Goathland and Grosmont Rail Path

Begin by taking the train from Grosmont to Goathland, just a 20 minute journey. This rail line was closed in 1965, along with many others following the Beeching Report. The restoration began with a group of local volunteers and steam enthusiasts from 1967. The project grew steadily and the first employee of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway was appointed in 1972. Today the heritage line employs more than 130 people supported by lots of volunteers. It carries more passengers than any other heritage railway in the UK, with more than 350,000 passengers a year. Exit the train at Goathland and cross over the footbridge to reach the station buildings. Go down to the far end of the platform to exit via a gate. (If the station looks familiar it may be because it was used as Hogsmede in the Harry Potter films; or, because it appeared in the music video for the 1985 Simply Red hit "Holding Back the Years"). Go straight ahead crossing over the road bridge, and then fork right up the paving stones set into the grass slope. Cross the driveway and join the paved path along the grass verge. On the right you'll pass Aidensfield Garage, made famous by the 1960s police TV drama '€˜Heartbeat'. Alongside you'll see an original Ford Anglia police car. The popular drama was first aired in 1992 and finished in 2010 with a total of 372 episodes. Continue for just another 300 yards, and on the right you'll reach a brick built building known as the Reading Room. Turn right immediately afterwards onto the road passing the main Goathland car park on the left. Continue past the toilets and a telephone exchange and turn left through a gate marked with a sign for Grosmont and Rail Trail.

Keep ahead on the cinder track (the old rail line) and cross the road via a pair of gates to continue. Follow the track winding downhill through the beautiful woodland, with the trees casting dappled light onto the wild flowers below. The Whitby and Pickering Railway opened in 1836. The railway, planned by George Stephenson as a means of opening up inland trade routes from the sea port of Whitby, was designed and built to be used by horse-drawn carriages. In 1845 the line was re-engineered to allow the use of steam locomotives, but this walk follows the original horse-drawn rail track. This section (from Goathland to Beck Hole) was too steep for the horses. Instead a water-driven winding station was used to haul the carriages up the steep incline. This was a dangerous business and a number of accidents occurred both before and after the introduction of steam. In 1865 the line was finally diverted to avoid this dangerous incline. At the bottom of the slope the woodland gives way, pass through the gate and stay on the main path passing Incline Cottage to the right. This was once a pair of cottages for railway workers. You'll soon come to a crossroads of paths, go straight ahead on the smaller path marked as the Rail Trail to Grosmont. Pass by the community orchard on the right (with each tree being under the care of a local school pupil). You will come to the river, Eller Beck.

Cross over the river via the footbridge or, if you're after a little more adventure, take the stepping stones to the left via the pair of stiles. These stepping stones are the remaining foundations of the rail bridge that spanned the river here. This point is the site of Beck Hole station. Keep ahead on the main track crossing another small bridge and on the left you'll come to an ornate carved bench commemorating the horse-drawn railway. The panel facing you shows bridled horses coming towards you and, as you pass, look behind to see the rear view of carved figures sitting within the horse drawn carriage. Just 100 yards later you'll come to a three-way signpost (be sure not to miss this). Turn right here on the footpath marked as the Rail Trail. Go down the steps and across the boardwalk and then go up the steps opposite and turn left onto the path. Pass through a disused gateway and keep ahead on the path winding through Buber Wood with the river flowing in a gulley to the left. After another section of stone steps, ignore the footbridge over to the left. Below you'll see the remains of an 1847 rail bridge that was washed away in the 1930 floods. Keep ahead on the main path signed to Esk Valley. You'll reach a gate - pass through this to exit the woodland.

Keep straight ahead on the raised cinder track between sheep pastures. Pass through another gate and cross the Murk Esk river on the steel supported footbridge. You'll notice the original rail bridge foundations remain beneath. The path continues through the arches of an avenue of mixed trees and beyond the next gate you'll come to Whinstone Cottage on the right. Whinstone is a hard volcanic rock which was mined here from the 1870s to the 1950s. The hard stone was used for road building and dry stone walls.

Further along pass through a gate into the hamlet of Esk Valley. Running perpendicular to the right is a long row of terraced cottages. These were built by local mine owners and rented to ironstone workers. A couple of fields further along on the left, look for the brick ruin, the remains of the ventilation shaft from the ironstone mine. The track soon runs immediately alongside the current railway line and ahead you'll reach a gate with the railway sheds just beyond.

Turn left through the kissing gate to join the fenced path. Follow the path uphill alongside the railway sheds (the first and only uphill stretch of this walk). Pass through the gate and ahead there is a bench which makes a great viewing point. You can see down into the centre of Grosmont with the station at its centre and the views beyond stretch for miles into the hills the opposite side. Turn right heading downhill. Pass through the gate and, immediately afterwards, fork left through a kissing gate. Continue downhill passing the church on your right. Just beyond the church you'll merge with another path. At this point look back to see two arched tunnel entrances. The smaller one on the left with turrets each side was the entrance to Stephenson's original horse-drawn railway tunnel (believed to be one of the oldest railway tunnels in the world). It is dwarfed by the one of the right, the double track tunnel of 1845. Keep ahead over the footbridge across the river and you'll come to the station ahead, where your walk ends. If you'd like refreshments after your walk, we can highly recommend the Geall Gallery and Artisan Cafe - turn left over the level crossing and you'll find the cafe on the left opposite the entrance to the station car park.