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Road directions
Esk Valley can be reached by road from near Grosmont - from the A171 Guisborough to Whitby road, take the signs to the NYMR and Grosmont through Egton. On the outskirts of Grosmont and before the river bridge, take a ford to the right, pass through Lease Rigg, and Esk Valley is down a road to the left in half a mile. Alternatively, Esk Valley can be reached from Grosmont via the 'Rail Trail' footpath.
Parking
Parking on the roadside along the road to and at Esk Valley. Grosmont has two car parks, run by the NYMR and the National Park.
Public transport
From the north, take the Middlesbrough - Whitby 'Esk Valley Line' service to Grosmont, then the 'Rail Trail' footpath. From the south, Pickering can be reached by buses from Malton / York, then take the NYMR to Grosmont.
Amenities
The nearest amenities are at Grosmont (pub, public toilets etc.)
Accommodation
Bed and Breakfasts / rented accommodation are readily available in Pickering (several advertise in the Classified Ads in the railway press).
Although trains can be photographed in both directions with the side-on nature of the location, the position at the foot of the climb to Goathland means that the southbound trains to Pickering are the best bet (not only are the locos working hard but steam locos normally face southwards on the line). With the normal photo view looking eastwards, mid / late afternoon is the best time of day for taking shots. The standard shots at this location are either half way up the hill on the road down to Esk Valley (as shown here), at the top of the hill (there are some telegraph wires in the scene which need to be carefully positioned), or down in the village itself (next to the near end of the row of white houses in this picture). With the southbound trains climbing hard and the lack of obstructions in the view, videographers are regularly found here. The road along the row of cottages is private, the residents will complain if you walk down it, so respect their privacy and keep off.
