Yorkshire Moors - Places to Visit in the UK

A National Park

Situated in the North of England and spreading their way north from the ancient and beautiful city of York as far as the borders of the industrial town of Middlesborough, the Yorkshire Moors is a National Park of outstanding natural beauty that is made up a breathtaking variety of landscape features that nestle between the rugged North Sea coastline to its eastern side and the rolling Cleveland Hills to its west. The Yorkshires Moors are essentially a wide area of flat heather moorlands which is divided at regular intervals by a number of deep, lush valleys know as the Dales.

From the Bronze Ages

The moors cover an area of about 555 square miles and can be a wild and almost eerie place at times. It is certainly the largest example of this type of geological feature anywhere in the United Kingdom and has a long history. It is clear from the various remains found over the years by archaeologists that the area was heavily settled by our Bronze Age ancestors and was further settled during the period of the Roman Occupation. Saxons and Normans farmed and raised their herds of cattle and sheep in the fertile valleys and later, people built magnificent brooding houses, places of worship and retreat. With the advent of the industrial revolution great mining and engineering sites become more prevalent. The whole area is filled with the remains of communities long gone. Burial mounds and barrows, cairns and the remains of Roman settlements and structures are commonplace adding to the attraction of the region. Today, the pleasant villages that are found throughout the region and their inhabitants carry on life at a pace that one could believe hasn’t altered much for generations. Created a National Park in 1952, the Moors were one of the first areas to receive such a designation.

Nature Reserves and Walkways

Today, despite the larger part of its area being in private ownership, the area is a favoured site for the outdoor pursuits enthusiast. Walking is by far the most popular activity, with the Moors having around 1,400 miles of rights of way and huge areas of land having been made accessible to all following the passing of the recent ‘right to roam’ legislation. Well mapped walking routes such as the Cleveland Way and the Lyke Wake walks are hiked by thousands of people each year and the area is rich in opportunities for mountain bikers and riders. The Moors are also rich in wildlife and maintain a strong commitment to protecting the ecology and natural environment. There is a wide choice nature reserves that are well worth a visit. The beauty and atmosphere of the area have become great favourites as film locations with a number of well known television series and period dramas being made here including parts of the Harry Potter films.

Places of interest

The ruins of Rievaulx Abbey – One of the earliest Cistercian Abbeys of the North.
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The town of Whitby
The various reserves of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust