Captain Cook's Monument

The monument to James Cook, who grew up in Great Ayton, was raised on the summit of Easby Moor in 1827 by Whitby banker Robert Campion and is visible for miles across the Cleveland plain. The stone obelisk stands 60 feet high on the moor edge at 1,064 feet, with the whole of the Tees valley, Roseberry Topping and, on a clear day, the North Sea spread out below.

The easiest route is from the small car park at Gribdale Gate, a mile up a lane from Great Ayton, from where a good path climbs through the forest edge to the summit in about 25 minutes. A longer loop takes in Roseberry Topping via the Cleveland Way (about eight miles). The Cook connection continues in the village, where his schoolroom is now a museum.

Getting there

Gribdale Gate car park (free), off Dikes Lane from Great Ayton, or walk from Great Ayton village.