Inspiration & ideas

Do you have a favourite spot in or near Ingleton? As temperatures start to rise, you might think about taking the plunge and going for a swim. There's no shortage of excellent swimming spots in the Yorkshire Dales. Soon it will be time to enjoy the delights of Ingleton Lido. It was first built in 1933 and is now staffed, cleaned, and maintained by a team of volunteers.

Numerous lidos were built in England in the 1930s, perhaps inspired by the trend towards glamorous cruise-liners and foreign tr…

Have you bagged any trigs? Where? For the uninitiated, I’m not taking nonsense! You might have occasionally noticed a structure like the one in the photo, usually with a number on the side and curious symbol on the top. There are over 6000 of them in the UK. Some walkers pride themselves on 'trig-bagging', sharing their finds online.

These mysterious small structures are called Trig Points, or more correctly, "triangulation pillars". They're usually on the highest point in the area and theoreti…

A little story about flat caps, Clapham in the Yorkshire Dales & Peaky Blinders. Know why woollen flat caps are so popular? Their story goes back almost 500 years. In order to protect the wool trade, a law was passed in 1571 that all non-noble men and boys over 6 should wear a wool cap on Sundays and public holidays. They were fined if they didn’t. By the time the law was repealed in the 1590s, the tradition had stuck. It continued through the centuries, especially in colder areas with easy acce…

How well do you know this place? Do you associate it with a vast and rich business empire? It's a large site so not all visitors manage to find the 'farewell freedom' spot, or visit the 17th century Fountains Hall, as there's so much to explore.

Recognised as a ‘feat of human creative genius,’ Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, National Trust in Nidderdale National Landscape became a World Heritage Site in 1986. The abbey was founded in 1132 by 13 Benedictine monks from St Mary’s in York who deci…

You've probably passed this hidden gem, yet it's hidden in plain sight on the A684 between Hawes and Swinithwaite. From the road you just see a few rocks and a small gate so it looks like it's a private garden.

It was closed to visitors for many years but is actually open to visitors in return for a donation in the box by the gate. It's a small but magical little garden. Young children find it otherworldly, thanks to the twisting paths and low archways created by enormous blocks of limestone.

What's the connection between the Yorkshire Dales, the Hound of the Baskervilles and Sherlock Holmes?

Some believe that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was inspired to write his books thanks to connections in this area. His mother, Mary Doyle lived at Masongill Cottage near Ingleton for about 30 years. When Conan Doyle visited her it's likely he'd have travelled by train to Ingleton and then onwards through Holme Head to Masongill.

One of Conan Doyle's early stories was called Uncle Jeremy's Household,…