Climb aboard the excellent Esk Valley Railway

From the trickling becks high on the moors to the sea at Whitby, the Esk Valley is one of the North York Moors' real treasures. What’s more, you can see it all on the Esk Valley Railway, which runs for 35 miles from Whitby to Middlesbrough, crossing historic viaducts and snaking through shaded woodland and sloping fields.

With stops at half a dozen pretty riverside and moorland villages, there’s plenty to get off for, whether it’s a splash across the stepping-stones at Lealholm, a visit to the Grosmont engine sheds or your very own Romeo and Juliet moment at romantic Beggar’s Bridge.

When you’re done for the day, it’s back to Whitby for fish and chips on the harbour front.

Content provided by North York Moors National Park