Castleton is a village on the
River Esk, part of the civil parish of
Danby in the
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
of
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...
in England. It can be found south-east of
Guisborough, in the
North York Moors. There was once a medieval castle sited on Castle Hill that is thought to have been abandoned when Danby Castle was constructed.
Castleton has a local school, church and a
public house
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...
, ''The Downe Arms'', as well as a small
Co-op supermarket, a
tea room
A teahouse (mainly Asia) or tearoom (also tea room) is an establishment which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments. A tea room may be a room set aside in a hotel especially for serving afternoon tea, or may be an establishment whic ...
and a public toilets. Castleton is a centre for
walking
Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an ' inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults ...
,
birdwatching
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...
, shooting and many other pursuits. It is said that Castleton was named after a castle built near the River Esk. The village has a
Clapper bridge
A clapper bridge is an ancient form of bridge found on the moors of the English West Country (Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor and Exmoor) and in other upland areas of the United Kingdom including Snowdonia and Anglesey, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, La ...
that spans Danby Beck; this bridge was listed as Grade II in 2016.
Castleton has a primary school (Castleton Community Primary School) with secondary education available at
Caedmon College
Caedmon College is a mixed secondary school and sixth form located in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England. The school is named after Cædmon, the earliest English (Northumbrian) poet whose name is known.
Established in 1912 as the County School, ...
or
Eskdale School
Eskdale School is a coeducational secondary school located in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England. The school is named after Eskdale, a valley that runs from Whitby to Westerdale.
It is a community school administered by North Yorkshire County ...
, which are both in
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...
.
In times past Castleton was actually the main market and industrial town serving Upper Eskdale. There were
annual
Annual may refer to:
*Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year
** Yearbook
** Literary annual
*Annual plant
*Annual report
*Annual giving
*Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco
*Annuals (band), ...
wool, cheese and cattle fairs, cheese market and a silk mill. There is a show held at Castleton every September on the second Saturday in the month.
Transport
Castleton is served by
Castleton Moor railway station
Castleton Moor is a railway station on the Esk Valley Line, which runs between Middlesbrough and Whitby via Nunthorpe. The station, situated west of Whitby, serves the village of Castleton, Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. It is own ...
on the
Esk Valley Line roughly halfway between
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area.
Until the early 1800s, the a ...
and
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...
. Bus services through Castleton barely exist in the winter. However, on Sundays and Bank Holidays from spring to autumn, the village is served by the Moorsbus network.
The
Esk Valley Walk
The Esk Valley Walk is a long distance footpath in North Yorkshire, England. The route first follows a loop on the North York Moors to the south of Castleton, then shadows the River Esk on its journey to the North Sea. Waymarking uses the ...
runs through the village.
Anecdotes
The severed hand, known popularly as the
Danby Hand of Glory, was found hidden in a wall of a thatched cottage in Castleton in 1935. The hand is now on display at the
Whitby Museum
Whitby Museum is an independent museum in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England, run by Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society, a learned society and registered charity, established in 1823. It is located in a building opened in 1931 in Pannett ...
in Pannett Park,
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...
.
Sport
Castleton Cricket Club was established in 1972 and its ground is based on the northern edge of the village along New Road. Castleton CC have two senior teams: a Saturday 1st XI that compete in the
Langbaurgh Cricket League Langbaurgh () may refer to
* Langbaurgh, North Yorkshire, a hamlet near Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, England
*Langbaurgh (district), a local government district in Cleveland, England from 1974 to 1988, renamed Langbaurgh-on-Tees from 1988 to 1996 ...
and a Midweek Senior XI in the Esk Valley Evening League.
References
External links
Esk Valley website
{{authority control
Villages in North Yorkshire