Our holiday cottage is on the doorstep to the Yorkshire Dales. Sedbergh and the Howgills are only 8 miles away and you can be up on the tops in 45 minutes. The walking here is a lot quieter than in the Lakes but still offers stunning panoramic views.
Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.
Established in 1954, the Yorkshire Dales National Park has outstanding scenery, a range of wildlife habitats and a rich cultural heritage. It’s a special place – a fantastic outdoor arena for recreation and peaceful relaxation and a haven for wildlife.
Covering an area of 1,762 square kilometres (680 square miles), the National Park is located in the north of England, and straddles the central Pennines in the counties of North Yorkshire and Cumbria.
It is 50 miles (80.5 kilometres) north east of Manchester; Leeds and Bradford lie to the south, while Kendal is to the west and Darlington to the east.
If you want to go as far as Leyburn and the Eastern borders or Skipton and the Southern borders of the National Park, you can be there in an hour. The small town of Hawes lies in the centre of the Dales and if you are stopping off there you might like to consider visiting the Wensleydale Creamery which is located on its outskirts. Guests are taken on a tour to see how Wallace and Grommit’s favourite cheese is made, from the milk being poured in to the vat, to the final product being carefully packaged. You are also able to taste the Wensleydale cheese in the shop, to help you decide which is most to your taste.
Further towards Leyburn at Middleham is the Forbidden Corner. It is a unique labyrinth of tunnels, chambers, follies and surprises created in a four-acre garden in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. The temple of the underworld, the eye of the needle, a huge pyramid made of translucent glass, paths and passages that lead nowhere, extraordinary statues - at every turn.
Skipton, in the south of the Dales is also worth a visit and nearby is the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. This railway allows you to travel between Embsay station, built in 1888, and the new award-winning station at Bolton Abbey. Your journey takes you through picturesque Yorkshire Dales scenery. Bolton Abbey station is the ideal stopping off point for a pleasant one and a half mile walk to the ruins of the 12th Century priory.
If you are interested in a leisurely day out, why not try the Settle to Carlisle Railway. Have a taster using their audio guide. A line steeped in history, The Settle-Carlisle Railway allows you to take in a diverse and varied range of attractions. With a regular scheduled service, forming part of the National Rail Network, the railway allows access to the Yorkshire Dales with views of some of the finest scenery in Britain.
For a listing of events this year click here, and if you would like ideas for other places to visit in the Dales, click here.
