River Esk

The River Esk winds for about 45 kilometres through the North York Moors before reaching Whitby and the North Sea. It begins as three small moorland streams called the Esklets on Westerdale Moor and grows as it collects water from becks such as Danby, Glaisdale and Murk Esk. The river passes through steep wooded valleys like Crunkly Ghyll, carved during the last ice age when a wall of ice blocked the valley and created a lake. Villages such as Sleights and Ruswarp lie along its banks, marking the boundary of the North York Moors before the Esk reaches Whitby. The Esk supports important wildlife, including salmon that spawn upstream and sea trout near Whitby. It is the only Yorkshire river with freshwater pearl mussels, though these are threatened by silt. Conservationists moved the mussel colony in 2021 to a specialist facility to encourage breeding before returning them to the river. A byelaw since 1987 protects salmon and sea trout between Ruswarp and Whitby, helping numbers recover after illegal poaching reduced catches to just eleven fish in 1989. Visitors can walk along parts of the river, especially between Houlsyke and Egton Bridge or Ruswarp and Whitby. The river is used for canoeing and kayaking, with weirs marking popular stretches. Whitby’s harbours serve fishing boats and sea-fishing tours, while old bridges like Beggars Bridge at Glaisdale and Larpool Viaduct add character. Each Ascension Eve, locals still plant the Penny Hedge in the upper harbour, a tradition that began in 1159 after a hermit’s murder.