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  • Andrew's Travels

North Yorkshire

The first of many return visits to Yorkshire in the coming years. Read more
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  • Trip start
    September 20, 2021
    Andrew's TravelsNorth YorkshireTraveler
    Askrigg / View of Wether Fell
    Views of Ellerkin Scar1Mill Gill ForceSt Oswald's Church, AskriggOld farming tools on displayThe King Arms; the ceiling hooks are for horse tack

    Wensleydale; Askrigg

    September 20, 2021 in England ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    On our way back south from Hadrian's Wall, "we" have arranged a short stay in Askrigg; this is a small village in Wensleydale, part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

    We set off on a circular walk from the village towards the tiny hamlet of Newbiggin, pass through a copse and then turn along a path under Ellerkin Scar with lovely views into Wensleydale on our left. Eventually we turn to go through woodland with a stream a long way below us; we descend and cross it and reach Mill Gill Force (aka Askrigg Waterfall). We pass the Old Mill and enter the village, passing the church.

    After sampling the beer in The Kings Arms, I was compelled to visit the Yorkshire Dales Brewery for some excellent bottled beers to enjoy at home; the brewery is actually on the outskirts of Askrigg! The Kings Arms doubled as The Drovers in the popular TV programme "All Creatures Great and Small".    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsNorth YorkshireTraveler
    Bolton Castle
    View of Penhill / View of Wegber ScarVillage of Carperby Market CrossAysgarth Falls - Upper ForceAysgarth Falls - Middle ForceAysgarth Falls - Lower Force

    Wensleydale; Aysgarth Falls

    September 21, 2021 in England ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    The start of this circular walk involved a short drive to Redmire; the walk heads to the village of Castle Bolton, named after the famous 14th century Bolton Castle.

    From here, our route takes us via the buildings of a sheep farm and we are fortunate to watch a shepherd and his dogs round up a flock of sheep in front of us. There are great views before we turn off towards the village of Carperby; we walk through and continue south to Aysgarth Falls.

    Aysgarth Falls are on the River Ure and comprise a triple flight of three stepped waterfalls over a one mile stretch of the river. The scene in the film "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves" where Robin tackled Little John was filmed at the Upper Falls.

    We continue through the woods and have a long walk north east to Castle Bton and then back to the car. It has been a great walk!    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsNorth YorkshireTraveler
    Skipton Castle; Main Gate / The Castle
    Conduit Court; the yew tree was planted as a sapling by Lady Anne Clifford in 1659The Medieval Kitchen; preparing butter curlsThe Medieval Kitchen; preparing food typical of 1635The Banqueting HallThe Withdrawing Room; sewingView of the rear of the Castle en route to Skipton Castle WoodsSkipton Castle WoodsSkipton Castle Woods; the Round Dam area / Eller BeckView of Skipton from the moorland behind it

    Skipton; Castle and Woods

    August 13, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Skipton Castle was originally built as a motte and bailey castle by the Normans in 1091; the cliffs behind drop down to Eller Beck and woodland behind it, making for a good strategic position. It was passed to and renovated by the Clifford family in 1310 and is one of the best preserved and complete medieval castles in England.

    During our visit, there was a 1635 household reenactment going on over the weekend; it was interestto hear how things were done then by chatting to the serving staff, the cook the physcian, and the musicians in some of the places our tour map took us from the main gates. These included Lady Anne's Steps, the Conduit Court, the Kitchen, the Banqueting Hall, the Withdrawing Room, the Lord's Day room , the Watchtower, the muniment room, the curing room. It was a good visit!

    We then walked through Skipton Castle Woods, part of the landscape for 1,000 years, and very much a part of Skipton, industrial heritage. In the 18th century, Eller Brook was dammed so as to provide water for the Mills of the town; it was also fed into the Spings Canal to provide water for the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The walk took us past the Round Dam and the Long Dam and then back over Moorland to the town.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsNorth YorkshireTraveler
    Burnsall Bridge / River Wharfe
    Loup Scar / Cows drinking in the River WharfeHebden Suspension Bridge / On the other side of the River WharfeLinton FallsLittle Emily's Bridge over the the Linton BeckLinton Church; View from the other side of the River Wharfe / InsideLinton village green / Fountaine Hospital, an almshouseViews of Wharfedale on the way back to Burnsall1Crossing a stile

    Wharfedale; Burnsall and Linton walk

    August 15, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    This is Walk 13 in our booklet of "Yorkshire Dales Outstanding Circular Walks," and we start at the pretty village of Burnsall.

