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On this page we provide some links to other web sites which may be of interest when planning your holiday or short break in the Yorkshire Dales. These links are provided for the convenience of visitors to our web site and we accept no responsibility for the content of these third party sites. All links to other web sites open in a new browser window.
This page is quite long - use the links below to jump straight down the page to:
Wensleydale | Swaledale | Links to other sites of interest
Waterfalls
are a major feature of the area with some - from West Burton to Aysgarth,
Askrigg and Hawes area - seen on cinema screens, and are wonderful to see
in miserable wet weather.
Askrigg
was once a small market town with 18 clock makers but is now a village of
300 residents, recognised world-wide as the vet surgery location for the TV
series "All Creatures Great and Small" and for a delightful
waterfall experience in a quiet wooded gill (deep ravine) passing several
small falls, but stopping at Mill Gill Fall with a single drop, and
at the top scramble down to the foot of Whitfield Fall. The half hour
amble can be extended to a 2 hour circular walk. In spring the slopes are
covered in primroses, followed by wild garlic and bluebells. The autumn shades
are equally attractive, and the stark winter colours become alive with the
roar of the waterfalls. You can finish your walk with a coffee at the deli,
or pint and a sandwich at one of the pubs, and end the day with a gourmet
meal in the village.
Askrigg has for many years encouraged professional arts and crafts people to work and live in its community. Today one can see painter Judith Bromley and her dog in the meadows or woods sketching landscapes or wild flowers. Her husband Robert Nicholls paints landscapes, but is well known for painting sheep and wild life. Etcher, painter and poet Piers Browne can be seen in remote areas searching for inspiration in all weathers. Local potter Andrew Hague produces decorative and functional ware in his studio and creates his own glazes.
Bainbridge is famous for the nearby Roman road and evidence of a Roman
camp. At Bainbridge Janet Rawlings paints, creates collages
and hooky rugs. Bainbridge now has an arts studio for visitors
created out of a barn by the Quakers. It welcomes people for short courses
in painting, rug making, yoga, literature, meditation and many more creative
media in a tranquil and friendly atmosphere.
See www.bainside-arts.org.uk
for more information. Two miles south of Bainbridge lies Semerwater,
a lake nestling in the valley of Raydale.
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Wensleydale
cheese (as featured by 'Wallace and Grommit') is made here at Wensleydale
Creamery which has an excellent visitor centre. Hawes is a place to wander
in the shops, alleyways and into the meadows, visit St Margaret's church,
watch ropemakers create church bell ropes, barrier ropes, banister
ropes and dog leads for premier league football clubs. On Tuesdays there is
a live sheep and cattle auction market, and in the middle of town is
an open air market with stalls, as well as an indoor market.
The Dales Countryside Museum and National Park Centre and
tourist information centre in the old station yard welcome visitors to see
the steam engine on the old railway line, a gallery with regular exhibitions,
the museum of local history, a selection of short courses for adults, and
in the school holidays activities for children, as well as important local
information. Outside from the car park in summer you can take a horse driven
ride around the market town, or local area such as Hardraw Force, England's
highest single drop waterfall of 98 feet, behind the Green Dragon Inn. Every
Saturday evening the pub has live folk groups, and is a venue for a
musical weekend at the end of July, and brass band contest in September.
To the south of Hawes is Gayle Mill, currently being restored as a working saw mill, and featured in 2004 on the BBC's Restoration programme. It will be open to the public later in 2005.
For train enthusiasts there is the famous Settle to Carlisle line to the west and the recently re-opened Wensleydale Railway to the east running from Redmire towards Northallerton for days out.
From Wensleydale it is one hour to the Lake District and Kendal to the West and one hour to Thirsk, home of the Herriot Centre, to the East.
Reeth is an attractive village with shops (post office and general shop, sweet shop & bakers), pubs and cafés, a community resource centre and national park centre, surrounding a large village green. Nearby is a garage, newsagent's and workshops producing various arts and crafts, including furniture, clocks and clay models. This is the main village of Swaledale and a good starting point for walks along the river or high fells, and a tea break or pint at the end of the day. On Fridays there is a small market on the green throughout the year.
Muker
is a small dales village, popular as a walking base and has a village shop
and post-office, craft shop,
hand knitted woollen shop, café and pub for bar meals. The village
has a well-known silver band and, in early September, has a sheep show with
fell races.
Nearby villages with places to eat are at Thwaite, Gunnerside and Reeth and Tan Hill at over 1700ft - the highest pub in England.
The area has a wealth of riverside and high fell walks and is not far from the Pennine Way. The nearest market town is Hawes only 7 miles over the Buttertubs Pass to the South, and Leyburn and Richmond to the East.
There's so much to see and do in Wensleydale, Swaledale and the other neighbouring Yorkshire Dales that we're sure you'll find something here to interest you! We include below just a small selection of other web sites providing useful information (in no particular order).
Each link opens in a new browser window.
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