Heart of the Yorkshire Dales

Despite Storm Babet curtailing our last two walks, we had a very enjoyable trip involving interesting and varied walks and excellent accommodation at The Priory and Stone House Hotel. The Aysgarth Hotel was also good but seemed to be temporarily suffering from staffing absences but it's position is perfect for exploring the Aysgarth falls and Bolton Castle, which were just two of the trip's highlights. The meal we had at the Blue Lion near Middleham was one of the foodie highlights along with the breakfasts at The Priory and all our meals at the Stone House Hotel. Overall, another memorable Inntravel holiday.

In Middleham, Sarah at the Priory was a delight to deal with. Best breakfast ever. And best flapjacks ever. We had a good meal at Richard III. 

The rooms at Asygarth Falls were great -- good charging ports, beautiful bathrooms, comfortable and large bed. However, the service was very disappointing as was the food at dinner. Breakfast was fine. 

The service at Stone House was welcoming.We paid extra for the conservatory rooms and although the conservatory part was very nice, the room attached to it was uncomfortably small. The food at dinner and breakfast was good.

We very much enjoyed all the walks in Yorkshire and recommend them highly. The Yorkshire landscape is beautiful. However, the notes were not that accurate. We relied signficantly on the GPX files uploaded to Gaia and they much improved the experience. 

We enjoyed the "green" of the countryside and also the very peaceful ambience of a number of places including Jervaulx Abbey and Bolton Castle. We enjoyed also the many quiet villages and hamlets with their stone buildings that were away from the main road. We found everyone very welcoming, both where we were staying and where we passed. We only experienced rain on the final day's walk, but the grass and our boots were wet on most days.

This was our first trip to Yorkshire and it didn't disappoint and thoroughly recommend the Heart of Yorkshire Dales trip. Our stay coincided with the week of September heatwave, all day sunshine and high temperatures, 25-28degrees every day. This certainly made for slower walks, but not unmanageable. As each walk was a mix of terrain, with open fields, riverside paths, waterfalls for paddling or woodland we welcomed the shade and need for more stops than usual. Middleham is very pretty and watching the horses going up and down the roads to train on The Gallops was added bonus. Our accommodation at The Priory and Stone House was really of a high standard, and it was an absolute pleasure to stay at both. We also chose to extend the holiday by one night. On reflection we would have preferred an extra night at The Priory in Middleham or Stone House in Sedbusk. Our extra night was at Aysgarth Falls hotel and we felt that there was less to see and less facilities available, eg alternative places to eat. We travelled from Kings Cross to Northallerton by train using Grand Central train company. On both journeys there were issues with their trains - broken down air conditioning on the outward journey and two of the five coaches being unusable due to the heat. On the return journey the booked train was cancelled and we had to make a rebooking on the spot and pay extra. Train travel is never predictable and it might have been simply bad luck on both occasions, but it did appear that GNER trains provide a better service for this area.

We really enjoyed this Inntravel holiday in Wensleydale, although the unseasonal temperature made the walking slightly more challenging. Accommodation and meals were very good - with outstanding service at the Priory and the Stone House Hotel. As we were in Middleham on Monday and Tuesday when many of the local eateries are closed, we went to the Blue Lion at East Witton and the Wensleydale Heifer at West Witton - both excellent, both need booking ahead.

Wensleydale is just beautiful, particularly when the sun shines, but the stretch of the Ure near Redmire Force is really special.

We loved both the tours, the Yorkshire Dales and The Lake District. Innkeepers Sara at The Priory in Middleham and Jason at the Cornlee Guest House in Aysgarth were especially nice and helpful. The Cornlee Guest House was small and a bit away from the larger place with a restaurant at Aysgarth Falls though. The Stone House Hotel near Sedbusk was a very nice larger place for ending the trip.

We have been on a number of Inntravel tours, and I felt the printed walk directions were a little below the usual standards. There were few distances noted from point to point that I have come to expect and that did lead to some confusion in places. The electronic gpx files downloaded to my iphone app were very useful though and saved us from taking the wrong path several times. The Inntravel maps and directions package came late to us, delivered to our hotel in London, so I didn't have a chance to do my usual copying of the OS map portions for each days walk which I can put in a rainproof pouch for use on the walks.

