Grassington is a small town in Wharfedale in North Yorkshire, set in the limestone scenery of the Yorkshire Dales. You come here to browse in the cobbled market square and to hike the hills. The 2020 TV adaption of All Creatures Great and Small was filmed here, as the original setting of a veterinary practice in Thirsk had become too busy and modern. In 2021, the population was 1100.
Get in
[edit]
Grassington is 8 miles north of Skipton on the B6265. Skipton has the nearest railway station, with trains every 30 min from Leeds and Bradford, and every few hours from Lancaster and Carlisle.
Keighley Bus 72 runs every hour or two from Skipton, taking 30 min via the railway station, Cracoe and Threshfield. On Sunday May-Sep it connects with a minibus to Buckden and Hawes.
Upper Wharfedale Bus 72B runs between Buckden, Kettlewell and Grassington 4 times M-Sa.
On Sundays May-Oct Dales Bus 874 from Wetherby, 875 from York and 876 from Leeds run via Ilkley to Grassington, Buckden and Hawes.
1 The Square is the main bus stop and town centre. Buses also stop at the National Park Centre.
See below for long-distance hiking routes through town.
Get around
[edit]As Grassington is a small town, you can walk everywhere.
No local taxi, it would have to come from Skipton.
See
[edit]
- The Square is the pleasant cobbled centre. Traditional 18th / 19th century buildings line it and the adjoining lanes.
- Grassington Folk Museum, 6 The Square BD23 5AQ, ☏ +44 1756 752801. Apr-Oct Tu-Su 10:30AM-12:30, 2-4:30PM. Exhibits range over lead mining, minerals, handicrafts, Dales farming, period costumes, folklore and the days of the railway and World War II. Donation.
- 1 National Park Visitor Centre, Hebden Road BD23 5LB, ☏ +44 1756 751699. Daily 10AM-5PM. A good starting point for any visit to Yorkshire Dales National Park. They also have centres at Aysgarth Falls, Hawes and Malham.
- 2 Grassington Bridge
is four arches of gritstone carrying B6265 over the River Wharfe. When built in 1603 it was hump-back, but in the 19th century it was widened and the road approaches raised so it's now level. - 3 Kilnsey Crag rears up 3 miles north of Grassington. It's a 170 ft limestone bluff with an overhang of 40 ft, so it has difficult rock-climbing routes.
Do
[edit]
Hike: use OS Landranger (scale 1:50,000) Map 98 for Grassington and Upper Wharfedale to the north. Map 103 covers southern approaches from Skipton.
Dales Way follows the river valley up to Grassington then along the scarp edge east side of the valley to Kettlewell, returning to the valley to Buckden.
Buy
[edit]The Dales is a convenience store at 5 Main St, open daily 8AM-9PM.
The nearest supermarkets are in Skipton.
Eat
[edit]- The Morral is within Black Horse Hotel, open daily noon-9PM.
- Rozi's Curry house is at 10 Main St, open daily 5-11PM.
- Cobblestones Cafe is at 3 Main St, open F-Tu 10AM-3:30PM.
- Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream is at 8 Main St, open daily 10AM-6PM.
Drink
[edit]- Foresters Arms, 20 Main St BD23 5AA (north end of The Square), ☏ +44 1756 752349. Pleasant pub, has rooms.
Sleep
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- The Devonshire, 27 Main St BD23 5AD (north end of The Square), ☏ +44 1756 752525. Decent pub with rooms. It was "The Drovers Arms" in the TV version of All Creatures Great and Small so the restaurant is touristy-trappy and poor value. B&B double £100.
- Black Horse Hotel, 4 Garrs Lane BD23 5AT (northeast end of The Square), ☏ +44 1756 752770. Friendly comfy small hotel. B&B double £140.
- Grassington House, 5 The Square, Grassington BD23 5AQ, ☏ +44 1756 752406. Upscale restaurant with 9 rooms in a Georgian mansion. B&B double £170.
- Ashfield House, 3 Summers Fold BD23 5AE (50 yards north of The Square), ☏ +44 1756 752584. Charming B&B, central yet hidden away. B&B double £120.
- 1 Tucked Away House, 6 Browns Fold BD23 5AB, ☏ +44 1756 753332. Pleasant small guesthouse. B&B double £110.
- Grassington Lodge is self-catering accommodation at 8 Wood Lane, the street west of The Square.
- 2 Craiglands, 1 Brooklyn, Threshfield BD23 5ER, ☏ +44 1756 752093. Welcoming guesthouse half a mile west of town. B&B double £100.
- 3 Grassington Bunk Barn, Spring Croft, Moor Lane BD23 5BD, ☏ +44 1756 753882. 3 dorms and one 4-bed room, sleeps 34. It's only available to book on an exclusive basis, and no stag or hen parties allowed.
- Burnsall 2 miles southeast on B6160 has The Fell Inn, Red Lion and Wharfe View. The buildings are dour compared to Grassington and there's no village centre, it's more like Georgian ribbon development.
- 4 Yorkshire Dales Glamping, Northcote, Kilnsey BD23 5PT, ☏ +44 7736 039402. Well-equipped glamping pods.
- 5 Littondale Country & Leisure Park, Out Gang Lane, Littondale BD23 5PX, ☏ +44 7771 312836. Peaceful site in Littondale, a side valley to Wharfedale. It's open Mar-Oct with static caravans, tourer & camping pitches and glamping pods.
Connect
[edit]As of August 2025, Grassington and its approach roads have 4G from EE, O2 and Three but no signal from Vodafone. 5G has not reached this area.
Go next
[edit]- Buckden is 11 miles north, at the head of Wharfedale and surrounded by moors.
- Malham 12 miles west is on the Pennine Way, which clambers up scenic Malham Cove.
- Skipton 8 miles southeast is a fine market town with a castle.