Characteristic Dales’ landscape
Wild Walks is a series of blog posts covering some of my favourite walks in the UK and overseas. The Wild Walks may be short or long, but they all take you to beautiful places and give you moments of solitude.
I’m starting close to home, with a meander through the rural countryside of the Yorkshire Dales. Rolling hills scattered with dry stone walls, a treasure hunt in a church and many places to bathe your tired feet are just some of the highlights of this multi-day trek.
So what is the Dales Way?
A 81 mile ramble through the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the lowland hills of the Lake District, in the heart of Northern England.
Sounds good – tell me more!
The Dales Way begins in the popular market town of Ilkley and follows the rivers and valleys up through the Yorkshire Dales north and west to finish on the shores of one of England’s most famous lakes, Lake Windermere. If 81 miles isn’t enough of a challenge then there are three optional extensions to the walk which run from Leeds, Harrogate and Bradford.
How long does it take?
Most people take between four and seven days, depending on how far you want to walk each day. Your leg lengths may be determined partly by where you choose to stay (see below). The walk is signposted along the route, but these can sometimes be hard to spot so take a map and compass to double check your route.
Wild Walk highlights
Some people choose to end their first day of walking at the dramatic ruined Priory of Bolton Abbey, and it’s easy to see why. If you’re just passing through then there’s a cafe and some handy toilets.
The section between Bolton Abbey and Grassington has some of the prettiest river walking on the route, though on a sunny weekend, you won’t be the only one enjoying it. Look out for the spectacular Linton Falls, just before you get into Grassington.
After Grassington you get your first real climb of the walk, up through the site of medieval villages onto the limestone hillside. This is my favourite part of the walk, with beautiful views across the valley to Kilnsey moor.
After Kettlewell you leave the crowds behind and set off up to Buckden and into the more remote parts of Upper Wharfdale. Hubberholme is a secluded village with a small Norman church that is definitely worth visiting, if it’s open. The crafter of the oak pews left his trademark mouse carved into them – see how many you can find!
Langstrothdale is a valley of solitude. Enjoy the river whilst you can, as you eventually turn off onto open (and boggy!) moorland and climb to the highest point of the route – 520m. As you drop down, you’ll see the famous Ribblehead viaduct in the distance – it’s not strictly on the Dales Way, but you may deviate if you’re staying at the Station Inn.
Back on route, there’s some more boggy moorland to negotiate before you drop down into Dentdale, and civilisation (of a sort). It’s back to the valley and river walking through to Sedburgh and on to the Lune Valley – definitely one of the quieter parts of Cumbria. Look out for the impressive viaduct (well, you can’t really miss it…) just before you cross the M6.
From then on it’s rolling hills (more tiring than they appear), until at last you finally see the waters of Windermere ahead of you. Dipping your toes in the lake is surely an obligatory end to the Dales Way.
How fit do I need to be?
The Dales Way follows rivers and valleys for much of its length. Whilst there aren’t too many steep hills, the terrain can be rough in places and there is a bit of a sting in the tail towards the end. You’ll need to be fit enough to walk for consecutive days and have waterproof boots for the boggy sections!
What about accommodation?
There’s a huge variety of accommodation along the route, from hotels and B&Bs to camping barns and campsites. The middle section, between Grassington and Dent is remote, and places to stay are few and far between, so it’s best to book ahead. You can find a comprehensive list of accommodation on the Dales Way website.
Transport and logistics
As with many long-distance walks, the logistics of getting to the start and back from the finish are not straightforward. If you’re coming from a big city, such as London, Manchester or Edinburgh, the simplest way is to get the train to the start at Ilkley (regular services from Leeds and Bradford) and back from Windermere station (a short taxi ride from the end of the walk). It’s worth having a look at train times in advance for the return leg – the train from Windermere will take you to Oxenholme where you can jump on the mainline up to Glasgow, or down to Manchester and London.
Getting back to the start from the finish is slightly more complicated and will require additional changes in Manchester and Leeds. Alternatively, Lakes Village Taxis can take up four passengers across to Ilkely for approx £90.
If you don’t fancy carrying everything on your back, The Sherpa Van Project offer a door-to-door baggage service from £8 per bag per day.
Find out more
- The Dales Way has it’s own website, which has a wealth of information on the route, accommodation and public transport links
- Harvey Maps have produced a Dales Way map, which contains the entire route on one lightweight, waterproof map – I’d definitely recommend this if you’re thinking about doing the route.
- The Dales Way guidebook by Colin Speakman is the definitive guide to the route.
- And if you prefer two wheels then why not try the Yorkshire Dales Cycleway, a 130 mile circular routes that visits most of the dales in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.