It also might be useful to say if a days walk or a portion of it is likely to be rocky. We were prepared for some mud on rainy days, but the rocks and slippery climbing can really slow you down. Waterproof socks (expensive) were a great investment. The town of Ambleside on Lake Windermere had many ourtdoor equipment shops.

The inns in Coniston and Windermere were in wonderful old houses that reminded me of the "Clue" board game. The Wordsworth museum in Grasmere was especially worthwhile. 

INNTRAVEL NOTE - these customers combined out Heart of the Yorkshire Dales and The Lake District walking holidays.

HIGHLIGHTS: In particular we loved the climb out of Settle to Victoria and Jubilee caves. Of the transfer walks the Aysgarth to Stone House was our favorite.

Wonderful hiking trip, the countryside, the people, the towns.

Seeing a red squirrel at Garsdale Station was definitely a highlight. We loved the views, although the weather curtailed these at times! We particularly enjoyed the 2 walks which took us up higher, offering wider views. The Settle walk had some different and dramatic landscape.

We absolutely loved our Inntravel experience! Sarah at the Priory was fabulous, as was Lynn at The Stone House. We loved walking through the countryside on our own, and the choices we had for walks were perfect. Bolton Castle was one of our favorite excursions (that and Wensleydale Creamery), and should be highly recommended. We really liked spending two nights in each inn, so we didn't have to move every day, and we lived waking through so many different ecosystems as well. We were enchanted by the countryside, and it was a perfect way to spend our 40th wedding anniversary! Great value for the money, and we can't wait to do another one!

An excellent holiday with wonderfully varied and interesting walks, and a good choice of circular walks. l've done many walking holidays with Inntravel and loved the 2 nights per location arrangement, as it gave the chance to explore around each town/village in turn.

This package of Yorkshire Dales, Scottish Borders and a taste of Edinburgh (including Fringe Festival and Tattoo) was a varied and memorable holiday.

The Priory guest house and the Stone House hotel were outstanding in all respects! 

We thought the loveliest views of Wensleydale were from the walk between Castle Bolton and Carperby and from Askrigg to Sedbusk. The challenge of the walk is the Wensleydale gated stiles - many have a very strong spring and awkward stone steps - and it is easy to lose count of them walking to Sedbusk!  Fortunately the path is never in doubt - we love this part of Wensleydale.  A word of caution could be that there is hardly any shade on that stretch and we've just had that really hot week.

For horse lovers a great opportunity to see the gallops at Middleham.

Excellent walking routes through beautiful countryside with additional benefit of nice villages and a particularly good visit to Bolton Castle.

Inntravel holidays allow us to truly relax and enjoy beautiful locations that we would be unlikely to find on our own. You've earned our trust and loyalty with consistently outstanding walking guides, choice of accommodation, and travel support. Can't wait for our next trip and will certainly recommend you to others in the meantime!

Walking in the Dales is spectacular - the undulations in the landscape, the greenery, the ubiquitous stone walls, the "scars", the animals (and their leavings!), the variety of stiles. The experience from walking and being up close and personal with nature is unlike anything one would get from driving or biking in the area. Of course the territory covered is much less. 

The trip is rated as "moderate," which is about right. The longest distances were about 10 miles, suitable for those of us in the upper age brackets. There were definitely some challenging ascents and descents, but nothing that was not doable. 

We also enjoyed our accomodations, particularly The Priory in Middleham and the Stone House Hotel in Sedbusk. The proprietor of The Priory - Sarah - was so nice and arranged everything to make us feel welcome and comfortable. Stone House is a different animal - a full-service country hotel - but equally as nice, with a lovely setting, excellent facilities, a fine restaurant and a very attentive staff. 

Hard to say how anything could have been improved.  Your wonderful routes made us fall in love with this part of the world, and the terrific accommodation allowed us to meet some of the nicest people!  Thank you - we will be back!

