Yorkshire Dales Voyage Tips and guide

The Yorkshire Dales are a scenic area of limestone hills and valleys in North Yorkshire in the north of England. Much of the area falls within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, which extends into neighbouring Cumbria and Lancashire. The area includes Nidderdale though this is not part of the Park.

A "dale" simply means a valley, so it's a very common component of a place-name, in Yorkshire and elsewhere. The Dales described here are those in the Pennines, north of Skipton and south of Kirkby Stephen, and the hills between them. Their terrain is exposed limestone or karst country, scenically sculpted by glaciation and by water action. Similar terrain and scenery is found at the southern end of the Pennines, the Peak District, while the area between is overlain by tough millstone and looks quite different: bleak, boggy and infertile.

Rivers course down the dales, mostly flowing east, but Ribblesdale and Lonsdale flow south then west to the Irish Sea. As each river leaves the limestone hills, it comes into gentler rolling country then low plains, pastoral and bucolic. Names such as "Wharfedale" and "Nidderdale" are often extended to these broad valleys and meander plains, but they don't have classic Dales scenery, and they're only considered on this page to the extent that they have transport routes and amenities relevant to visitors to the Dales.

The area is at low altitude by European mountain standards, and is fertile, with cattle farming on the lower ground and sheep on the hills. In Norman times monasteries were established, eg at Bolton Priory and Fountains Abbey, that controlled much of this land and promoted agriculture. Later centuries saw the building of castles such as Castle Bolton and hunting lodges such as Barden Tower. The Industrial era brought lead and coal mining, quarrying, and the construction of roads and railways. This, plus new housing, was economically necessary but potentially ruinous to the area's natural beauty, so in 1954 the Yorkshire Dales National Park was created. Nidderdale wasn't included, but was separately protected in 1994 by designation as an "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" (AONB). In 2016 the National Park was considerably extended westwards, almost to the M6, so it now includes Lonsdale.

The park borders upon several other protected areas: Nidderdale AONB as mentioned to the southeast, Lake District National Park to the west, Forest of Bowland AONB to the southwest, and North Pennines AONB to the north. So a huge tract of northern England is now within a joined-up protected habitat where development is tightly controlled. So maybe they could re-introduce bears, wolves, and other early denizens? Realistically not those, the combined area is still too small and too populated, but water voles and hazel dormice have been re-introduced. You've got to start small.

There are no park fees or road tolls in any of these areas. The usual charges apply for parking, campsites, and admission to attractions. Permits are required (as in the rest of the UK) for fishing, hunting, etc. Fishing licences are available at Post Offices.

As with the rest of the UK, winter (October–March) can be wet, cold (−5°C–15°C) and windy, and summer (June–August) can be warm and sunny (18°C–28°C). However there are no guarantees so it is quite possible for rainy weather in summer and moderate weather in winter.

• Yorkshire Dales visitor information

54°12′0″N 2°9′0″W

Map of Yorkshire Dales

The principal dales are Wharfedale, Wensleydale, Swaledale, Nidderdale, Ribblesdale, Airedale and Lonsdale, each with a distinct character. Many smaller dales feed into these. This account only considers the "dale-like" upper reaches, working upstream as this is the likeliest approach for the visitor.

Wharfedale is very accessible from Leeds and Bradford so it's busy on summer weekends. B6160 is its main road.

• 53.925-1.8221 Ilkley is a former spa town with moors looming above it. "On Ilka Moor baht at" is the Yorkshire ballad describing the perils of going up there hatless.
• 53.9825-1.8872222 Bolton Abbey is a village with a ruined priory. The Strid is a torrent where the River Wharfe rips between rocks.
• 54.071-1.9983 Grassington is a large village. Kilnsey Crag is an overhanging bluff with climbing routes.
• 54.191389-2.0905394 Buckden is near the head of the valley. Roads climb the moors beyond into Wensleydale.

Wensleydale is named for the village of Wensley (source of Wensleydale cheese), not for its river the Ure. A684 is the main road.

• 54.293636-1.9822225 Aysgarth has a scenic waterfall.
• 54.304144-2.1964196 Hawes has several waterfalls, the largest is Hardrow Force. The road traverses the moor to Garsdale and the Lune Valley.

