Economy of North York Moors National Park

viability of a farm. In recent years agriculture in Britain has suffered economic setbacks and the viability of hill farming has become questionable. A number of environmental schemes to improve farm incomes have been devised but the industry continues to decline.

Agricultural use of the moors is shared with grouse shooting as a means of gaining financial return from the vast expanse of heather. There is richer farmland across the southern limestone belt, where there are arable and mixed farms as well as the livestock farms. The main arable crops are barley, wheat, oilseed rape, potatoes, and sugar beets. There is also some intensive production of pigs and poultry.

Tourism

Many visitors to the moors are engaged in outdoor pursuits, particularly walking; the park has a network of rights-of-way almost 2,300 km (1,400 miles) in length, and most of the areas of open moorland are open access under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Popular named walks include the Cleveland Way, which circles the moors, and has a section along the coast; and the Lyke Wake Walk, which leads directly across the heart of the moors. The route of The White Rose Way, a long distance walk from Leeds to Scarborough, North Yorkshire also passes through. The area also offers opportunities for cycling, mountain biking, and horse-riding, including a circular long distance bridle route created around the North York Moors which can be accessed at a number of locations. The steep escarpments that define the edges of the park on three sides are used by several gliding clubs.

The National Park has two visitor centres which have tourist information, exhibitions and things to do for all the family, as well as a contemporary gallery. These are at:

Sutton Bank

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