The North York Moors National Park is justly famous for its magnificent purple acres of heather moorland, but the boundaries of this beautiful region embrace an incredibly diverse range of distinctive features, including:

• Dramatic craggy escarpments
• Broad pastoral dales and deep, wooded valleys
• Precipitous sea-cliffs, rocky bays and golden sands
• Colourful woodlands and dark coniferous forests
• Lazy, meandering rivers and sparkling moorland streams
• Remote sleepy hamlets, bustling market towns and quaint fishing villages
• Glorious abbeys, churches and castles
• Numerous nature reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest
• Hoary relics of ancient civilisations and fascinating remains of former industries.

The vast network of public bridleways and footpaths, old drovers` roads, paved packhorse trods, forsaken railway track beds, forestry tracks and waymarked trails make this one of Britain`s finest walking locations.

In the first of two volumes Jack Keighley describes and illustrates 30 circular walks which collectively incorporate every type of landscape to be found within the Park. The walks range from 4 to 8 miles, making them ideal as half-day `family rambles`.