UK walking holidays & hiking vacations in England: Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria. Small friendly groups, hotels & transport with experienced guides. Aysgarth Falls Herriot's Dales Holidays by Curlew Guided Walking

Swaledale and Wensleydale cover the northern section of the Yorkshire Dales. These beautiful valleys with their stone-built villages and surrounding moorland inspired the books of vet James Herriot. Each valley has its own individual character: Swaledale is narrow and deeply-cut winding between rugged heather-clad moors. By contrast, Wensleydale is broad and green with a host of side valleys each with its own unique atmosphere. Waterfalls abound and are a feature of all our walks. In Wensleydale Great Shunner Fell, the highest hill in the area makes a fine introductory walk. From the hidden village of Cotterdale a track rises through dark forest to reach a bridleway running along an airy limestone shelf with expansive views. Afterwards we can visit Hardraw Force, one of the highest waterfalls in England. The Romans placed one of their forts at Bainbridge. We follow their old road as it runs arrow-straight over the moors and up to Wether Fell.

Descending by pools and cascades we pass the tiny ruined church at Stalling Busk to the shore of Semer Water the only natural valley lake in the Dales. Pretty West Burton with its long green and hidden waterfall sits under the dark bulk of Pen Hill once an important beacon site. The final climb is steep but opens up wide-ranging views across to the North York Moors before our return along the River Ure to Aysgarth Falls. The church here contains carved screens rescued from nearby Jervaulx Abbey when Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries. The attractive village of Gunnerside was a centre of the lead mining industry that thrived in Swaledale in the 19th century. Our walk from here takes us past the romantic ruins of the old mines up to the wide spaces of the open moors. At the remote head of the dale we encounter the wild ravine of Swinnergill where a cave once sheltered religious dissenters before visiting the tiny hamlet of Keld with its many waterfalls. An old 'corpse road' takes us back across the shoulder of Kisdon Hill to the pretty cottages at Thwaite.

"Thank you so much for your interesting walks combined with the wealth of your knowledge." W. Tolson, Hampshire, UK.

Accommodation:the small market town of Hawes lies near the head of Wensleydale. There are museums and the creamery where the famous cheese is made. The lively stream of Gayle Beck courses under the cobblestones of the main street. Good bus links allow guests without cars to explore the vicinity - there are castles at Bolton, once a prison for Mary, Queen of Scots and Middleham which belonged to Richard III. Swaledale boasts the great keep of Richmond Castle overlooking its charming town. Small, comfortable guest houses including Fair View and Ebor House (both VB 4 Stars) and Brandymires (standard rooms) offer a warm welcome to our guests.

Cost(week): £410 to £440 (£390 at Brandymires) per person based on sharing a twin or double room.
2 days/nights: £145 to £162
3 days/nights: £215 to £240
Single rooms are available without supplement.

Station: Garsdale then a short bus or taxi ride. Links to travel sites can be found on our Links Page.

Dates: May 10th, July 12th, August 9th and September 20th.

To see more of what is included in all of our holidays please see the section on our Home Page.

Swaledale sheep Kisdon Hill
Thwaite village Thwaite

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