    From the Burnsall Bridge, we follow the Dales Walk along the River Wharfe paat Loup Scar, a limestone gorge on the river, and cross over the Hebden Suspension Bridge (1895). We follow the riverside path and turn off towards Linton, with a good view of the squat Linton Church of St Michael and All Angels. Reaching Linton, we cross the bridge over the Linton Falls, a natural limestone waterfall. Linton Beck joins the River Wharfe here, and we see Little Emily's Bridge, an old Packhorse bridge. Linton is very pretty, with a village green and a pub; this part of the village is dominated by the Fountaine Hospital, a 1721 almshouse.

    We leave Linton via a footpath across Moorland and then follow a single track lane to the small village of Thorpe and its Manor House and then take another path over undulating fields back to Burnsall.

    It has been a good, not overly challenging, 7.75-mile walk in pleasant weather with some lovely views. Things could be worse!    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsNorth YorkshireTraveler
    Barden Bridge / River Wharfe
    Turreted aqueduct bridge / View from the bridgeThe StridThe Strid / Close to Cavendish PavilionThe ruins of Bolton Priory / Cavendish Memorial FountainPriory Church of St Mary and St CuthbertThe ruins of Bolton PrioryThe ruins of Bolton PrioryViews from the Moor en route up to Middle Hare HeadBarden Tower; front / rear

    Wharfedale; The Strid and Bolton Priory

    August 16, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    This is Walk 21 in our booklet of "Yorkshire Dales Outstanding Circular Walks," and we start at Barden Bridge (free parking).

    We follow the footpath to a turreted bridge, a Victorian aqueduct, and join the Dales Way through Strid Woods, renowned for its flora and fauna. We reach a narrowing section of the River Wharfe where the fast flowing water is both deep and dangerous - The Strid. We carry on along the path past the Cavendish Pavilion and the Cavendish Memorial Fountain. We head down to Bolton Priory, which is part of the village and parish of Bolton Abbey on the Bolton Estate.

    Bolton Priory was founded in 1154 and dissolved in 1539, one of the last to fall in Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries; altough most of the Priory buildings are now ruins, part still survives and is used as the local church. We then join the road and double back a short way past the Victorian Bolton and walk up the hill through fields and a small forest to reach Moorland. There are good views as we reach Middle Hare Head. From here, it is down through the heather to reach a road, which we follow downhill to Barden Tower; this was used as a hunting lodge by the Clifford family (the original owners of Skipton Castle), but was extended in the 15th century. The ruins survive and are also part of the Bolton Estate.

    It has been another excellent day out, covering over 10 miles in great walking conditions.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsNorth YorkshireTraveler
    The Dancing BearThe Druid's Writing DeskThe Idol

    Brimham Rocks

    August 17, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Brimham Rocks is made of millstone grit, created in a river system 320 million years ago; this layer lifted up when the Pennines, a range of uplands in the North of England, formed. Today, Brimham Rocks is a natural landscape created from the weathering that has split the rocks along natural joints and horizontal weaknesses; the last Ice Age, 10-18,000 years ago, wore away the softer rock leaving the shapes we see today. Natural erosion still continues.

    Brimham Rocks is now managed by the National Trust; we followed the trail map for the site to see the rock formations. It was very interesting.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsNorth YorkshireTraveler
    Fountains Hall / Fountains Mill
    Fountains Abbey; view of the ruins / the naveFountains Abbey; cellarium / viewFountains Abbey; Huby's Tower / The crossing / The Green ManFountains Abbey; view from the westStudley Royal Water Garden; View from Anne Boleyn's seat / Temple of FameStudley Royal Water Garden; Octagon Tower / View from towerStudley Royal Water Garden; Temple of Piety and Moon Pond / Statue in the pondStudley Royal Water Garden; Fishing Tabernacle and cascadeStudley Royal Deer Park; St Mary's Church

    Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal

    August 17, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Fountains Abbey is now part of the Studley Royal Estate; the Aislabie family created the water gardens here. The estate is now owned by the National Trust and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    We follow the National Trust map guide and visit Fountains Hall, late Elizabethan, and Fountains Mill, originally built in the 12th century for the monastery.

