Sleights overlooks the River Esk, giving it a specific landscape feature to consider when choosing where to stay. The Esk Valley Railway line can also be seen from Sleights. Local history and individual historic buildings reveal other aspects of the village. If you are considering Sleights as a place to stay, it helps to distinguish these subjects from a trip to Eskdaleside Beacon: access to the beacon is on foot only, via public rights of way and across designated moorland. This lets you first decide whether you are more interested in the village’s history or a walk across the moor.

River, railway line and National Park areas

Parts of Sleights, including Low Dale and Woodlands, lie within the National Park. This designation applies to these areas, not to the entire village. Views over the River Esk and the Esk Valley Railway line provide two further points of reference. If the National Park connection matters to your choice of location, this limited designation is important: Sleights combines designated National Park areas with other landscape and architectural features.

Walking to Eskdaleside Beacon

Access to Eskdaleside Beacon on Sleights Moor is on foot only, via public rights of way. The access routes cross moorland designated as an SSSI, SPA and SAC. The route and the landscape are therefore linked: if you choose the beacon as an excursion, the walk itself is an essential part of the outing. The three designations apply to the moorland along the access routes. This makes the beacon a different focus from exploring local history and historic buildings.

Mining history and historic buildings

The village’s history brings together an early historical reference and a later industrial legacy: Eskdale Chapel was first mentioned in 1224, while ironstone mining shaped Sleights in the 18th century. Many fine buildings stand in the historic village centre, making architecture another way to explore local history alongside these dates. The ruins of Eskdale Chapel stand beside the River Esk near the railway. This places the chapel ruins in relation to the river and railway, while the first recorded mention provides a historical point of reference. The gates at the Church of St John the Evangelist are Grade II listed. The designation applies to the gates, not to the church as a whole. In this way, the architectural landmarks range from the historic village centre to a specifically identified architectural detail.

Which focus suits your trip?

These facts can be grouped into two main themes to help you choose a destination. The cultural and historical perspective focuses on the legacy of mining, the historic village centre and specific historic structures; the landscape side ranges from views over the River Esk to walking access across Sleights Moor. The themes also differ in terms of planning: local history centres on historical periods and buildings, while the beacon involves access on foot only via public rights of way. If you are looking for a hotel in Sleights, you can choose your location according to which of these themes will define your trip.

Discover more destinations: Oswaldkirk, Hebden, Thornton Steward, Easingwold, Stearsby, Bedale, Otterburn, Thornton Dale

Return to the main travel guide: North Yorkshire.