North York Moors

 
Overview

The North York Moors is an upland area in North Yorkshire, England, containing one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. The North York Moors National Park was designated in 1952.

Description

Inland from the North Yorkshire coast, the wild and windswept North York Moors rise in desolate splendor. Three-quarters of all the world's heather moorland is found in Britain, and this is the largest expanse in England. Ridge-top roads climb up from lush green valleys to the bleak open moors, where weather-beaten stone crosses mark the lines of ancient roadways. In summer, heather blooms in billowing drifts of purple haze.