Blakey Ridge (Ralph Cross)

A high, wild moortop road running along the watershed of the North York Moors, crowned by the ancient Young Ralph Cross waymarker and looking down into the deep glacial trenches of Rosedale and Farndale on either side. In late summer the heather turns the whole plateau a blazing purple, and the isolated Lion Inn, old stone crosses and sweeping open horizons give a real sense of remote upland scale that flies beautifully. This is one of the emptier spots on the list, with wide clear sightlines and little air traffic, and roadside pull-ins near the crosses and the inn make access simple. The main responsibilities are wildlife and land respect. The moor is important ground-nesting bird habitat, so between roughly March and July keep away from the open heather and fly from the road corridor rather than walking out onto nesting ground. The area falls within the North York Moors National Park, which asks flyers to follow its voluntary drone code and avoid disturbing wildlife, livestock and other visitors, and open-access status does not itself grant take-off rights. Danby Beacon lies several kilometres north and there is no airport restriction zone here. The ridge is exposed and weather sweeps in fast, so choose a settled, clear day and keep firm control in the wind.