Goathland is a popular spot in the North York Moors, it is a lovely village and the setting for the TV series 'Heartbeat'. The North York Moors Historical Railway stops at the station and there are often steam locomotives puffing their way up or down the line. Part of the walk is above the railway and you will have the opportunity to see this first hand.
Catch the train here and start your walk from the station or park your car to the west of the village just after the Mallyan Spout Hotel.
(S) From your car walk past the Mallyan Spout Hotel on your left and St. Mary's church on your right.
(1) After the church takes the second track on the right, it curves around a grassy area passing beside some houses to a lane. Follow the path along the lane and into fields. Go into a further field with a wood on the right and then through the cross into the corner of a further field which is a camping/caravan site. Follow the track through the campsite and cross a bridleway which is an abandoned railway line. Continue along the road passing Abbot's House and go under the railway bridge.
(2) Take the track and then path to cross the Eller Beck at a small bridge then take the path up beside a smaller stream (often dry) up to the track along the moor edge. Follow the track to the road out of Goathland.
(3) Cross the road and take a path heading slightly downhill with a walled house on your right. Pick up another good path which follows the edge of the moor above the railway cutting. Through gaps in the trees, you may see steam engines. The path turns left away from the main track and heads downhill towards a detached house in the valley. Walk beside the beck to the road, turn right and follow the road until the path cuts off on the left and heads uphill. Walk uphill to a junction with another path.
(4) Turn left, cross a stile and walk with the dry stone wall on your left to a farm track. Take this through the farm, where it becomes a path again. Where the path split, take the left-hand path and veer away from the wall and gently downhill. The railway line is beneath you on your left.
(5) As the path joins a line of trees it splits and crosses the railway. Do not follow this path, instead, go straight ahead beside the trees and passing a farm. You will pick up another farm track which leads to some buildings, one of which is The Model Centre, dedicated to scaling model railways.
(6) Turn left and follow the road down and across a bridge over the railway. The road curves around towards the Beck Hole and the Birch Hall Inn.
(7) Just before the pub take the path on the left-hand side of the Eller Beck and walk through woods up to Thomason Foss, a small waterfall. Retrace your steps back to the road.
(8) Cross the road and turn right just after a building opposite the pub onto a path which leads you to a junction with another disused piece of the railway line, next to the River Esk.
(9) Turn left. Follow the track and then turn off right to follow a path with the river and trees on your right. This path will lead you through farmland and then into woodland towards Mallyan Spout. Ignore the footpath before the waterfall which goes to the Hotel and continue to and then past Mallyan Spout.
(10) Take the path on your left. It's leading you up and out of the woods. Cross a field and back to the road where you have parked your car.
