York to Danby
From the city to the splendour of a National Park
York to Danby itinerary
Follow the route - York to Danby
York to Malton
> From York take the A64 and turn left on to an unclassified road before Whitewell-on-the-Hill, passing Castle Howard, through Coneysthorpe to Malton.
Visiting Malton
Malton is divided in two by the site of a Roman station. New Malton is the busy market town, and Old Malton, a mile (1.6km) northeast, is a small village. Malton Museum, in the town, contains extensive Romano-British remains from the fort of Derventio and other settlements. Northwards is Eden Camp Modern History Museum, a former prisoner-of-war camp, where displays include women at war and the rise and fall of the Nazi Party.
Six miles (10km) southwest of Malton, on a signed road, is Castle Howard, a magnificent 18th-century house designed by Sir John Vanbrugh. It has been the home of the Howard family for nearly 300 years and notable features include the central dome, the Temple of the Four Winds and Hawksmoor’s mausoleum.
Malton to Pickering
> Follow the road to Old Malton, cross the A64 on to the A169, turning almost immediately left on to an unclassified road through Kirby Misperton, rejoining the A169 north to Pickering.
Visiting Pickering
This ancient town is the starting point for the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, which runs between Pickering and Grosmont. Parts of the town’s Church of St Peter and St Paul date from the 11th century and it contains splendid medieval wall paintings, notably St George and the Dragon. The ruins of Pickering Castle include a motte-and-bailey, which was founded by William the Conqueror, and the Beck Isle Museum of Rural Life, in a fine Georgian building, and is packed with bygones of the Victorian era.
Places to stay in Pickering
Pickering to Goathland
> Continue along the A169 for about 12 miles (19km), then turn left on to an unclassified road to Goathland.
Visiting Goathland
Goathland is a picturesque village in the North York Moors and the area is renowned for spectacular waterfalls, including Nelly Ayre Foss, Mallyan Spout and Thomason Foss.
Places to stay in Goathland
Goathland to Grosmont
> Return to the A169 for a short distance, then turn left on to unclassified roads to Grosmont.
Visiting Grosmont
Grosmont is the northern terminus of the impressive North Yorkshire Moors Railway, and its popularity owes much to the railway. A trip on the Moorsrail will take you back to a gentler and slower age, and the locomotive sheds are worth a visit to see engines being prepared and restored.
Grosmont to Danby
> Continue west along unclassified roads to Danby.
Visiting Danby
The Moors National Park Centre is located in Danby in a former shooting lodge, with exhibitions and impressive gardens. Southeast of the village are the ruins of 14th-century Danby Castle, where Catherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth wife, once lived. The route now goes on to the moors past two old crosses, Fat Betty and the Ralph Cross, which is used as the symbol for the North York Moors National Park.
