Inspiration & ideas
Outdoors & Landscapes
The 7 wonders of the Yorkshire Dales
If you had to choose Seven Wonders of the Yorkshire Dales, what would they be?
My suggestions change all the time. At the moment they’re:
1. The Swaledale hay meadows
2. Gordale Scar and the limestone pavements
3. Settle to Carlisle Railway and Ribblehead Viaduct
4. The miles and miles of dry stone walls and field barns - can't decide on my favourite location but Littondale, Arkengarthdale and Wensleydale all come close
6. The Middleham to Kettlewell road, and countless spots along …
The Buttertubs: a scary, super scenic route
Have you travelled along the Dales route described as "scenic but scarey!" and "England’s only truly spectacular road*”?
The Buttertubs Pass is one of the Yorkshire Dales' most iconic roads: twisting, turning, rising and suddenly dipping for just over 5 miles between Hawes and Thwaite. It's not a long journey but is one you want take slowly, so you can enjoy the views, and of course avoid ending up in one of the steep valleys below.
The lure of the Buttertubs Pass is so strong, that you may well …
Kilnsey - a beautiful peaceful spot with a rich history
You could easily drive through Kilnsey in Wharfedale and barely realise you've been to the village, but you're very unlikely to miss its most distinctive feature. Kilnsey Crag is 170 feet high with a dramatic 40 ft overhang. Look closely and you're likely to see climbers tackling the challenge.
As you'd expect, the views from the top of the crag are stunning. J.M.W. Turner enjoyed visiting in 1816, recording his view in a sketch. The Tennants Arms pub sits in the shadow of the crag.
Close by is t…
A rocket ship, a guillotine and a pepper pot
If you'd like to entice someone who says they don't like walking to join you on a gentle amble, you could intrigue them with the promise of showing them a rocket ship, a giant pepper pot and what could be (from a distance) a guillotine, all standing proud on a limestone outcrop in the Yorkshire Dales countryside.
Once you've climbed a small hill to get closer to them, and perhaps even 'boarded' the rocket ship, there's the additional reward of fine views towards Bolton Castle. As you've probably …
Cover Bridge to Middleham: a gentle walk
As the name implies, the 17th century Cover Bridge Inn sits right next to the bridge over the river Cover, a few metres from where it joins the river Ure and just down the road from beautiful Jervaulx Abbey.
If you prefer to sit and enjoy the sound of the river and rich birdli…
Shake off the cobwebs at Buckden Pike
How are you feeling? Fresh-faced and motivated, or maybe in need of a little cobweb-brushing? Amanda Brown suggests a walk to the summit of Buckden Pike…
At 702 metres high, Buckden Pike in Upper Wharfedale isn’t the loftiest hill in the Yorkshire Dales but a 6.5-mile loop via the summit offers views that are every bit as rewarding as you look out across to Yorkshire’s Three Peaks and a great feeling of being out in the wilds.
Follow a 6-mile loop from Buckden and those views open up as you st…