Excellent holiday in perfect weather in June, Yorkshire looking at its best. This was our first walk with Inntravel in UK though we have had many walking holidays with them in Europe (couldn't face airports this year). We found some eateries along the way opened reduced hours or closed altogether so carried some provisions. Booked extra day stay to do suggested walk from Stone House Hotel and then travel the train to Settle next day, train strike made us look for another walk!

If you like amazing scenery, rivers and waterfalls, all interspersed with attractive villages and places of historical interest then this is the one for you. The walks were relatively easy but with enough up and down to make them invigorating. Plenty of opportunity to see birds and other wildlife along the way. Accommodation very good throughout. Try giving the Tack Room in Middleham a go. We had an excellent meal, a bit pricey but well worth it.

Scenic walks, especially on the high paths, and pretty villages. Favourite walk was from Aysgarth to Bolton Abbey and back, with curlews, lapwings, plovers, skylarks etc. Beautiful meadows with grasses and wild flowers.

This was our first Inntravel holiday in the UK, after many abroad, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Although the walks were less demanding than we would normally choose, they were still very enjoyable and well chosen. We particularly liked the walk from Aysgarth to Castle Bolton, which was great to visit, and then back over the moors to Aysgarth. It was good to have walks which incorporated places to visit like Castle Bolton and Jervaulx Abbey. All the hotels were good with very friendly hoteliers and staff. I understand The Black Bull is your second choice of lodging in Middleham. We were very happy with it. Clearly it is a room in a pub and not a stay in a country house hotel but on the basis that 'you get what you pay for' and that I knew we were staying in a fairly basic pub we were very happy with it. The food was good although we found the 'Yorkshire portions' very generous, (not something to complain about)! We requested a taxi on the afternoon we arrived in Sedbusk to collect our car from Middleham and this worked very well as we had torrential rain the following day and on the day after that, (we had an extra night) we were able to drive to Reeth and walk from there thus avoiding another day of rain in Hawes. More level 2 walks in the UK would be good.

Whether the Yorkshire Dales may/or may not be 'God's own country' is up for debate, the Dales has got to be one of his favourites. Absolutely stunning scenery. Go in May to enjoy bluebells, blossom and lambs... although it may be super lovely at other times of the year, that's when we went.

A great week of walking in the lovely Yorkshire Dales. Fairly lengthy trails but not difficult and wonderful scenery.

The Cornish pasties at Castle Bolton tea room are not to be missed. The cook has a special dispensation from the European Court of Justice to use the Cornish name outside Cornwall.

Having holidayed with Inntravel on many occasions in Europe, this was our first in UK. A wonderful introduction to Yorkshire and we loved Wensleydale and the walks. We were very lucky with the weather, which helped. The walking notes were spot on, so we never had to look at the map! An early highlight was supper at the Richard III in Middleham, across the square from Lindmar House. Good food and full of links to the racing community. Waterfalls and dry stone walls featured a lot in our photographs!

We have never clambered over & squeezed through as many stiles as in the last week!!  You probably won't be telling future customers that though. Unfortunately we got the worst of a weeks weather as it decided to lash it down on the very days we had to walk to the next hotel.  5 hours in driving rain on both days.  It also rained on the days off!  But, it didn't put us off and we would consider the same holiday again, albeit in nicer weather when we can see the hills & dales that we are walking through.  Bought some cheese though in Hawes.

Our first UK Inntravel holiday was definitely on a par with three previous ones in Spain and France (not that we'd doubted it would be). The wealth of background information provided was impressive. All the walks were well chosen, planned and described - and enjoyable, whether in glorious sunshine or pouring rain. Bolton Castle was fascinating, especially the courtyard showing all the 'back office' functions. The demonstration at Wensleydale Creamery was really interesting. An extra night each in Middleham and Aysgarth enabled us to do all but one of the suggested walks and to visit most heritage and other sites, so we felt we knew Wensleydale reasonably well by the end.

