Eskdale, Yorkshire
Eskdale or Esk Dale is the valley of the Yorkshire Esk, in the North Riding of that county.
The dale runs from west to east, from Westerdale in the Cleveland Hills to Whitby on the North Sea coast, a town in a cleft in the cliffs so that the dale continues its spectacles even to the sea.
The dale was formed during the last major ice age, it has a classic U-shaped valley formation caused by the action of glaciers carving away the rock. Eskdale carries the River Esk from the "Esklets" above Westerdale to the sea. The tops of its steep-sided valleys are noted for their heather moorland, whilst below the land is mainly split between pasture for cows and Swaledale sheep and arable crops such as oil seed rape.
The Esk Valley Walk runs through the valley.