Swaledale starts above Richmond. B6270 ascends through Reeth, Gunnerside, Thwaite and Keld. Swaledale sheep come from here.

• 54.405-2.1687 Keld is at the head of the valley, then the road crosses into Cumbria.

Nidderdale is not within the national park, but is similarly protected.

• 54.08-1.768 Pateley Bridge is the only large village. Brimham Rocks are a scenic outcrop of the gritstone bedrock. A lane climbs over the moors north then zags east back to the lowlands at Masham.

Ribblesdale together with Airedale forms the "Aire Gap" through the Pennines, a historically important low-level route. It's traversed by railway lines and main roads with buses, so it's very accessible. These roads are also the route from the Yorkshire cities to the Lake District, so they're congested on summer weekends.

• 54.068-2.289 Settle is the start of attractive karstic scenery.
• 54.149719-2.296110 Horton-in-Ribblesdale is beneath the brooding "Three Peaks" of Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-Ghent. It's classic country for hiking, caving and pot-holing, and Ribbleshead railway viaduct spans the valley.

Airedale the east side of the Gap is traversed by the Leeds-Liverpool canal.

• 53.962-2.01711 Skipton is a pleasant market town with a castle.
• 54.06-2.1512 Malham has the outstanding scenery of Malham Cove and Gordale Scar.

Lonsdale in Cumbria became part of the Park when this was extended westwards in 2016. Much of it has millstone bedrock, but karst scenery is found in the northern reaches.

• 54.2-2.613 Kirkby Lonsdale is the main town, along the busy Leeds-Kendal road.
• 54.1201-2.3894214 Clapham beneath Ingleborough has the Gaping Gill cave system.
• 54.322-2.52615 Sedbergh is in the side valley of River Rawthey.

• Leeds-Bradford Airport (LBA ^IATA) is the closest, with good connections across western Europe, including London Heathrow, Paris CDG and Amsterdam.
• Newcastle Airport (NCL ^IATA) has similar flights to Leeds-Bradford but less frequent. Consider it if you're mainly touring the northern Dales, into Cumbria, County Durham and Hadrian's Wall.
• Manchester Airport (MAN ^IATA) is further but has global connections and competitive fares. Follow the motorway north, and you can reach the Dales in a couple of hours.

• Leeds has frequent trains from London, Manchester, the Midlands, Newcastle and Edinburgh.

From Leeds a train every couple of hours runs up Ribblesdale via Skipton, Gargrave, Settle, Horton, Ribbleshead, Dent, Garsdale, Kirkby Stephen and Appleby to Carlisle.

Frequent trains run from Leeds and Bradford to Ilkley and to Skipton, for buses onward to Grassington and Buckden in Wharfedale.

• Harrogate, reached by train via Leeds or York, has buses up Nidderdale as far as Pateley Bridge.
• Oxenholme near Kendal is on the line from Preston via Lancaster to Carlisle.

Dalesbus has a good online map of the regular and summer-only bus routes into the Dales.

You probably need a car, but see Dalesbus link above for bus routes.

• Rocks: the most obviously scenic are karstic areas. Millstone often produces a featureless level terrain, but here and there it forms teetering outcrops. The exposed rock is cracked by ice vertically and horizontally, so it looks like giants' architecture, or their stacked crockery. Good examples are the Cow and Calf at Ilkeley, and Brimham Rocks near Pateley Bridge.
• Waterfalls: scores of these, as the Pennines have year-round rainfall. Streams and nascent rivers pick their way across impervious millstone plateaux then thunder over the edge. Best known are High Force above Middleton and Hardraw Force above Hawes; Malham Cove in prehistory rivalled Niagara but is now dry. In limestone terrain the streams cut gullies and cascades rather than falls, but at Gaping Gill above Clapham the stream hurtles into a deep yawning cavern.

Walk as far or as little as you like. As with other areas of natural beauty, anything within ten minutes of the car park may feel like a suburban picnic spot, but anything beyond suddenly propels you miles from anywhere. Several long-distance trails cross the area:

The Pennine Way from the south crosses A65 at Gargrave, follows the Aire Valley north to Malham and onto the limestone tops - this section around Malham Tarn is the most scenic of the entire path - then veers west over Pen-y-Ghent to Horton-in-Ribblesdale. From there it's practically straight north to Hawes. North again, the route leaves the Park at Tan Hill to head into the North Pennines and Teesdale.