This was a perfect holiday for exploring the Dales by car and on foot. It provided a base from which we were able to explore not only Wensleydale but the surrounding Dales as well, especially the stunning Swaledale which is more remote and challenging. Daily walks, made possible by a car, took us to a wide range of places, including the green pastures of Nidderdale and the remains of an old lead mine, an introduction to the industrial history of the Dales. If in Hawes (Stone House Hotel) be sure not to miss the sheep dog demonstrations on a Thursday afternoon. The Dales Museum in Hawes is a brilliant introduction to the life and history of the region. From there, take the regular bus service to the Red Squirrel walk at Snaizeholme. At Middleham, get up early and follow the dozens of race horses in training as they go up to their morning gallops on the higher ground above the town. Middleham and Bolton Castles are both stunning historical sites which should not be missed. Take the train from Garsdale to Settle over the Ribblehead viaduct, and if you can, walk to the viaduct and behold its splendour. You cannot appreciate it from the train. [INNTRAVEL NOTE: We're pleased that you used the 'bare bones' of our Dales walking holiday as a base from which to organise your own daily itinerary with a car. Many people choose to book our holidays because they do not want to have to plan their own itineraries, but our holidays can be as flexible as possible.]

Our first UK Inntravel holiday which was excellent. The weather for the latter part of September was a bonus. Highlights included:

• Middleham Castle
• Jervaulx Abbey
• Castle Bolton
• Walking in the clouds above Settle

Had we been able to, an extra night at the Stone House Hotel would have been ideal

We thoroughly enjoyed our Yorkshire dales holiday and have very happy memories. The walking routes are all very clear and easy to follow with beautiful scenery. It was a delight to see the racehorses each morning trotting past our hotel room in Middleham. The Stone House hotel was a particular standout. The food was an excellent standard, the four poster room was wonderful and all the staff at the hotel were so friendly.

Middleham was a lovely village and it was strange being woken at 6.30 am by the racing horses going up to the gallops rather than by an alarm clock. The Tack Room is worth a visit for an evening meal. We also had fun when going from Middleham to Aysgarth when walking through a field of very friendly bullocks who assisted us in our walk with some gentle nudges. A good place to eat when at Asgarth Falls is a restaurant called Falls End which is only 10 minutes walk from the hotel and is situated in Asgarth Lodge Holidays, we also took a peek at Molly's Farm earlier in the day when we went out for our walk. At Stone House we did the Hardrop Force walk and then around Hawes we were lucky enough to spot a couple of red squirrels. 

Highlights? Sswimming in the Cauldron at West Burton!!! Climbing Morpeth Scar!! Climbing the hill above Settle to the caves!!!!! ......

and please tell other clients about the amazing little white buses!!!!

We appreciated the suggestion to visit Castle Bolton. On the first day, Thornton Steward has a seat ideal for the picnic stop. The castle in Middleham is certainly worth a visit. 

The walks, although on gentler routes than our previous Inntravel walking experiences, included excellent directions in the notes, especially on the number of stiles and fields to cross (and there were a lot). Combined with perfect early Autumn sunshine and a warm welcome everywhere, this was a holiday to remember in an area of the country we didn't know.   The peaceful surroundings at Jervaulx Abbey were a highlight, and a perfect spot for a picnic.  We highly recommend the Aysgarth Edwardian Rock Garden, about 20 minutes' walk from the Aysgarth Falls Hotel: definitely a gardener's delight.  An evening meal at the Wensleydale Heifer at West Witton whilst staying at Middleham was delicious, if pricey, but would highly recommend for the quality of the food (it specialises in fish) and the service.

We had a very fine week. All those miles were most enjoyable and not bad for a trio approaching 80 years old!

We had an excellent week of fine weather and enjoyable walking. After doing about twenty-five Inntravel walks all over Europe this was right up there among the best.

We were incredibly lucky with the weather as the whole week was dry, sunny and warm.  The accommodation was very good and each stay improved wih the last hotel being a superb standard.

Check if you want to go to Bolton Castle. It was closed for a wedding on the Saturday that we visited, which was very disappointing. No mention on the website, so use locals knowledge or call ahead.

We had not expected the first few days walks to be in such 'gentle' valleys , and these contrasted well with the final walk near Settle, which was more like the moorland we had anticipated. We found using the O.S. App, with route marked up, from the notes summary beforehand the easiest way to navigate. Our favourite stay was at Middleham.

