Yorkshire Moors

Villages & Places

Levisham

Levisham is one of the Moors' quiet gems, a single street of stone cottages around a green at the end of a no-through road, with a friendly pub, a heritage railway station in the valley below, and moorland walks straight from the door.

Stone cottages along the green at Levisham with open moorland rising beyond

The village and station

The Horseshoe Inn sits on the green, and that's about the extent of the village, which is the charm of it. Down in the valley of Newton Dale lies Levisham Station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, restored to how it looked around 1912; you can arrive by steam train and walk up.

Walks

Levisham Moor rises above the village, with paths to the ruined Skelton Tower overlooking the railway, and the great bowl of the Hole of Horcum is close by, one of the classic North York Moors walks. Need a base for a few days? See where to stay.

Top answers for the Yorkshire Moors

All questions in the full FAQ hub →

Quick, straight answers to the questions visitors ask most. Each one links through to the fuller guide.

When is it busiest, and how do I avoid the crowds?

Busiest in the summer school holidays and on sunny weekends, especially the coast and honeypots like Goathland and Thornton-le-Dale. Visit midweek, out of school holidays, or in spring and autumn; the open moor is always the easiest place to escape people.

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What are the best market towns in the North York Moors?

Helmsley, Pickering, Kirkbymoorside and Thirsk (Herriot country), plus Malton just to the south. Each with markets, independent shops and good places to eat.

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Which villages are the prettiest and most worth visiting?

Thornton-le-Dale (often called Yorkshire's prettiest), Hutton-le-Hole, Goathland, Robin Hood's Bay and Staithes are perennial favourites, each with its own character.

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Where are the North York Moors?

In North Yorkshire, north-east England, between the Vale of York and the North Sea coast. Bounded roughly by Thirsk and the A19 to the west, Teesside to the north, the Whitby-to-Scarborough coast to the east, and the Vale of Pickering to the south. The main gateway towns are Helmsley, Pickering, Thirsk and Whitby.

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Where does the North Yorkshire Moors Railway start and finish?

It starts at Pickering in the south and finishes at Grosmont, with intermediate stations at Levisham, Newtondale Halt (by request) and Goathland. Many trains run on from Grosmont to Whitby, so you can travel Pickering to Whitby by steam in one go.

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What is there to do in the North York Moors in winter?

Stargazing (it's an International Dark Sky Reserve), bracing coastal and moorland walks, cosy country pubs, and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway's festive steam services. The moors are atmospheric and empty in winter.

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