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Slow Lane Magazine, August 2019
Insights and stories from across Europe and beyond
  • Dancing with the devil on Lanzarote
  • Madeira - six of the best
  • A foodie in 'Sherry Country'
  • Slow Moments 2019 photo competition
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Classic Yorkshire Dales

Wensleydale & Swaledale
 
Verdant slopes criss-crossed by drystone walls, impressive castles, dramatic waterfalls… This self-guided walking holiday leads you into the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, and includes luggage transfers between your four atmospheric bases – Middleham, Aysgarth, Reeth and Richmond.
Classic Yorkshire Dales. 4 nights
Classic Yorkshire Dales. 4 nights
 

Holiday information

 

A walking holiday in the Yorkshire Dales

The Yorkshire Dales is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and at its heart lie the fast-flowing rivers of the Ure and the Swale, which have carved out the spectacular valleys we see today.
Amid the colourful patchwork of heather-clad moors and verdant slopes lie imposing castle ruins, traditional stone villages and authentic market towns – all of which you will have chance to explore as you cross from Wensleydale to Swaledale on foot.
Our varied walk begins in elegant Middleham, with its historic castle and horse-racing stables, and culminates in the cobbled market town of Richmond. En route, you pass the famous Aysgarth Falls and well-preserved Castle Bolton, and cross meadows bounded by drystone walls and dotted with the traditional barns that are so characteristic of this corner of Yorkshire.
 
Gallery
 

Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on almost any day of the week, and are free to add extra nights.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.

    You should always be prepared for wet weather, whichever month you are travelling.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 6 6 9 11 15 18 20 20 17 13 9 7
    mm 67 53 60 57 58 56 51 67 63 62 68 69
  • Arrival in Middleham
    Night 1: at Lindmar House (where you spend one night).
    As your first night’s accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of walking.
  • Middleham to Aysgarth: 15km (9.5 miles), 5hrs
    The walk begins by the impressive ruins of Middleham’s 12th-century castle, the former favourite home of King Richard III, and hence dubbed the ‘Windsor of the North’. Leaving Middleham behind, you head out across the racehorse training gallops with commanding views over the River Ure and the pretty village of Wensley with Castle Bolton in the far distance. You soon begin to descend through meadows and woodland towards the river, passing through the pretty village of West Witton, where you can choose to stop for lunch at one of the village pubs. On reaching the river, you follow its meandering banks to Aysgarth, passing the famous three-step falls on your way to The George & Dragon Inn.
    Middleham to Aysgarth: 15km
    Beside the River Ure on the route from Middleham to Aysgarth
  • Aysgarth to Reeth: 17.5km (11miles), 6hrs
    After a last look at Aysgarth’s tumbling falls, you rise towards the looming presence of Castle Bolton, one-time prison of Mary, Queen of Scots. This impressive structure was built by Sir Richard le Scrope in the 12th century and is still owned by the same family who live nearby. From the castle, you continue your steady ascent up onto heather-and-bracken-clad Harkerside Moor, with far-reaching views into Swaledale as you start your equally long and steady descent towards the traditional market town of Reeth for a night at the Arkleside Guesthouse.
    Aysgarth to Reeth: 17.5km
    Reeth village
  • Reeth to Richmond: 18.5km (11.5 miles), 5hrs
    Reeth is the halfway point on the Coast-to-Coast walk and you now join this well-waymarked route for part of the way to Richmond. The day begins on easy paths beside the River Swale to Marrick Abbey and the village of Marske and then up through woodland to Applegarth. Here, you drop down to the banks of the Swale once more for a delightful riverside stroll towards Richmond, under the watchful eye of the castle standing high above the handsome three-arch stone bridge. After a final steep ascent into the town, your last night is spent in the centrally located Frenchgate Guesthouse.
    Reeth to Richmond: 18.5km
    The river path along the Swale on the route from Reeth to Richmond
 

Accommodation

You stay in a mixture of small guesthouses and welcoming country inns.
We offer an upgrade option in Middleham. Please indicate your preference at the time of booking.
 

Extend your stay

 

Prices for 2020

We are in the process of updating our prices for 2020. If you’d like to book now, please contact us – we’ll be happy to provide a quotation.
Get in touch >
 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter.
Currency converter

We can only accept payment in GBP, but you can use this converter to find out how much the holiday equates to in your own currency.

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NB: this should be used as a guide only. Fluctuations in exchange rates could result in significant variation by the time you come to pay.

