Covering 554 square miles of wonderful Yorkshire countryside, the North York Moors National Park is an area of upland bounded by the Cleveland plain and Tees Valley to the north, the vales of York and Mowbray to the west, the Vale of Pickering to the south, and the North Sea to the east, ranging from Thirsk to Scarborough. The ten superb walks in this guide explore different characteristics of the landscape and its heritage.

The crowning glory of the national park is its extensive heather moorland, which in late summer becomes a beautiful expanse of pink and purple – pick the walks to Captain Cook’s Monument and from Hutton-le-Hole to witness this unforgettable sight. In Farndale, in spring, it is a carpet of yellow daffodils that captivates visitors. The tranquilly set romantic ruin of Rievaulx Abbey, nestled in the pastoral seclusion of Ryedale, contrasts with the haunting Gothic edifice of Whitby Abbey, standing resolutely on its headland hilltop. Magnificent views can be admired from Sutton Bank (James Herriot’s ‘finest view in England’) and from the clifftop vantage point above Robin Hood’s Bay. You can immerse yourself in the mixed woodland and open glades of Broxa Forest, catch a steam train at Goathland to complete the walk from Grosmont, and enjoy post-stroll refreshment in charming Osmotherley.