* THE ESK DISTRICT. 189 



is the most picturesque portion of the river. The channel of 

 the stream is more or less rocky for a considerable distance. The 

 basaltic dike, which from Castleton to this point runs along the 

 south side of the dale, here crosses the stream, and forms a scar 

 of dark-coloured rock upon its northern bank. The Esk flows in 

 serpentine fashion beneath steep much-undulated spurs of rock- 

 crested moorland, the summits of which rise to a height of 150 

 or 200 yards above it, and the slopes of which towards the river 

 are covered with wood, partly natural and partly planted. On 

 the north side of the stream rises the basaltic crag of Limber 

 Hill ; on the south for a mile the woods of Arncliffe border 

 it ; and beyond them, at the bottom of a nest of hills which sur- 

 round it upon every side, except where the streams break through 

 them, is the village of Egton Bridge. This is a favourite place 

 for excursionists from Whitby, and is easily reached by the 

 railway, which runs from Whitby up the main dale of Esk to 

 Castleton and Stokesley, and at the bottom of Goathland dale 

 is joined by a branch that runs due south. There is a station at 

 Grosmont, the site of an old priory, and now the centre of the 

 mining industry of Eskdale, which is situated a mile to the east 

 of Egton Bridge. 



Goathland dale is much the largest of the branch dales of this 

 district. At first it is an open moorland glen, surrounded by 

 hills which are considerably lower than the Loose Howe and 

 Burton Head peaks. Its western branch is called Wheeldale, 

 and is a rocky sylvan glen, upon the stream of which there is a 

 waterfall, called Nelly Ayre Foss, over an edge of sandstone 

 some forty feet in depth. The branch of the stream along 

 which the railway runs is called Eller Beck, and this also has 

 several easily accessible waterfalls upon it, the best known of 

 which, Thomasson's Force, is very near the top of the railway 

 incline, from which it is approached up a winding rocky glen. 

 The following are the rarer plants of Goathland dale and the 

 neighbourhood of Egton Bridge : 



Oct, 1888, 