The Dales Way runs the length of Wharfedale past Bolton Abbey to Grassington, Kettlewell and Hibberholme, into Langstrothdale and over into Cumbria.

The Three Peaks can be admired from the roadside, but do climb them if the weather's decent, there's nothing difficult. The three are:

54.155278-2.2497221 Pen-y-Ghent. 2,277 ft (694 m) shaped like the prow of a battleship bearing down on you.  

54.165833-2.39752 Ingleborough. 2,372 ft (723 m) with a distinct layered appearance, and pierced by the chasm of Juniper Gulf.  

54.23-2.43 Whernside. 2,415 ft (736 m) is the highest point in North Yorkshire, sharing its summit with Cumbria.  

54.30808-1.822334 Wensleydale Railway, Leyburn Station, Harmby Road, Leyburn, DL8 5EU, ☏ +44 1677 425805. 9AM-6PM. This runs from Leeming Bar near Northallerton to Bedales, Leyburn and Redmire. It's often steam-hauled (check timetable for steam days) and you can even arrange to work alongside the driver. (updated Aug 2018)

The Dales is not known as a major shopping destination, but many of the towns and villages have a range of small tourist and craft shops as well as local amenities. The markets can be treasure troves of local produce. The nearest major shopping city is Leeds, but nearer-by Skipton and Harrogate have a selection of shops.

• Hawes. Market, rope-maker's shop and a few good antique shops. 
• 54.085758-1.7633851 The Oldest Sweet Shop in the World, 39 High St, Pateley Bridge, HG3 5JZ, ☏ +44 1423 712371. Holder of the Guinness World Record for being the oldest continuously operating sweet shop in the world. Expect to find high-quality sweets that are old-fashioned, uncommon, seasonal, or special. Multi-coloured, multi-flavoured traffic light lollipops make a compact and inexpensive souvenir for the little ones back home – get 10 lollies for less than £4. (updated Jul 2021)

Find a traditional Yorkshire pub in any of the numerous villages, for a fair value hearty meal. Traditional favourite is Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding.

The local Wensleydale cheese... traditionally served with apple pie.

54.02576-2.059911 The Angel Inn, Back Ln, Hetton, ☏ +44 1756 730263.  

There are a variety of local beers to try in any local pub. Just a short journey westwards from the A1, main arterial road north, lies the village of Wensley. This village gives its name to the local dale and is a favourite spot in the whole of the Dales. Whilst here, drop into the local pub (there is only one) to sample the brews from the local Wensleydale Brewery, particularly the "Poacher" and "Gamekeeper". These are drinks to die for! But, take it easy if you want to be able to enjoy the scenery afterwards! These are brews of around 5 per cent. You can sit outside if the weather is good or sit inside and enjoy a pub interior that owes nothing to modern `drink-factory` design.

The Yorkshire Dales Brewing Company makes a variety of beers, taking inspiration from both Yorkshire and abroad. A number of pubs have a house beer brewed by the company. The brewery can be found in Askrigg, location of the TV series All creatures Great and Small.

Overall bed capacity is small, and the Park intend to keep it that way. You need to book ahead, because places may be either booked out for summer or closed for winter.

There are campsites throughout the Dales, often on farms. In winter and early spring camping is cold, wet, windswept and flood-prone, and "glamping pods" and yurts are a cosier option.

The few hostels may be block-booked by groups, for instance for schools activities.

B&B guesthouses are dotted about, and are of a good standard. In most villages the best accommodation is the pub, which is often a historic stagecoach inn and also has the best dining. These may be managed by pub companies such as Greene King or Marston but retain their independent character. Hotel chains such as Premier Inn are further away, say in Skipton, not in Dales scenery but within a short drive.

The hills are of no great height, but bad weather can set in at any time, with poor visibility and slippery rocks.

There are a couple of show caves, but the rest are cave systems for experience cavers only.

There's little crime in the Dales except theft from cars so keep valuables hidden.

• Leeds — the largest city in Yorkshire and is easily accessible, by road or rail.
• York — historic and is easily accessible, by road or rail.
• Lake District National Park — 1-2 hours by car to the north west following the A65