Sutton Bank

The finest view in England

From the top of the escarpment the ground drops away and the whole of the Vale of Mowbray and the Vale of York spreads out below, with the Yorkshire Dales on the horizon on a clear day. It's the view James Herriot loved and called the finest in England. A wheelchair-accessible path runs a short way from the visitor centre to the main viewpoint, where a view indicator names the landmarks; benches line the ridge if you'd rather just sit and take it in. Note that the cliff edge is unfenced in places, so keep children and dogs close.

Sutton Bank National Park Centre

The National Park Centre at the top is the hub for everything here. Inside is a hi-tech exhibition on how the ice age shaped this landscape, a tearoom, a gift shop of local produce and crafts, toilets and a bird-feeding station, plus a natural adventure play area for children. Admission is free; there's pay-and-display parking, and the postcode for the centre is YO7 2EH. Parking charges and opening times change with the season, so check the National Park Centre's own site before you set off. If mobility is part of your planning, our guide to accessible days out in the North York Moors covers the accessible path, the Tramper routes and the rest of the park.

The White Horse of Kilburn

Cut into the hillside on Roulston Scar just south of the centre, the White Horse of Kilburn is the largest and most northerly hill figure in England, around 97 metres long. It was made in 1857 by the local schoolmaster John Hodgson and his pupils, and because the rock here is grey rather than the white chalk of the southern horses, it has to be kept painted white. It's a landmark for miles around; ironically it's easier to make out from a distance than from right on top of it. You can walk to it along the escarpment from the centre.

Lake Gormire

In the woods at the foot of the cliffs lies Lake Gormire, one of the very few natural lakes in the North York Moors. It was formed at the end of the last ice age when a landslip dammed the meltwater, and it has no stream flowing in or out. Which, along with its dark still water beneath Whitestone Cliff, has earned it a good stock of legends, from a supposedly bottomless bottom to a ghostly white mare and rider. It sits within the Garbutt Wood nature reserve and makes a fine (steep) loop down from the top and back.

Gliders and the Yorkshire Gliding Club

The flat plateau above the escarpment has been home to the Yorkshire Gliding Club since 1931, its aircraft riding the up-currents that sweep the cliff face. Watching the gliders launch and soar silently over the edge is part of the Sutton Bank experience; the clubhouse welcomes visitors for refreshments.

Walking at Sutton Bank

The Cleveland Way National Trail runs right along the top of the bank, giving some of the best ridge walking in the north. Two routes start from the centre and each now has a page of its own: the three-mile circuit to the White Horse along the escarpment top, and the longer eight-mile loop taking in Lake Gormire below the cliffs. A “Walks around Sutton Bank” booklet from the centre sets out five routes.

Cycling and mountain biking

Sutton Bank is also a cycling hub, with bike hire from Sutton Bank Bikes at the centre, a family-friendly “Cliff” route running along the escarpment top, a bike skills area and pump track, and a network of graded mountain-bike trails through the woods.

Dark skies

Well away from town lights, Sutton Bank holds Dark Sky Discovery status, and on a clear, moonless night the Milky Way arcs overhead, one of the best places in the park for stargazing.

Getting there and driving up Sutton Bank

Sutton Bank is on the A170 about six miles east of Thirsk and eight miles west of Helmsley. The road climbs the escarpment at a gradient of about 1 in 4 with a sharp bend, a memorable drive in a willing car, but caravans are not permitted up Sutton Bank and large vehicles should find another route, which our caravans and motorhomes guide sets out in full. There's ample pay-and-display parking at the centre. Planning the rest of your trip? See our planning guides and more things to do.