Aysgarth and Bolton Castle (2023)
The final leg of our June/July 2023 English road trip was spent in Aysgarth in Wensleydale. We found a beautiful bed and breakfast, Stow House, with great views from our bedroom window – and slightly eccentric interior decor.
The B&B didn’t serve evening meals, but there were two other places in the village that did, including the George and Dragon, and we were happy with both.
On our first evening we took a twilight stroll through the village and really liked it.
The following morning, we did our first walk straight from the door: Aysgarth Falls to Bolton Castle, a 12km loop. On the way we popped into the splendidly decorated St Andrew’s Church.
The walk took us past Aysgarth Falls.
Then through fields to the castle.
We enjoyed our visit, including a good lunch in the tea room and an archery display in which John took part.
Before leaving the village of Castle Bolton, we also visited St Oswald’s Church, a much simpler place than St Andrew’s but still lovely.
With the castle behind us, we crossed many more fields with wide views across Wensleydale.
The next village we reached was Carperby and we were certainly ready for those pints! It was a warm afternoon, we deserved them, don’t judge.
From Carperby we continued back to Aysgarth Falls across more fields – though it has to be said, some of the styles were a little superfluous!
This was a lovely walk – sunshine, a castle, a tea room AND a pub! I’m linking it to Jo’s Monday Walk.
We had another two days in Aysgarth, would they be as good? Find out soon.
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
That looks a lovely walk and those comedy stiles made me smile. A castle and waterfalls in one hike is wonderful.
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that hike had a lot going for it! Can’t remember now if we ceremoniously climbed over one of the stiles just because we could.
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Lovely area that I have not visited. The waterfall looks stunning as the castle. I tried archery when I was young and was not very good.
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Ssh – don’t tell him I said so! Neither was John.
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🤣🤣
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That’s a fabulous walk! St Andrew’s Church is stunning, and you can never go wrong with a castle and a tea room 🙂
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Indeed you can’t! Either one would be good, both together is a bonus.
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It’s all beautiful, but I really liked the sign about Jame Herriot!
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Yes, though as someone else pointed out, they could have mentioned his wife!
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True…no one honeymoons alone!
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Indeed!
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How lovely. We like going for a walk in the late afternoon when things aren’t so busy in the village too. And your daytime walk looks beautiful.
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Yes, there’s something very special about the dusk light.
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Thank goodness all these people have found their way here, Anabel, because I nearly didn’t! There have been pingbacks to yours in the last couple of weeks and they seemed to be to old posts so I thought you must be updating the blog? Apologies if I’ve missed some that I shouldn’t? Wonderful Memory Lane for me here- thanks so much xx
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How odd, I did do a pingback for this one but it’s the first in a while so you haven’t missed any walks. Thanks for finding your way here anyway, and I’m glad it brought back memories. I have been tidying up a few old posts that didn’t have extracts or featured images but didn’t think that would result in new pingbacks. Just ignore any old ones, apologies!
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No worries! I was horrified I’d been ignoring you xx
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One of my favourite place in Yorkshire.
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Must be one of mine now too, since we’re going back soon!
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lovely place!
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Thank you, it is!
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Another place I’ve not been but it looks good. I only usually go to the Lake District down in England but there’s so much else to see. Can’t see me ever getting there though as all my money these days seems to go on essential bills as soon as I get it. I did drive the North Coast 500 way back in the 1970s for around £20 in petrol which would cost hundreds in fuel today to complete so I’m glad I got around a lot pre internet. Finding paid parking apps in areas is also a pet hate nowadays, not because of the money involved but due to being forced to get a smart phone just to use them. Like the waterfalls. Bob.
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Thanks Bob. I don’t think we ever did the entire NC500 in one go, but we’ve done all of it at different times, probably more than once. As you say, in the past it was easier – finding places to stay, parking etc. it’s good for people to appreciate Scotland, but I think the marketing of that got way ahead of the area’s capacity to cope.
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What an interesting walk, so much to see. The style intrigued me 🤭and the weather looked perfect.