  • 4 nights: 01 April - 31 October 2019

    Start any day except Wednesday or Thursday | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    1 - 30 April £450 £160
    1 May - 30 September £470 £165
    1 - 27 October £450 £160
    3rd & 4th person discount -£60
    Single traveller supplement £60

    Please note: this holiday is not available to children under 12 years, nor are dogs permitted on Inntravel holidays

    Included travel: transfer Richmond-Middleham (if driving)

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    Lindmar House, Middleham
    Superior: 01 Apr - 31 Oct 2019 £7

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    The Frenchgate Guesthouse, Richmond (B&B) Double room Single room
    01 Apr - 31 Oct 2019 £66 £114

  • 4 nights, staying in The Priory (1 dinner)

    1 April - 31 October 2019, Friday-Tuesday start Price Single room
    1 - 30 April £470 £180
    1 May - 30 September £490 £185
    1 - 27 October £470 £180
    3rd & 4th person discount -£60
    Single traveller supplement £60
  • Prices below are based on 2 people travelling together. If you are travelling solo or as a party of 3 or more and our arrangements include a taxi, please contact us for prices; additional passengers often pay less.

    Connecting travel options - via Darlington

    Outward route Price per person Latest train
    arrival time
    taxi Darlington station to hotel (0h55) £38 flexible
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest train
    departure time
    taxi hotel to Darlington station (0h25) £16 flexible

    Connecting travel options - via Northallerton

    Outward route Price per person Latest train
    arrival time
    taxi Northallerton station to hotel (0h45) £16 flexible
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest train
    departure time
    taxi hotel to Northallerton station (0h30) £22 flexible
What is included
  • 4 nights
  • 1 dinner
    3 picnics
    4 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • route notes and maps
  • transfer back to first accommodation to pick up car
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

All 7 reviews
  • Lady C A Johnston
    Orpington
    15 July 2019

    Walking over the gallops was really interesting, Bolton Castle was very worthwhile, walking over the moors was exciting in terms of their scale and the absence of people.

  • Anon
    07 October 2018

    Excellent direction and a wonderful short sampling of this beautiful area!

  • Mrs J Murton
    Colchester
    27 July 2018

    Being a lone traveller can be quite daunting, this is my first holiday on my own. The guide/routes were very accurate but when I first read them I was unsure if I would be able to follow them, I think I was worried that I wouldnt find all the signs and stiles as some were quite hard to spot. But overall it was very good, just avoid the cows! Being chased was petrifying.

  • Mrs S Brown
    Birmingham
    18 September 2017

    A well-constructed short break with clear easy to follow routes. Plenty of points of interest, excellent views even in moderate weather. Paths can be very wet and muddy, I would strongly endorse Inntravel's advice on use of gaiters! The moorland shelter (Dent house) between Aysgarth and Reeth makes a very welcome break or picnic spot providing it is not in use! Although a picnic is provided from Reeth, pork pie afficionadoes may wish to visit Reeth Bakery!!

  • Anon
    01 September 2017

    Wonderful walking in beautiful countryside, varied landscapes, excellent accommodation and food and we were very lucky with the weather!

  • Mr R Spoors
    Buckingham
    19 May 2017

    A beautiful introduction to walking in the Yorkshire Dales with an excellent choice of overnight accommodation.

  • Mrs J Philips
    Keswick
    05 May 2017

    Dinner at the Burgogne hotel was fabulous - now £45
 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from hotel to hotel, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. If/when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation, meaning that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.

    For more detailed information, see our walking holidays in Europe page.
  • We can book a wide range of airlines and routes from the UK. As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. For Europe and Morocco, there’s a £30 booking fee per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). For India and Nepal, the booking fee is £50 per person. More information on flights >
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to buy our policy (if you live outside Europe you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK and EU residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.
  • Even in the event of a no-deal Brexit, it’s been confirmed that flights will continue as normal and that you won’t need a visa to go on holiday (the limit on stays is 90 days). What you will need if there’s no deal is a passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of your arrival (extra months added because you renewed your passport early do not count) and adequate travel insurance to cover you for accidents and illness in case reciprocal health deals are suspended. If you are driving while on holiday, you will probably need an International Driving Permit (plus a Green Card if you are taking your own car to Europe). More information >
  • The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.
    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
Last fetch time is : 9/18/2019 1:34:34 PM