While there is plenty to look at in the Yorkshire Dales, there is also plenty to do. The activity that tops thousands of visitors’ lists each year is hiking. There are countless wonderful self-guided walks to be had here and you’ll also find dozens of local guided tours.
But if striding out in all weathers isn’t your thing, all is not lost. The region’s villages and towns are just as beguiling as their natural surroundings and are very much geared towards the tourist.
The Yorkshire Dales. Image by MATT HILLIER
Malham Cove and walk
This gigantic limestone crescent has been attracting visitors for centuries. It stands at 260 feet high, towering over the pretty village of Malham. Keen walkers will enjoy the 4 ½-mile circular walk that takes in part of the Pennine Way National Trail, Janet’s Foss waterfall, and Gordale Scar, ending at Malham Cove.
Ingleton Waterfalls Trail
Waterfall fans will delight in this stunning 4 ½ mile trail which follows the River Twiss and River Doe on the Yorkshire Dales and Lancashire border. Weaving through lovely managed woodland, you’ll come across several waterfalls of varying majesty. The circular walk begins and ends in Ingleton, a welcoming little village with plenty of cafés and pubs to rest weary legs.
Knaresborough
Knaresborough in Yorkshire. Image by DAVE ZDANOWICZ
Knaresborough is a handsome market town with a gruesome and mysterious past. Join one of the guided tours that take you through the ancient, cobbled alleyways and secret passages of the town, allowing you to soak up the tales of duplicitous knights, prophetic witches, and wells with magical powers. Then drop into one of the quaint cafés or take a joyful yomp through the beautiful Dales countryside just beyond.
Bolton Abbey
This vast and verdant country estate provides a wonderful day out for all ages. It holds ancient woodland, winding rivers, turreted aqueducts, and the commanding ruins of Bolton Priory, dating back to the 12th Century. It’s all there for you to explore including an array of shops, tea rooms, and restaurants. The eerily named Valley of Desolation is quite the opposite, providing a blissfully tranquil walk along the River Wharfe.
Hebden Bridge
Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire. Image by DAVE ZDANOWICZ
With such lofty accolades as ‘one of the world’s funkiest towns’ and ‘the greatest town in Europe’, Hebden Bridge naturally piques one’s curiosity. Happy Valley was filmed here and it is packed with charm, quirkiness, and arty locals who now reside in the restored canalside buildings that were once imposing woollen mills. Funky and great indeed.
WLE SELECTED THINGS TO DO
Things to do listings are coming soon…
In response to requests from our audience, We LOVE England are busy curating a hand-picked list of all types of things to do for this area. We will be inviting businesses to appear here and on other pages over the coming weeks and months as we emerge from these strange times.
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