age burial mounds exist on the moors.

The Iron Age began around 600 BC. Remains of hill forts and stone hut foundations have been found in places like Boltby Scar, Roulston Scar, and Percy Rigg. Fewer Iron Age signs remain because later farming activity covered them.

By 71 AD, Roman soldiers reached Yorkshire and built a fort in Malton. A road called Wade's Causeway may have connected this fort to other parts of the region. Roman camps and signal stations were built along the coast and inland. The Romans left Britain in 410 AD.

After the Romans left, Germanic tribes like the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes settled in the area. They named many places on the moors and worshipped gods like Woden. Christianity spread to Yorkshire when King Edwin was baptized in 627 AD. Monasteries were built at Lastingham and Whitby, and a nunnery at Hackness.

In the 9th century, Viking raiders attacked the Yorkshire coast. In 867, they destroyed religious houses in Whitby, Lastingham, and Hackness and created a Danish kingdom in York. The Danes later converted to Christianity and influenced local language and place names.

In 1066, King William I and Norman barons took control of England. They built castles, some of which still stand, like those in Helmsley, Pickering, and Scarborough. Monasteries such as Whitby Abbey and Rievaulx Abbey were established in the 11th and 12th centuries. These monasteries owned large areas of land and managed them as sheep farms. They were later dissolved by King Henry VIII between 1536 and 1541, and their land was sold to private owners.

Many paths, called routeways, cross the North York Moors. Some are medieval, and a few may be older than the Roman period.

In many areas, settlements were small farms and hamlets, not villages. Few used open field farming, so Enclosure Acts were less common than in other parts of England. In the 17th century, more land was farmed, and in the 18th century, landowners improved their farms with drainage and fertilization.

In the 19th century, railways were built from Pickering to Whitby (1836), Middlesbrough to Whitby (1868), and Scarborough to Whitby (1884).

Iron ore has been mined on the North York Moors since medieval times. In the 19th century, it became a major industry. Mines and blast furnaces were built in Rosedale, and a railway served the area. The population in Rosedale grew from 558 to nearly 3,000 in two decades. Poor-quality coal was mined on the moors from the 18th to early 20th centuries.

The North York Moors is the only place in Britain where jet is found. Jet has been mined there since prehistoric times, and the industry grew in the 19th century because of demand for jewelry. The industry declined in the 1880s due to cheap imports. Alum was mined for textiles from the early 17th century until 1871. The decline came when chemical dyes replaced natural dyes. Industrial activity left marks on the landscape, making the area interesting for studying the past.

Economy

The area's economy mainly depends on tourism and agriculture.

For more than 1,000 years, agriculture has been the foundation of the economy in the North York Moors. The countryside, which draws millions of visitors each year, has been shaped and cared for by farmers over many generations. According to the 1996 Agricultural Census, there were 2,913 people working on 1,342 farms. Sheep and cattle are the main sources of income for farmers. Farmers in the dale areas have the right to let their sheep graze on the open moor. These grazing rights are often important for keeping farms financially stable. In recent years, farming in Britain has faced economic challenges, and the future of hill farming is uncertain. Some environmental programs have been created to help improve farm income, but the farming industry continues to decline.

Agriculture on the moors is shared with grouse shooting, which helps generate income from the large areas of heather. Richer farmland is found in the southern limestone belt, where there are farms that grow crops and raise livestock. The main crops grown are barley, wheat, oilseed rape, potatoes, and sugar beets. Some farms also raise pigs and poultry in large numbers.

Many visitors enjoy outdoor activities, especially walking. The National Park has nearly 1,400 miles (2,300 km) of public paths, and most open moorland areas are accessible to the public under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Popular walks include the Cleveland Way, which goes around the North York Moors, including a coastal section; and the Lyke Wake Walk, which crosses the center of the National Park. The White Rose Way, a long-distance path from Leeds to Scarborough, also passes through the area.

The National Park offers opportunities for cycling, mountain biking, and horse-riding. A long-distance bridle route circles the North York Moors and can be accessed at several locations. The steep hills that form the edges of the National Park are used by gliding clubs.

In late 2020, the National Park was named an International Dark Sky Reserve. This recognition means the area has very little light pollution and is ideal for stargazing.

The National Park has two visitor centers that provide tourist information, exhibitions, and a contemporary gallery. These are located at:
• Sutton Bank
• The Moors National Park Centre, Danby

The North York Moors have changed little in the past 50 years and are often used as filming locations for British television shows and movies.

The series Heartbeat and scenes of Hogsmeade Station in the Harry Potter movies were filmed in Goathland. Parts of Phantom Thread (2017) were filmed in Lythe, along with other locations in the North York Moors, such as Robin Hood's Bay and Staithes. The film version of Downton Abbey filmed scenes at Pickering station of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The movie The Runaways (2020), The Secret Garden (2020), and Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop (2020) were also filmed in the National Park.

Dalby Forest hosts many events throughout the year, including outdoor concerts.

Few major towns are located within or near the National Park: Helmsley, Pickering, Kirkbymoorside, Guisborough, Stokesley, Northallerton, and Whitby. The North York Moors are near Redcar and part of East Cleveland, and are within 20 minutes’ drive of central Middlesbrough and Scarborough.

Key locations within the National Park include:
• Kilburn
• Castleton
• Goathland
• Grosmont
• Helmsley
• Hutton-le-Hole
• Kirkbymoorside
• Osmotherley
• Pickering
• Robin Hood's Bay
• Whitby
• Swainby

Attractions and sites of interest include:
• International Centre for Birds of Prey, Duncombe Park
• North Yorkshire Moors Railway
• Byland Abbey
• Dalby Forest
• Duncombe Park
• Cleveland Way (national trail)
• Lyke Wake Walk (long-distance footpath)
• Forge Valley (national nature reserve)
• Farndale local nature reserve
• Helmsley Castle
• Ryedale Folk Museum, Hutton-le-Hole
• Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Reserves: Ashberry Pastures, Ellerburn Bank, Fen Bog, Garbutt Wood, Hayburn Wyke, Little Beck Wood
• Rievaulx Abbey
• Rivers: River Seven, River Dove, River Rye, River Seph, River Esk
• Rosedale Abbey

Nearby, but outside the National Park, are:
• Castle Howard
• Eden Camp Museum
• Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo
• Whitby Abbey