Esk Valley West and Westerdale Cycle Route

The western road circuit out of The Moors Centre follows minor valley and moorland roads, and combines a run along the upper Esk Valley with a sweeping ride across the high moorland above Commondale and Westerdale. It’s a fairly lonely ride at times – nearly all the pubs and drink stops are on the first part of the route – but the views are magnificent. You end with a ride through quiet Danby Dale, with the pub at Ainthorpe or the café at The Moors Centre providing a welcome finish.

 Route type: Road route Distance:18 miles (30km) Time: 2½ hours Start point: The Moors National Park Centre, Danby - ride anti-clockwise Grid Ref: NZ 717 083 OS Map: Ordnance Survey OL26

Refreshments: The Moors Centre, Danby, Castleton, Commondale, Ainthorpe Road route, for road bikes and hybrids. Starting-point for this western loop of the Esk Valley is The Moors National Park Centre at Danby, 15 miles from Whitby, where there's visitor parking, cycle parking, a café, and a shop selling cycle guides and maps. It's a reasonably challenging route, with some steep ascents and descents, following minor country roads and lanes. It passes through several characteristic moorland villages and gives riders both a taste of the heather-clad moors and of the wide, flat, farmed valley bottoms.

Route highlights! •The wind in your hair on the moorland ride • Stop at Duck Bridge, a handsome packhorse crossing near The Moors Centre • Visit the bakery in Danby for high-energy snacks • Detour to Botton village and its creamery, café and shop