The holiday was superb. The countryside a joy, with the choice of routes really good.We could not fault it

This was a lovely walk and not too strenuous but enough to give us the healthy appetite required for all the lovely food we were provided with. Good local produce and generous portions supplied by all together with the friendliest of welcomes and service. The walk was good in that we had interesting places to visit along the way and on the intervening walking days. We never woke up and struggled with the thought of the coming day's walk. Sad when it was all over! Thank you for another good Inntravel walking holiday. Perfect too, after Covid lockdowns.

This was an excellent trip. All accommodation was excellent. Walking routes were varied and just about right in length. Walking notes were very good and plenty of opportunities to explore villages on the walks. All baggage transfers worked perfectly and personal taxi transfers for us were on time with helpful and friendly drivers. Overall we would highly recommend this holiday and highly recommend Inntravel. We will be booking further trips in the future.

Wonderfully hospitable accommodation at the Priory and Stone House Hotel. Lovely walking routes through the Yorkshire countryside gave a real taste of what James Herriott country offered. Inntravel's usual comprehensive walking notes and background information made everything seamless. The Jervalux Abbey was a highlight.

Felt like a proper holiday after 18 months of restrictions.  Were well pampered at all the accommodation provided.  Yorkshire is a very beautiful part of the world.

This was an excellent holiday, which we enjoyed hugely. 

The walks were very varied and the views stunning. There was great hospitality where we stayed, particularly at Lindmar House and the Stone House hotel, which was exceptional. 

We really enjoyed seeing a part of the country we did not know well, and also the train journey to Settle and the walk there. 

Overall, an enjoyable holiday. Aysgarth Falls and Stone house were particularly good hotels. However we will be returning to Europe in future.

A fine introduction to walking in the Dales, a great Yorkshire welcome.

This was our our first UK holiday with Inntravel and we were not disappointed. I must admit that by day 4 I never wanted to see another stile, but we still managed the final walk above Settle on the following day. This was a lovely holiday, with excellent accommodation, beautiful scenery and glorious sunshine. In Middleham we ate at the Richard III pub and the Tack Room, and in both hotels after that. The Stone House Hotel was just lovely, we could have happily stayed for much longer. 

Wonderful introduction to the fascinating history and spectacular scenery of Wensleydale.  We were blessed with perfect weather for walking.

A very enjoyable walking holiday in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. The Stone House Hotel is a little gem.

We thoroughly enjoyed the whole holiday, which exceeded our expectations.  Our personal highlight was the magical walk across the gallops back to the Lindmar Hotel - partly because we didn't expect it.  Also, we found almost everyone we met to be very friendly.

You could safely recommend the sheep dog demo that apparently takes place every Thursday evening, about a half-mile from the Stone House Hotel, just in time for dinner.  Excellent entertainment with the highest standard of dogs and shepherd.

Well balanced week. The option to travel over Ribblehead Viaduct on the train and discover delights of Settle on the final day was perfect. Everything slotted together very well indeed. Local bus company were so helpful on final day getting us from hotel to station and back.

the Garsdale-Settle day is a must. The train journey is super, through incredible scenery, and with the history and heritage of that line and its stations. The Craven Fault walk from/to Settle was a highlight. Same goes for the walk from Aysgarth to Askrigg, particularly the stretch from Askrigg to Sedbusk - incredible views all around.

I would recommend trying to work in some time at Ribblehead around the viaduct and surrounding moorland - take bug spray though, especially evening! Actually, if you are susceptible to bug bites like me, take bug spray on the trip - lots of time spent near rivers and waterfalls.

First time of using Inntravel, and won't be the last. Met our expectations.

Accommodation excellent !!

We were very lucky with 5 days of blue sky and sunshine. Obviously in bad weather walking the routes would need very good rain gear as there is a lot of open country and potential exposure to the elements.

This was our first UK holiday with Inntravel, and were delighted to find all the aspects that we have enjoyed with Inntravel holidays on the Continent - quiet, well-planned walks, comfortable accommodation, warm welcome and good food. Even good weather!

We recommend taking the excellent Aysgarth Falls Hotel picnic on the first day for the circular walk, rather than the walk to Sedbusk, which passes through Askrigg at lunchtime where the Bake Well deli serves delicious sandwiches, cakes and salads. 

