Three short walks in the Dales (2023)

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Richard III Hotel, Middleham

Middleham

After our lovely sunny walk to Bolton Castle the day before it was disappointing to wake up to rain. We decided on a short (4.5km) circular walk from Middleham and thought that maybe if we had coffee in the Richard III Hotel first the weather might perk up. No such luck, we came back out to the same damp scene.

Middleham
Middleham
Middleham
Middleham
Middleham Castle

We didn’t visit the 12th century Middleham Castle, which looked rather forbidding in the rain, nor did we climb William’s Hill, site of the original motte and bailey castle. Instead we took the track up the side of the castle and encountered our first horses. Middleham is known for racehorse training and the walk passes the “Gallops” on the Low Moor. I’m not sure the friendly horse we met on the way back was racehorse material though!

Middleham horses
Middleham Castle
Middleham Castle
Middleham Gallops
Middleham horse

Reeth and Grinton

After lunch we headed out of Wensleydale to Reeth in Swaledale. The weather, though still not sunny, had improved somewhat and we enjoyed looking round this pretty village with its large village green.

Village green
Old Temperance Bookshop
Anvil Square
Re:Cycling by Michael Kusz
Community garden
Community garden

We were here to do another short (4km) circular walk to Grinton. We headed for the River Swale which we crossed on a suspension bridge.

Fields near Reeth
Bridge over the Swale
Bridge over the Swale

From here we followed the signs to Grinton where we had a coffee in the picturesque Bridge Inn. They don’t like mobile phones! And spot the sheep on the roof.

Bridge at Grinton
Church at Grinton
Bridge Inn, Grinton
Bridge Inn, Grinton
Bridge Inn, Grinton
Bridge Inn, Grinton

On the other side of the river we took the footpath back to Reeth. I have no idea what that police vehicle is all about! This time the sheep is riding a bike.

No idea!
Reeth Show
Sheep on a bike

Hawes and Hardraw Force

For our last day the sun came out again. We started in Hawes with coffee at the old station, which used to serve a railway running the length of Wensleydale. It now forms part of the Dales Countryside Museum which we didn’t have time to visit.

Café at Old Station, Hawes
Old Station, Hawes

Our walk today was a 7km loop with an extension to visit Hardraw Force, the highest single drop fall in England. Before reaching Hardraw we passed through Sedbusk and Simonstone.

River at Hawes
Walking from Hawes to Sedbusk
Sedbusk
Chapel Cottage, Sedbusk
Walking from Sedbusk to Simonstone
Simonstone
Simonstone

Our first detour was Shaw Gill Wood, up one side of the gill and down the other.

Shaw Gill Wood
Shaw Gill Wood

We then retraced our steps to Simonstone to start the descent through the fields to Hardraw. There was a handy bench, Jude! I’m not sure if both the plaques referred to the same person.

Hardraw
Hardraw bench
Hardraw bench
Hardraw bench
Hardraw bench

There is an entrance fee to visit Hardraw Force but this includes access to a little visitor centre with a café where we were able to enjoy a latish lunch before viewing the waterfall. There are also 15 acres of wooded grounds with various paths to follow. The force drops 30+ metres over a cliff which our walking book describes as thundering and dramatic, but I think the relatively dry weather had probably decreased the effect.

Hardraw Force
Hardraw Force grounds

From Hardraw we made our way back to Hawes. It was still only about 3.30pm, so rather than go straight back to our B&B we stopped off to explore the village of Askrigg which had some nice old buildings, including St Oswald’s Church. This time we spotted a lion on a roof.

Lodge Yard
Lion
Crown Inn
St Oswald’s
St Oswald’s
King’s Arms
Old car
Old cycling signs
White Rose Hotel
White Rose Hotel

The following day on our journey home we had some unusual lunch companions at the services at Johnstonebridge. They didn’t bother us and we didn’t bother them!

Geese at service station
Geese at service station

And that is one trip of my 2023/4 black hole completed! Only another three to go, but I think I’ll come back to 2025 next.

England, UK , , , , , , , ,

69 Comments »

  1. Lovely photos Anabel – growing up in Yorkshire we would visit the Dales regularly. Latterly I’ve gone more to Wharfedale when I’ve been over in the UK, as my family don’t live too far away (my late aunt lived in Burley in Wharfedale). The scenery is so beautiful and I’ve always loved the local stone and pretty buildings 🙂

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  5. Have a weekend booked in Dent which I don’t think is that far from Hawes. Going with family so should be fun, though Mum ( like Hugo) can’t walk that far, stull hoping to find a waterfall we can all get too though! X

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  7. I loved reading about your walks in the Dales! Despite the rainy weather, it’s great that you still found some beautiful and unique stops along the way – Middleham’s horses, the quirky Reeth, and the dramatic Hardraw Force. Your storytelling really captures the peaceful charm of these places. Thanks for sharing!

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  19. An area we have visited and enjoyed but somehow we have missed these places!!? Thank you for the tour and the photos which really show the character of the area. The Hardraw bench is amazing.

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  20. Beautiful scenery. Like the geese at the services. They aren’t daft, I’m sure they pick up a treat or two there!

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  22. Can’t beat the Dales. I like the rooftop lion. I’ve just finished reading Findings by Kathleen Jamie and she has an interesting chapter on taking a telescope to Calton Hill to see what she can find hidden in the rooftops of Edinburgh.

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  25. A pleasant surprise to see the Bridge Inn feature in your post as it’s a special place for our family 🙂 My father in law was evacuated to Grinton from Newcastle and the house he lived in now forms part of the pub. We go each year to meet up there with the daughters of the couple who took him and his brother in. He loved it there and his ashes are scattered on the moor above the village. The sheep, btw, are a legacy from when the Tour de France started in Yorkshire some years ago.

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  26. Ah yes the Yorkshire Dales are beautiful. I’ve been to Hawes walking the Pennine Way but most of the other places you visited are new to me. Certainly look worth a visit.

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  27. At least you finally got some blue sky and sunshine. I love that Hardraw bench, it’s a beauty. I went round some of this area on a green laning day with my friends a couple of years ago. We started off from the car park at the Countryside Museum in Hawes, stopped at Leyburn for lunch and later on passed above Reeth and then through Grinton. A lovely area which I intended to go back to for a camping break but haven’t got there yet.

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  28. I enjoyed this post, one of my favourite places in England. I especially like the fabulous picture of Middleham Castle, a shame you didn’t visit, there is a great statue of Richard III inside. I am guessing that the old car in Askrigg is to do with “All creatures great and small” which was filmed there?

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  31. That’s an area I’ve always fancied going. i got fairly close to it but as usual, being with a bunch of dedicated hill-walkers in a shared car the summits overruled any valley walks or waterfalls. Looks good though. Bob. BSS.

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