The woodland is mainly comprised of pines and spruces but there are also beech, alder, ash, oak and hazel, creating a wonderful and diverse wildlife habitat. Dalby Forest is home to many birds including the crossbill and is visited in the summer by the mysterious nightjar, badgers and roe deer are commonly seen wandering in the forest. Dalby Forest history was originally shaped by the inhabitants of the Bronze Age, and changes continue through to the present day, it is defiantly an area well worth a visit.
Dalby Forest can be accessed via Thornton-le-Dale on the A170 Helmsley to Scarborough road. Access can also been gained from the north of Scarborough through Langdale End and Hackness. There is a nine mile drive around the forest which allows the visitor to appreciate this beautiful landscape at its best. From the forest drive there are numerous play areas, picnic areas where the use of bbq's are allowed, and walking and cycling trails which can be easily accessed, perfect for a family day out. If it’s a quiet trip you’re after then there are plenty of tranquil corners in which to sit back and...
watch wildlife whilst taking in the scenery and fresh air.
Cycles can be hired from a number of sites and refreshment facilities are also readily available. Adderstone Field which can be found five miles along Dalby Forest Drive is a popular site for bat and ball games, several open air events and concerts take place here too throughout the year.
Dalby Forest visitor centre is the main information centre for Dalby and the surrounding area. The centre is situated one and a half miles from the entrance to the forest beyond the village of Low Dalby. Here you can find a shop, toilets, a restaurant, and an exhibition area and information point. There are disabled parking facilities and maps and leaflets about the trails in the area are supplied here. Low Dalby village has craft units, a café and picnic tables, bikes are also available for hire.
Foot, cycle and horse access is free however there is a charge for motor vehicles (coaches do have to make prior arrangements before arrival). Annual passes can also be purchased.
Dalby Forest Observatory owned by Scarborough Astronomical Society is open on the first Friday in each month, everyone is welcome and it is free of charge. At these sessions which start at 7.30pm particular features of the night sky can be viewed.
Visit the award-winning high wire forest adventure course at Go Ape, a maze of rope bridges, tarzan swings and zip slides up to 40 feet up in the trees, a great family fun day out.
At Crosscliff which is an area surrounded by pine trees the remains of Dargate Dikes an ancient network from before the Dark Ages can be found. Crosscliff viewpoint has amazing views of the panoramic landscape sculpted by the ice-age. A lonely hill to the west named Blakey Topping is to be said to have been created by a giant!
High and Low Staindale get their name from the Viking for ‘stony valley’, probably because of the rocky landscape of the close by ravines and rock formations of Adderstone and Bridestone. A small lake in the valley is home to tufted duck and canada geese, with occasional visits from heron, goldeneye and dabchick. Many species of woodland birds including great-spotted woodpecker, coal tit, bullfinch and siskin are often seen at the bird feeding station. There is a lakeside trail circling the lake with benches along the way to sit back and enjoy the view.
On the brow of Pexton Hill overlooking Dalby Beck there is a small park called Haygate, there are picnic facilities here and it is another good bird watching area.
Overall Dalby forest is a fantastic place and makes a superb day out for all the family to enjoy. Well worth being on the itinerary of any visitor to the area.
