Saltersgate

Saltersgate is barely more than a scatter of buildings on the A169, the high moorland road that links Pickering to Whitby, but its setting is one of the most dramatic in the North York Moors. The hamlet takes its name from the packhorse salters who once carried salt across these exposed heights along ancient trackways, 'gate' being the old Viking word for road. For centuries a coaching inn stood here too, the Saltersgate Inn, said to have kept a fire burning in its hearth for close to two hundred years so that a smuggler's body, supposedly buried beneath the hearthstone, would never be disturbed. The inn closed in 2007 and was demolished in 2018, but the site and the legend remain part of local lore.

What draws most visitors to Saltersgate today is what lies just to the south: the Hole of Horcum, a vast natural amphitheatre nearly 400 feet deep and over half a mile across, gouged out of the moor by centuries of spring-sapping erosion. Folklore prefers a better story, that the giant Wade scooped out the hollow with his bare hands to hurl at his wife. Whatever its origin, the view from the roadside car park at Saltersgate is one of the finest in the National Park, and it is the starting point for some of the best walking in the region.

Top things to do near Saltersgate

Saltersgate itself has no facilities to speak of, but it sits at the gateway to some outstanding moorland scenery and is within easy reach of several North York Moors highlights.

• Hole of Horcum — the huge natural bowl immediately south of Saltersgate, with a roadside viewpoint and a popular circular walk of around five miles down into the hollow and back over Levisham Moor.
• Levisham Moor — open heather moorland crossed by the Horcum walk, scattered with Bronze Age dykes and barrows for those interested in ancient archaeology.
• Newtondale — the dramatic glacial valley running north from the Hole of Horcum, followed by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway steam line between Pickering and Grosmont.
• North York Moors National Park — mile upon mile of heather moorland, forming one of the largest expanses of heather in England and turning a rich purple in late summer.
• Levisham village — a quiet moorland village a couple of miles from Saltersgate, with a pub and access to the steam railway station down in the valley.

Getting to Saltersgate

Saltersgate sits directly on the A169, the main road across the moors between Pickering and Whitby, so it is easy to reach by car; there is a roadside car park overlooking the Hole of Horcum. Pickering, around seven miles south, is the nearest town with a railway connection (via Malton) and is also the southern terminus of the heritage North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Whitby lies around twelve miles north. Public transport is limited, with an infrequent bus service along the A169, so a car or bike is the practical way to explore this stretch of moorland.

Best time to visit Saltersgate

Late summer, from mid-August into September, is when the heather moorland around Saltersgate and the Hole of Horcum turns a spectacular purple, making it the most popular time to visit. Spring and early summer bring nesting curlews and skylarks to the moor, while autumn colours the bracken-covered slopes gold and russet. Winter can be atmospheric but the exposed moorland road is high and open, so conditions can turn harsh with mist, wind and occasional snow.

Where to stay near Saltersgate

There is no accommodation in Saltersgate itself, but the surrounding moorland villages and market towns offer a good range of places to stay. Pickering, a handsome market town with its own castle and steam railway station, has hotels, inns and guesthouses within easy reach. Levisham and Lockton, the nearest villages, have a scattering of cottages and farm stays, while Whitby to the north offers the widest choice of hotels and guesthouses for those who want the coast on their doorstep too.

Food and drink near Saltersgate

With the old Saltersgate Inn long gone, there is nowhere to eat or drink in the hamlet itself. The nearest options are in Levisham and Lockton, which both have village pubs, or in Pickering, which has a good selection of cafes, restaurants and pubs serving Yorkshire fare. Whitby, a little further north, is well known for its fish and chip shops and seafood restaurants.