Eskdale, North Yorkshire

Eskdale is a valley running west to east from Westerdale on the North York Moors to Whitby on the Yorkshire Coast of England.

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.

[2] 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 oilseed rape.

The Esk Valley railway line runs through Eskdale from Commondale eastwards towards Whitby and is named after the dale.

[4] The river flows through the narrow valley that the water has cut into the soft shale of the Jurassic rocks.