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Food and drink

Most of the walking routes in this guidebook start and finish at places where food and drink is available. The starting point may be a town with plenty of pubs, restaurants and cafés, or it may be a village with a pub and a tearoom. There may be places en route that offer food and drink, such as wayside pubs and cafés, or there may be nothing at all. A note about the availability of refreshments is given in the information box at the beginning of each walk, although there is no guarantee that the places will be open when you need them! When booking accommodation be sure to enquire about meals, or to let your hosts know if you have any special dietary requirements. It goes without saying that you should be self-sufficient for food and drink for the duration of your walks.

When to walk

Most visitors – and indeed too many visitors – explore the North York Moors during the summer months, and when the moors are flushed purple with heather and the air is sweetened with its scent, this can be a delightful time. But be warned that when the sun beats down on the moors there may be little shade, and the longer a heatwave lasts, the more the air tends to turn hazy, so that colour and depth are lost from the views. The spring and autumn months offer good walking conditions, with plenty of cool, clear days – often cool enough to ensure that you keep striding briskly! There is also less pressure on accommodation and easier access to attractions along the way. In the winter months accommodation and transport are much reduced, and foul weather can sweep across the moors, which offer little shelter from wind or rain. However, there can be some exceptionally bright, clear days, and a dusting of snow on the landscape transforms the scene into something quite magical.