Despite growing up only 75 miles (Liverpool) from the Yorkshire Dales, I never went. Standard trips where always to North Wales.
I’ve been darn sarf for the last 30 years and still never been to the YDs.
But no more. The wife and I are off for a 3 day/2 night trip the week after next and looking forward to it.
Any particularly favourite rambles and pubs would be welcome, as you get a bit overwhelmed by TripAdvisor.
As for pubs, we are not looking for any poncy Michelin-styled crap. Looking for scrub tables, and local fair (pies!) and good beer.
Thanks in advance.
Tan Hill Inn is worth a visit. There are so many interesting market towns but the Dales is a big area. If you want some nice food the Angel at Hetton is good. Skipton, Settle, Hawes, Dent Dale, Buttertubs Pass. Quite a few castles up there as well. lambing season will be in full flow.
We (couple + 13yo boy) like Settle and the area.
Walking - depends how fit you are. If you can do a 10 miler down south, you should be fine with any of the "harder" ones below. If you struggle with 2-3 miles down south, even the Easy might be too hard. Sensible advice - buy map(s) and compass and be confident how to use them if doing the "harder" ones. Have proper clothing and footwear for any of them - it rains a lot! Sorry, I don't mean to preach.
Easy
Ingleton waterfall walk
Clapham to Austwick on the Thwaite Lane (see Game Cock below)
To the base of Malham Cove (spectacular scenery)
Medium
To the top of Malham Cove
Clapham to Ingleborough Cave (and optionally on to Trow Gill a dramatic cleft in the landscape)
Harder
Horton in Ribblesdale to Pen-y-Ghent (my favourite) About 7 miles round trip lots of vertical to feel proud about. Cafe at end. (see also The Crown below)
Ingleton to Ingleborough (a bit pedestrian imo)
Clapham to Ingleborough (a much more interesting and challenging walk than the other Ingleborough walk above). Starts with Ingleborough Cave and Trow Gill as above, then goes on up past Gaping Gill
Ribblehead to Whernside (done it three times - in the rain and cloud three times). Past the iconic railway viaduct, then into the cloud!
Pubs (all these impressions are from last year, or earlier years)
Settle has some good, unpretentious, pubs: Golden Lion, Talbot & Royal Oak were all fine.
Austwick - Game Cock, nice pub with good beer and good food.
Horton in Ribblesdale - The Crown is nice, but we didn't get on well with the Golden Lion
Thornton in Lonsdale (nr Ingleton) - The Marton Arms was nice and very relaxed
Hope you have a great time.
Malham Cove is one of the great sights, and the view looking west from Ingleborough is quite something.
In terms of general tone, I'm most fond of the area around Swaledale Wensleydale and Coverdale - it's not as spectacular as the Settle area, but the Dales' unique blend of bleak moortops and cosy valleybottoms seems to be at its very best there.
For a superb unspoilt pub popular with locals and visitors, the Farmer's Arms in Muker, Swaledale is the place to go. Top notch walks all around from Muker too.
We’re there next week, stopping in Malham so will be doing a mixture of the walks mentioned by Boots2.
Went last year for a few days round the Lakes and came back down through the Dales but the weather was terrible so just ended up eating and drinking far too much ‘unfortunately ‘. Fingers crossed for better weather or I’ll end up in the pub again 😋
My favourite pub in the area is the Craven Arms at Appletreewick and a couple of miles east of it , for a good ( about an hour ) walk, visit the Valley of Desolation, lovely and not what one might expect from its name.
I had my first ever half of bitter in there.... aged twelveOriginally Posted by Plastic_Magpie
Ah, them were the days.
Interested in the replies too. Travelling north to do the Settle to Carlisle train route early April, staying at Haworth near Keighley.
I started a very similar thread
https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...ight=Yorkshire
Ben
Reeth is nice with some lovely walking and brilliant mountain biking around there - try the Bridge Inn just outside the village at Grinton.
Malham is also worth a visit and a walk across the cove - the Lister Arms is a lovely place to sit out on the lawn with a beer or four after the walk and they do decent food too.
I also love it around Burnsall - walk along the river to Grassington - or walk the other way to Appletreewick.
