Ellers Beck begins begins its life at Stelling Spring on Marrick Moor, a humble beginning on a gentle decline. Stelling Spring drifts lazily towards Cock How where it is diverted south east towards Lower Stelling Farm. Here it becomes the Dales Beck.

By the time Stelling Spring has been deflected south east by Cock How it has been renamed Dales Beck. Seen from the Stelling road bridge on Hard Stiles Lane the western aspect of Dales Beck shows its course between Low Stelling Farm and Cock How.

Dales Beck is notable because in 1574/5 its southern riverbank became the birth place of Marrick Low Smelt Mill, built by John Sayer with an ore-hearth. Looking east from Hard Stiles Lane the Dales Beck is now only 200 yards away from the Marrick Smelting Mills. The Beck was their main source of water, together with two springs that converge with the Beck, one each side of the Mills.

As Dales Beck passes Marrick Smelt Mill the land on the opposite riverbank folds, producing an increasingly exposed limestone scar between the Mill and Ellers Plantation. This is known as Hardraw Scar. Ellers Plantation is seen in the distance beyond Marrick Smelt Mill.

From the footbridge spanning Ellers Beck you can follow it west towards its source at Stelling Spring. The Beck can be seen drifting from Hardraw Scar and Ellers Plantation. Once it passes Ellers Farm it becomes the North Gill.

Ellers Beck, in the early summer months, is often garlanded with a mass of creamy white watercress flowers that extend as far as the eye can see in both directions. Watercress has a strong peppery flavour and is often used as a garnish in salads. It grows best in natural spring water, so sighting watercress is a signal of a nearby spring. In actuality Ellers Beck has many issues of water stretching a short distance to converge with it, all along its length to Ellers Farm.

From the path below Deer Park a view to the south exposes the river woods of Oxque where the North Beck transitions to the Oxque Gill.

For the very short distance between Ellers Beck and Oxque woods the Beck is renamed Oxque Gill. Somewhere within the woodland the water disappears underground. At Oxque Bridge the Gill is dried up and all that can be seen meeting the River Swale on convergence is an aggregation of river stones. In wet weather, however, there is plenty of surface water.

At its confluence with the River Swale there is nothing to be seen save for an assemblage of water worn stones extending from the Gill to meet those of the River Swale.