Dark Skies Festival Night Walk at Sutton Bank

Enjoy the very special experience of walking at night through the Sutton Bank landscape, under the North York Moor’s dark skies.

James Herriot, vet and author of All Creatures Great and Small fame, once described Sutton Bank in the North York Moors National Park as ‘England’s Finest View’. We’ll head towards this incredible viewpoint during this special Dark Skies Festival night walk.

Just feet from our car park meeting place we’ll be plunged into darkness as we make our way along trails to the edge of the escarpment. From our viewpoint we’ll be able to see the twinkling lights of distant towns and villages below us. The real stars of tonight, however, are above us.

Once your eyes become accustomed to the darkness, you can appreciate a sky jam-packed with stars. As the North York Moors is a designated International Dark Sky Reserve, this is one of the world’s finest places for stargazing. It’s one of those humbling experiences that you can really lose yourself in. Our guides will help you spot constellations and other celestial bodies – be they planets, satellites, or shooting stars!

After-dark walking is also a great opportunity to pick up a few night navigation techniques from our guides. If you’d like to know more about finding your way on the trails after dark, we’re running special Night Navigation Experience evenings during the Dark Skies Festival.

This event is part of the North York Moors Dark Skies Festival 2024.