Yorkshire Walks

Eller Beck next to the lay-by at the start of our walk

We parked in a small lay-by on the road into Goathland off the A169, at map ref. SE847992. It's next to Eller Beck just before the road goes under the North York Moors Railway. As we were getting our boots on Swaledale ewes began to gather round us, hoping to be fed.

Recently I recieved a request for a route around several waterfalls at Goathland. Access to the waterfalls for a decent view is difficult so today Jim, my neighbour, and I drove to Goathland to walk out a route and check on ways of seeing the falls.

Memorial by the track at the start of our walk

Our hungry sheep escort near Birchwood

The flock of sheep followed us in a long crocodile of around 100 sheep until we reached Birchwood. By this time they decided that there was no food to be had and just stood on the moor watching us disappear along the path.

Their numbers increased until the road was blocked and there were cars slowly creeping through the bleating flock. We set off along an access road just opposite the lay-by, leading to a farm called Birchwood on the map.

Our hungry sheep escort near Birchwood

Path from Birchwood to Partridge Hill

Beyond the beck we joined another access road at Partridge Hill.

At Birchwood the path left the access road to skirt round Birchwood to cross Brocka Beck.

Beehives left on the moor all winter

NYMR near Goathland Station

We crossed the road and followed the path around the hillside and down to Goathland Station.

We continued along this access road from Partridge Hill for about a kilometer, until we reached a road at map ref. NZ840012.

Path down to Goathland Station

Pretty waterfall over the weir at Goathland Station

Then we recrossed the railway and followed the path over the hill to the ford across Eller Beck at Darnholm.

We crossed the line at the station and walked alongside Eller Beck next to the station to see the pretty, little waterfall over a weir.

NYMR near Darnholm

Eller Beck near the ford at Darnholm

Here we turned left to follow a path past a house at a great location with a view across the valley.

We did not cross the ford but instead we crossed the track to some steps which we climbed up the hillside to map ref. NZ835024.

Steps up the hillside from the ford at Darnholm

Eller Beck just above Walker Mill Foss

The waterfall is called Walker Mill Foss and at this very pleasant spot we sat on the bank near the falls for our lunch break. There had been dark shower clouds all around us all day so far but somehow we had managed to stay in the sunny bits and had had no rain at all.

We continued along the path around the hillside with Eller Beck and the railway below us for about 500m to map ref. NZ828024. Here we turned left to follow the path down a very steep slope to a path by the side of Eller Beck at the bottom of the slope. We followed this rather boggy path upstream for about 400m to a pretty waterfall at map ref. NZ832022.

A last look at Walker Mill Foss, waterfall

Memorial by the rapids under the railway bridge

Under the railway bridge there are some rapids where the beck flows between the rocks and we climbed down to the beck for a closer look. The beck bends round and re-crosses the railway where there is another waterfall called Water Arc and the river above the falls is called Water Arc Pool.

After our break we retraced our steps back along Eller Beck to the point where we had joined the path earlier at map ref. NZ828022. Here there is a footbridge over Eller Beck and a railway bridge at a much higher level over the beck and the footbridge.

Narrow rocky channel for the beck below the railway bridge

Narrow rocky channel for the beck below the railway bridge

People do scramble down to a rock shelf at the top of the falls but it is a perilous descent. There is a path in along the beck from the road at Beck Hole (map ref. NZ821022) to the railway bridge. Along the way you come to Thomason Foss waterfall, well worth a visit. To reach Water Arc waterfall from the railway bridge you need to paddle or wade along the river for a few metres to see the falls properly. I did it once a long time ago but I wouldn't do it now.

From here it's best to climb back onto the footpath and follow it around the bend in the beck until you reach a seat under a holly tree at map ref. NZ826022. From the seat you can see another waterfall at the next railway bridge. This one is called Water Arc but you cannot see much of it from the path.

A glimps of Water Arc waterfall from the bank just below the seat under the holly tree

Path from Beck Hole towards Mallyan Spout

Path up from the West Beck to the road at Goathland

Path up from the West Beck to the road at Goathland

From the seat under the holly tree we followed the path out to the road at map ref. NZ822023. Here we turned left to cross the bridge over the railway and follow the road down into Beck Hole. In Beck Hole we turned right off the road at map ref. NZ821022 to follow Eller Beck again for about 150m to the point where it joins the West Beck and becomes the Murk Esk. We followed the path along the West Beck for just over a kilometer to Mallyan Spout waterfall. It is a rocky approach to the falls, and the waterfall is on a small tributary as it joins the West Beck, but it is very pretty.

Mallyan Spout waterfall

Path from Goathland to the disused railway line

I'm not sure the plan has succeeded. In places the steps are cut into the hillside instead of following the original ground surface and the resulting sides of the small cutting are already crumbling with the rain. At the road we walked along to the church in Goathland.

We continued for about 400m beyond Mallyan Spout to map ref. NZ821008. Here we turned left to climb a long flight of steep steps up the valley side to the road at map ref. NZ823006. A great deal of hard work has gone into making these steps up the hillside. I presume the idea is to limit soil errosion.

Path along the disused railway track just a few metres from the working line

Path along the disused railway track just a few metres from the NYMR working line

The whole route had been about 12km and had taken us almost 5 hours including our breaks and our scrambles and diversions to find view points to the waterfalls. On the way home we did manage to find one cafe in Helmsley that was still open for a coffee and a toasted teacake.

Just beyond the church we turned right to follow a path from the village across the fields to a path along a disused railway track at map ref. NZ838005. At thr railway path we turned right and walked along the railway path for about 1.3km to the road. Here we turned left and followed the road for about 250m under the railway bridge and back to our car.

The final few hundred metres back to the car