Wharfedale

Can you say 'Appletreewick' like a local? It sounds like it belongs in a children’s picture book, the sort of place that magically appears and disappears, depending on who is trying to visit. It’s a bit like that in real life. You could very easily drive along the little lane joining the two pubs with Masons Campsite and think that was it. It sort of is, and yet there’s so much more besides.

It’s almost as if Appletreewick has entered a village competition that no one else even knows about – ho…

You may recognise this place? It's a tiny hamlet packed with interest, right in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales. Perhaps you've seen it on TV, or walked through it?

It's Yockenthwaite, which features as Helen Alderson's family home in the TV series of James Herriot's All Creatures Great & Small. It's by the river Wharfe in lovely Langstrothdale.

There are some beautiful walks through Yockenthwaite, including the Dales Way, and other shorter routes towards Cray or onwards to the historic and very…

What links wet feet, The Cure, Wordsworth, Scottish Raiders and the Yorkshire Dales? Have you been to this place and stayed dry?

Is it possible to cross the 60 stepping stones across the River Wharfe without smiling and then cheering as you arrive (possibly) dry-footed at the other side?

Those who choose the less risky route on the nearby foot bridge can't help but look down and smile at the stepping stone crossers, usually with a wry 'they're mad' shake of the head.

It's incredible to realise the …

The lovely hamlet of Arncliffe feels like it's tucked away in its own special time zone, safely distanced from the troubles of the world. The houses around the green mainly date from the 17th and 18th century, some of them quite grand. There are over 20 listed buildings in the village, with some lovely details such as a 1677 date stone or tiny carved hearts on a n otherwise simple barn door.

The village pump still stands on the green. As you wander around, peek through into pretty gardens throug…

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…

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…