Danby Beacon via Danby Castle

Eleven and a third miles with 240 metres of ascent and about five hours, running west along the Esk to Castleton, climbing over Castleton Rigg to Commondale and returning across Danby Low Moor; the riverside is easy walking, the moor crossing is peat and rushes and gets properly wet. It starts on Danby green with free parking by the village hall, and there is a genuine luxury here in that Danby, Castleton Moor and Commondale all have request stops on the Esk Valley line, so you can bail out at either end. The Esk gives swimming all along the valley floor and the moor is open running for a dog with a good recall, but sheep graze both the riverside fields and the moor, and leads are required on the open moor between 1 March and 31 July.

A 7.7-mile moorland round with a modest 150 metres of ascent, about three and a half hours, on heather paths and boardwalks laid over the wettest ground, with wide views down to Scaling Dam reservoir and out to the sea. Start from the Moors National Park Centre at Danby, which has a large car park, a cafe and toilets, and sits a few minutes from Danby station on the Esk Valley line. Clitherbeck and the reservoir outflow give water, and the walk is quiet enough for a good stretch off the lead, but this is grouse moor grazed by free-roaming sheep and leads are required from 1 March to 31 July for ground-nesting birds.

The independently run cafe at Danby Lodge, the North York Moors National Park's flagship visitor centre in the Esk Valley. The cafe itself is dog friendly with indoor and garden seating, and dogs on leads are welcome in the surrounding riverside grounds, though not in the centre's exhibition buildings or Crow Wood. Open daily from 10am to 4pm, with staff happy to suggest dog walks from the door.