The Yorkshire Dales are a scenic area of limestone hills and valleys in North Yorkshire in the north of England. Much of the area falls within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, which extends into neighbouring Cumbria and Lancashire. The area includes Nidderdale though this is not part of the Park.
A "dale" simply means a valley, so it's a very common component of a place-name, in Yorkshire and elsewhere. The Dales described here are those in the Pennines, north of Skipton and south of Kirkby Stephen, and the hills between them. Their terrain is exposed limestone or karst country, scenically sculpted by glaciation and by water action. Similar terrain and scenery is found at the southern end of the Pennines, the Peak District, while the area between is overlain by tough millstone and looks quite different: bleak, boggy and infertile.
Rivers course down the dales, mostly flowing east, but Ribblesdale and Lonsdale flow south then west to the Irish Sea. As each river leaves the limestone hills, it comes into gentler rolling country then low plains, pastoral and bucolic. Names such as "Wharfedale" and "Nidderdale" are often extended to these broad valleys and meander plains, but they don't have classic Dales scenery, and they're only considered on this page to the extent that they have transport routes and amenities relevant to visitors to the Dales.
The area is at low altitude by European mountain standards, and is fertile, with cattle farming on the lower ground and sheep on the hills. In Norman times monasteries were established, eg at Bolton Priory and Fountains Abbey, that controlled much of this land and promoted agriculture. Later centuries saw the building of castles such as Castle Bolton and hunting lodges such as Barden Tower. The Industrial era brought lead and coal mining, quarrying, and the construction of roads and railways. This, plus new housing, was economically necessary but potentially ruinous to the area's natural beauty, so in 1954 the Yorkshire Dales National Park was created. Nidderdale wasn't included, but was separately protected in 1994 by designation as an "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" (AONB). In 2016 the National Park was considerably extended westwards, almost to the M6, so it now includes Lonsdale.
The Park borders upon several other protected areas: Nidderdale AONB as mentioned to the southeast, Lake District National Park to the west, Forest of Bowland AONB to the southwest, and North Pennines AONB to the north. So a huge tract of northern England is now within a joined-up protected habitat where development is tightly controlled. So maybe they could re-introduce bears, wolves, and other early denizens? Realistically not those, the combined area is still too small and too populated, but water voles and hazel dormice have been re-introduced. You've got to start small.
There are no park fees or road tolls in any of these areas. The usual charges apply for parking, campsites, and admission to attractions. Permits are required (as in the rest of the UK) for fishing, hunting, etc. Fishing licences are available at Post Offices.
As with the rest of the UK, winter (October–March) can be wet, cold (−5°C–15°C) and windy, and summer (June–August) can be warm and sunny (18°C–28°C). However there are no guarantees so it is quite possible for rainy weather in summer and moderate weather in winter.
The principal dales are Wharfedale, Wensleydale, Swaledale, Nidderdale, Ribblesdale, Airedale and Lonsdale, each with a distinct character. Many smaller dales feed into these.
The principal railway stations around the Dales are:
From Leeds a train every couple of hours runs up Ribblesdale via Skipton, Gargrave, Settle, Horton, Ribbleshead, Dent, Garsdale, Kirkby Stephen and Appleby to Carlisle. Frequent trains run from Leeds and Bradford to Ilkley and to Skipton, for buses onward to Grassington and Buckden in Wharfedale.
Dalesbus has a good online map of the regular and summer-only bus routes into the Dales.
You probably need a car, but see Dalesbus link above for bus routes.
The Yourshire Dales National Park has 32 Waterfalls including:
Walk as far or as little as you like. As with other areas of natural beauty, anything within ten minutes of the car park may feel like a suburban picnic spot, but anything beyond suddenly propels you miles from anywhere. Several long-distance trails cross the area:
The Pennine Way from the south crosses A65 at Gargrave, follows the Aire Valley north to Malham and onto the limestone tops - this section around Malham Tarn is the most scenic of the entire path - then veers west over Pen-y-Ghent to Horton-in-Ribblesdale. From there it's practically straight north to Hawes. North again, the route leaves the Park at Tan Hill to head into the North Pennines and Teesdale. The Dales Way runs the length of Wharfedale past Bolton Abbey to Grassington, Kettlewell and Hibberholme, into Langstrothdale and over into Cumbria.
The Three Peaks can be admired from the roadside, but do climb them if the weather's decent, there's nothing difficult. The three are:
Pen-y-Ghent, 54.155278°, -2.249722°. shaped like the prow of a battleship bearing down on you.
Ingleborough, 54.165833°, -2.3975°. with a distinct layered appearance, and pierced by the chasm of Juniper Gulf.
Whernside, 54.23°, -2.40°. is the highest point in North Yorkshire, sharing its summit with Cumbria.
Wensleydale Railway, Leyburn Station, Harmby Road, Leyburn, DL8 5EU, 54.30808°, -1.82233°, +44 1677 425 805. 9AM-6PM. This runs from Leeming Bar near Northallerton to Bedales, Leyburn and Redmire. It's often steam-hauled (check timetable for steam days) and you can even arrange to work alongside the driver. 2018-08-15
The Dales is not known as a major shopping destination, but many of the towns and villages have a range of small tourist and craft shops as well as local amenities. The markets can be treasure troves of local produce. The nearest major shopping city is Leeds, but nearer-by Skipton and Harrogate have a selection of shops.
Find a traditional Yorkshire pub in any of the numerous villages, for a fair value hearty meal. Traditional favourite is Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding.
The local Wensleydale cheese... traditionally served with apple pie.
The Angel Inn, Back Ln, Hetton, 54.02576°, -2.05991°, +44 1756 730263.
There are a variety of local beers to try in any local pub. Just a short journey westwards from the A1, main arterial road north, lies the village of Wensley. This village gives its name to the local dale and is a favourite spot in the whole of the Dales. Whilst here, drop into the local pub (there is only one) to sample the brews from the local Wensleydale Brewery, particularly the "Poacher" and "Gamekeeper". These are drinks to die for! But, take it easy if you want to be able to enjoy the scenery afterwards! These are brews of around 5 per cent. You can sit outside if the weather is good or sit inside and enjoy a pub interior that owes nothing to modern drink-factory
design.
The Yorkshire Dales Brewing Company makes a variety of beers, taking inspiration from both Yorkshire and abroad. A number of pubs have a house beer brewed by the company. The brewery can be found in Askrigg, location of the TV series All creatures Great and Small.
There are campsites throughout the Dales, but in winter & early spring camping is cold, wet, windswept and flood-prone. Hostels are available in the larger settlements.
There are no true hotels. Many pubs offer B&B, and there are also B&B guesthouses dotted about. But overall bed capacity is small - and under Park rules, always will be. You need to phone ahead, because places may be either closed for winter or booked out for summer.
There is little crime in the Dales except for petty theft from cars so leave valuables hidden. Take precautions against the weather if going out walking.
Beware the Bolton Strid - this innocuous-looking stream is far more dangerous than it appears, so don't go for a swim.