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.