Without wishing to sound negative about an earlier comment, I'd avoid the Tan Hill Inn - it's a run-down dump. Apart from the height at which it sits (which is pretty bleak even in the summer) it has nothing going for it in my opinion. Although, there is the buttertubs pass which leads up to it - always a joy to have a nice drive through there - just find a better pub, it won't be difficult!
the Craven at Appletreewick must be one of the best country pubs in the UK.Went last year on my 60th in a vintage Bentley from Skipton.
Howarth, Settle, Skipton, Sedbergh are all great locations.
Thanks for all the recommendations.
I’ve bookmarked this page and will reference it heavily during our trip next weekend.
I wouldn’t say the Tan Hill is a dump, down at heel yes but not a dump. We often park up early in Reeth and head off on the bikes for a few hours and head up there for a 10.30 stop . . .
F.T.F.A.
Another vote for Burnsall, the pub on the side of the river called The Red Lion serves good food and the walk along the river is lovely. Another very picturesque village is Linton, and The Fountaine Inn in the centre also serves nice food. A bit further afield The Game Cock in Austwick again serves good fayre with a french twist.
Stuart
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Last edited by cinnabull; 28th March 2019 at 13:55.
My favourite spot is Kettlewell, excellent for hill walking if you're fit enough. Reeth's a nice spot too, so is Hawes.
Main thing to remember is to book good weather, when it's bad it can be a bit grim.
Could you fit in a drive to Masham. Home of the legendary Black Sheep Brewery? (other breweries in that village are also available). You could pick up some of this. A finer Yorkshire bitter I have yet to discover and a regular occurrence in the 'Mmmmm beer' section.
https://www.blacksheepbrewery.com
My sister got married there…. It’s ace…. Fantastic venueCould you fit in a drive to Masham. Home of the legendary Black Sheep Brewery? (other breweries in that village are also available). You could pick up some of this. A finer Yorkshire bitter I have yet to discover and a regular occurrence in the 'Mmmmm beer' section.
https://www.blacksheepbrewery.com
The Keighley Valley Railway is a great steam railway. Check Timetables and if any sort of Easter specials on for kids you might need to book. They have well over 100,000 passengers for their Santa Specials!
Give Keighley itself a miss though.
In the Yorkshire for a couple of days now and the weather has been remarkably good and mostly sunny, contrary to the forecast.
Been walking in a T-Shirt. Did a 6 miler around Wendslydale yesterday, stayed in Starbolten last night (Fox and Hounds) which has a very pleasant landlord.
Another 6 miler to Kettlewell return, and the off to the Hotel du Vin in Harrogate.
Thanks all for the tips. It’s been a lovely weekend and the weather has shown off the Dales to their best.
Went to Keighley from Howarth and the contrast couldn't have been greater.
I mentioned Keighley in the thread about Britain's crappest towns uggggghhhhhh
It’s actually called the Worth Valley Railway.
It runs from Oxenhope to Keighley but the main attractions are in Howarth.
As said, Keighley itself isn’t too clever but is quite close to Skipton and the dales.
Spent a couple of days walking round Malham last week, I’d goosed my ankle on a building site but luckily the walking was fairly easy and well marked out- no need for a map, no chance of getting lost just follow whoever is walking in front of you. It was very busy despite being midweek and quite cold with the wind. Saw peregrines at Gordale Scar which is always a pleasure, there was also a spotting point at Malham Cove. Met people from Australia and America which made me feel terribly lazy for not going up to the Dales more as it was only a 40 minutes drive. Enjoyed it but I bet it’s unbelievably busy in better weather .
Stopped in Beck Hall and can thoroughly it
I was up there myself staying with friends over the weekend. Beautiful weather and some nice views of the Ribblehead Viaduct which I hadn’t seen before. Watching an alpha male pheasant regularly patrolling my friends’ garden with his harem also brought home just how connected nature you are in that part of the world.
We had morning tea in Kettlewell before heading back to London, although our favourite place there was closed. Wharfedale is my favourite area, partly for sentimental reasons, but anywhere in that part of the world can be stunningly beautiful on the right day.
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