50th Anniversary of the Saving of the Esk Valley Railway

It's 50 years since the Beeching Report made massive cuts into Britains post-war rail network.

But thankfully, the local 35-mile stretch of the Esk Valley Line, from Middlesbrough to Whitby earned a last-minute Government repreive from Beeching's axe.

North York Moors Steam Train on the Pickering to Grosmont Line.

This lovely local train line twists and turns through England’s most rugged moorland in the middle of North York Moors National Park.

The Esk Valley Line takes in the rolling Esk valley from the high Moors around Castleton.

It passes the salmon tributeries of Danby Dale, Fryup Dale, and Glaisedale as they join the River Esk.

Any journey in Spring will also take in buttercup meadows and bluebell woods, with hawthorn branches sometimes brushing the windows of the carriages.

And on almost any given day, passengers will see pheasants and rabbits, and sheep and cows scattering as you pass.

The sturdy stone stations at each Esk Valley Village also have a lovely nostalgic period feel.

One reason that the Esk Valey Line was saved was due to its function in taking children from remote villages across the North York Moors into Whitby for high school.

On week days, the afternoon train from Whitby back up the line can be boisterously St Trinian’s.

But at other times, the passengers mainly consist of walkers, tourists, shoppers, and locals in tweed visiting friends in neighbouring villages.

At Grosmont, ten-miles up the line from Whitby, the North Yorkshire Moors Steam Railway joins the Esk Valley after its scenic journey down from Pickering on a line axed by Beeching in 1965 but subsequently rescued by a voluntary trust.

You can catch the steam train from Pickering town centre which is just a short drive from Rosella Cottage in Rosedale.

In summer months, the steam trains now travel all the way into Whitby itself.

On the Whitby platform, you'll find a Victorian cream-tiled wall map of the Yorkshire rail network in the days when it stretched its tentacles to the county’s most remote corners.

In those days, even the tiniest villages had stations linking them to the outside world.

Rosella Luxury Holiday Cottage

Rosella Cottage is a luxury holiday home in Rosedale Abbey - in the heart of the North York Moors.  Built in 1850 but now completely refurbished; we have a cosy lounge, kitchen, a king-size bed in a big bedroom with vaulted-ceiling and exposed beams, and a lovely en-suite.

We've got a village-centre location and we're easy walking distance to the village shop, cafes, and village pubs with great restaurants.  To view availability and for bookings, just click here.