GUIDE TO ELLER BECK
(Goathland to Beck Hole)
NAME OF RIVER: Eller Beck
WHERE IS IT?: Goathland, North York Moors, west of Whitby.
PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS:
Put in at the road bridge above Goathland (NZ 838012), parking spaces for a few cars.
Get out at Beck Hole (NZ 821023). Park at Beck Hole near the pub or over the Bridge that runs over Eller Beck.
APPROX LENGTH: ~2km
TIME NEEDED: One hour depending on inspections and portages (trees).
ACCESS HASSLES: Unknown.
WATER LEVEL INDICATORS: Needs to have been raining hard for a while. The level can be assessed from the railway station bridge in Goathland. Underneath the bridge on river left is a concrete platform if this is covered its high. I'd say if the water is level with this it's Medium.
GRADING: Grade 4/5
MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: Lots, see below.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
A fantastic spate run consisting of a series of falls: Goathland fall, The slot, Thomason Foss and more.
The bottom part of this run is situated in a deep wooded gorge so trees can be a problem. At the time of writing this, Thomason foss is blocked by a tree.
Watch out for the tow-back on the slot rapid at high levels.
OTHER NOTES:
A top run but hard to catch in the right conditions, works well with snow melt.
The pub in Beck Hole is highly recommended for a post paddle drink.
The Esk is also a good paddle nearby and the other tributary, West Beck is also worthwhile.
Videos featuring Eller Beck can be found here and here.
CONTRIBUTED BY: Dan Toward.