The Stone House Hotel is a lovely way to end the holiday. We felt like we were guests at a country house weekend.

Nice tea room in West Burton with good cake and coffee and very pleasant friendly owner.

Stone House hotel was a real treat everything was run with great efficiency, food, perfect and staff always helpful and cheerful.

A delightful few days walking in the Yorkshire Dales with interesting places to visit on each of the walks, especially Jervaulx Abbey, Castle Bolton and Settle. We loved the variety offered on the walks: quiet lanes, riverside paths, little churches, handily placed benches with great views and the fields filled with wildflowers. A fantastic introduction to an area we did not know.

What a wonderful walk! Although all three accommodations were delightful and busy, we were able to immerse ourselves in beautiful countryside with peace and quiet, meeting very few other walkers on the whole trip. We benefitted from the usual very high quality Inntavel walking notes which were extremely easy to follow. Beautiful meadows of wild flowers, lots of different birds seen and heard with no meals to cook ourselves and wash up afterwards.

All the walks followed included really beautiful countryside views and local interest, we were very impressed with the routes. The wildlife we saw was incredible, lapwings, curlews, stoats, red squirrels at Garsdale station! The train trip to Settle was also a highlight - fabulous scenery! Would definitely recommend the trip to Settle! 

Highlights were many including friendliness of people we met, the beautiful hay meadows at this time of year, the superb racehorses at Middleham and the lovely Dales landscape.

This was a great holiday walking through the beautiful, unspoilt countryside of the Yorkshire Dales, staying in some brilliant hotels and guest houses along the way.  The point to point and circular walks were moderately easy, about 5 hours each day along river banks and undulating moorland.  In mid –June we were lucky enough not to encounter any rain and being well into the nesting season, were blessed with sighting  an abundance of curlews, lapwing and quite a few oyster catchers.  We elected to arrive in Middleham just after lunch so that we could do the castle before checking in and devote a whole of the next day to the “Around Middleham” walk.  This gave us plenty of time to linger around Jervauix  Abbey, which is well worth doing (NB tea room shut at present, so buy sandwiches in Middleham shop).  Walking over the Gallops at Middleham en-route to Aysgarth alongside the race horses out for their morning exercise provided us with a holiday highlight the next day.  Whilst in Aysgarth, we chose the walk to Bolton Castle which was well worth visiting.  I would rate the walk back over the moor in the afternoon the best of the trip for the views and the amazing amount of wildlife.  Moving on to Sedbusk, we enjoyed our stop in Askrigg, especially the Bake Well Café.  For the final walking day, we decided on the Hardraw Force option and enjoyed our time at the falls, in spite of the lack of water due to the lack of rain recently.  It also has a very welcoming café for morning coffee.  Apart from the walking, the other thing that made this holiday was the warm and friendly welcome that we received at each of the places in which we stayed.  When at Aysgarth Falls, I would recommend eating in both nights, the service and meals in the restaurant were excellent and the bar serves some excellent beer from the Wensleydale Brewery (other beverages are available).

Very enjoyable holiday, beautiful countryside and very quiet routes - so much so that when you did meet someone you stopped for a chat!  We actually collected our car two days early so that we could enjoy more of the countryside around Stone House and enabled us to go off and do a lovely reservoir walk at Bainbridge and another one to Cray Gill Falls as we didn't particularly want to do the inntravel option of catching the train to Settle.   Would highly recommend the holiday and am already looking at another one in the UK.

Were told that Hardraw Force was dry, went anyway and found it to be a beautiful peaceful place.

Seeing the racehorses day 2 on the gallops was a treat.

We were very lucky with the weather in early June and had a fantastic holiday. This was our first visit to the Yorkshire Dales and we were so impressed with the beautiful countryside and warm hospitality we met everywhere. Villages are very attractive and after a very wet May everything was incredibly green and luxuriant. Walks are long but not too much climbing. Hotels are good, in Middleham we would recommend the Saddle room restaurant if you have a car. Bolton Castle (circular walk from Aysgarth falls) has a good cafe - lunch opportunities are limited on this day!