Esk Valley East and Egton Bridge Cycle Route

For a taste of the best and most varied scenery in the Esk Valley, head out by bike on the eastern road circuit from The Moors National Park Centre at Danby. The villages on the first half of the route, in particular – Lealholm, Egton and Egton Bridge – are some of the most charming in the whole valley, with stepping stones, sleepy greens and traditional pubs. Give yourself time to appreciate this cherished area of the North York Moors, where people have shaped the landscape for thousands of years, whether clearing the scrub for riverside pastures, managing the woodlands or building ancient packhorse bridges and stone trods. The second half of the route returns over the high moors, climbing away from the gentler reaches of the valley, before sweeping back along the river flats towards Danby. Road route, for road bikes and hybrids.

Route type: Road route. Distance: 21 miles (35km). Time: 3 hours. Start/finish point: The Moors National Park Centre, Danby - ride clockwise. Grid Ref: NZ 717 083. OS Map: Ordnance Survey OL27.

Refreshments: The Moors Centre, Lealholm, Egton, Egton Bridge. Heading east from The Moors National Park Centre at Danby, the circular road route runs down the daleside as far as Egton and Egton Bridge, before climbing up and across Egton High Moor and Glaisdale Moor. There are some longish ascents and descents, and plenty of twists and turns on the minor moorland and valley roads. There's visitor parking at The Moors Centre, as well a place to park bikes, a café and a shop.

Route highlights! • Detour to Lealholm village for a splash on the stepping stones • Riverside pub at Egton Bridge • Long moorland ride with sweeping views