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Just my kind of walk – lots of interest along the way, and good weather is always a bonus.
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I love the pathways in England but am definitely chuckling about those stiles! I went down a rabbit hole and explored the life of James Herriot. And no judging here- that beer looks perfect after that kind of trek.
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The stiles were very odd, no sign of anything you might once have had to climb over. The beer was definitely perfect! This is why I like walking in Yorkshire, you are never too far from a tea room or pub.
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You do have some great places to gallivant! The interior of St. Andrew’s reminded me of a stop on our tour of Croatia. We visited a school where they teach teens the art of stone carving. Some of the pieces were similar to those pictured.
Of course you deserved your pints! Who would dare judge? We were tickled by the James Herriot plaque (we’re currently watching the new “All Creatures Great and Small” series), but were miffed it was just HIS honeymoon!
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That’s good that traditional crafts are still being taught. Yes, I don’t know how old that plaque is, but one would hope that these days they would be sensitive enough to mention that his wife was there too!
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This is a great walk! I love the scenery a d that beautiful church! What are those wooden things in the fields? The beer looks good and you should have a pint
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oh…this is Birgit
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Those are the stiles! Usually there to help you climb over a fence, but not a fence in sight. Very weird.
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Yes that is interesting interior decor! Looks like a great walk with a much deserved pint at the end,.
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The place had lots of quirky decorations. The walk was lovely and I’m glad everyone agrees that we deserved our pints.
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What a lovely walk! St. Andrews looks like a beautiful little church. Do you know what style the interior (with all the detailed decorative painting) is called?
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I don’t know if the style has a specific name, but that part is a 15th century carved screen which was brought from another church apparently and so is known as the Jervaulx Screen after its original location. I don’t know either if the bright colouring is authentic given the church was largely rebuilt in Victorian times. it’s certainly lovely!
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A top day out. I really enjoyed the pointless stiles.
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I know! One pointless stile is odd enough, but two is totally bizarre. No sign of any remnants of fence that they might once have been attached to.
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Curious indeed.
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Aysgarth Falls are very pretty. Did you stand with an apple on your head for John?
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Are you kidding? I kept well back!
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Oh my what a fantastic tour. Lots of places to explore via Google! Cheers!
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Yes, several interesting places on this walk which we loved.
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Our back yard! And soon you’ll be back … I hope.
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3rd July still firmly in the diary.
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Hooray! I’d been about to ask.
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What a lovely walk. The decoration in St. Andrews Church looks beautiful and I think you definitely deserved those pints.
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It was a lovely walk, Jude, and warm work so the cold beer was very welcome.
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One of my favourite parts of the country! And yes, you deserved those pints after covering so much ground 😀
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God’s Own Country indeed! I’m glad the consensus seems to be that the beer was entirely deserved.
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Looks like a lovely time with lovely weather. Thanks for the virtual tour. (Suzanne)
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It was a beautiful day for a walk and it was lovely to see the castle too.
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I went to Aysgarth Falls about 20 years ago with my partner, we ended up there by accident while out on a country drive. And I’ve always felt cheated because Bolton Castle isn’t here in Bolton! 😉 The decoration in St. Andrews Church looks beautiful and it looks like you deserved those pints.
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And Bolton Abbey isn’t in either of them! I find so many Boltons confusing 😉. We had also been to Aysgarth Falls 20 years ago or so before with the same friends in West Yorkshire we had just visited, but I didn’t remember – it was my friend who pointed it out when I said where we were going next.
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I’ve been to Bolton Abbey a few times too. We took a friend and her young daughter about 20 years ago and that was where I went sailing down the river on a bright pink inflatable armchair 😀
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😂
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GORGEOUS! (sorry, caps lock on from previous data entry… but appropriate, I think!)
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Thank you for your admiration! It was indeed GORGEOUS scenery.
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Thanks for the tour. And, you absolutely deserved those pints!
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Thank you for the support! I think you are absolutely right, we did.
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