    We now visit the ruins of Fountains Abbey itself; this is the largest and best preserved Cistercian monastery in England and was founded in 1132 when a group of monks were expelled from St Mary's Abbey in York. They were brought to this site in the River Skell valley, and the natural features enabled the creation of a monastery ; it was named after the six springs that watered the site.

    We then walk across to the Studley Royal Water Garden, where there are several follies and statues. Fom here, we walk to the deer park - seeing no deer - and exit the park next to St Mary's Church.

    Another great day out.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsNorth YorkshireTraveler
    Grassington; Market Square
    Grassington; The Devonshire pub was used as The Drover's Arms in "All Creatures Great and Small"Leaving Grassington / The site of Lea Green, an ancient settlementThe River WharfeGhastrill's StridGhastrill's Strid

    Wharfedale; Grassington Circular

    August 18, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    This is Walk 5 in our booklet of "Yorkshire Dales Outstanding Circular Walks," and we start at the village of Grassington.

    The village is noted for its cobbled market square and many old houses. It was originally a farming centre that expanded due to mining and quarrying locally; it now thrives on tourism - it was used as the setting for the TV series "All Creatues Great and Small".

    We leave from the north end of the village and walk past Lea Green, an ancient Neolithic / Bronze Age settlement on the outskirts of Barstow Wood. We then cross the Grass Wood Nature Reserve before heading down to the River Wharfe. We follow the riverside to reach Ghastrill's Strid, a narrow and rocky stretch of the River, before continuing along it further and back into Grassington.

    A very pleasant 5-mile walk.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsNorth YorkshireTraveler
    Skipton Town Hall; now a local hub and housing the Craven Museum / Skipton Library
    Otley StreetStreet viewHoly Trinity ChurchThe High Corn Mill; now refurbished for independent shops and businessesSprings Branch Canal; The Royal Shepherd on Canal StreetFreddie Truman StatueBelmont Bridge; Views of the Leeds and Liverpool CanalChimney along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in SkiptonThe Castle Inn

    Skipton; Town

    August 18, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    Skipton is a market town and the southern gateway to the Yorkshire Dales; it is also known as Skipton-in-Craven, Craven being the old name for this district of Yorkshire.

    The owners of Skipton Castle acquired a market charter in 1204, and the town grew wealthy as a trading centre for wool and sheep. Further growth happened with the building of the Leeds to Liverpool Canal (130 miles long) during the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century.

    We explore the town, seeing the main buildings and sites.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsNorth YorkshireTraveler
    Hawes; view over a beck in the village
    Hawes; the former Victorian railway station, now the Dales Countryside MuseumHaxew; Meadowland barn near the villageHaylands BridgeHardraw ForceHardraw ForceView onto the field from the walk around the top of Hardraw ForceHardraw; Church of St Mary and St JohnInside the churchMemorial Bench en route to Simonstone HallView down to Hardraw en route to SedbuskLeaving SedbuskEn route to HawesView of Haylands Bridge and HawesHawes; Market HouseHawes; St Margaret's ChurchInside St Margaret's ChurchInside St Margaret's Church

    Hawes, Hardraw Force, and Sedbusk Walk

    May 23 in England ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Hawes is a market town in North Yorkshire, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and at the head of Wensleydale; it is the main producer of Wensleydale Cheese.

    We set off on the Hawes Circular Walk from the site of the former Hawes Victorian railway station, now the Dales Countryside Museum, and pick up part of the Pennine Way, 268-mile long-distance footpath from Edale (in the Peak District) to Kirk Yetholm (just beyond the Scottish border). We cross Haylands Bridge over the River Ure and cross fields over to Hawdraw, a hamlet named after the nearby Hardraw Force waterfall; with a single 200 ft drop, it is claimed to be England's highest unbroken waterfall, discounting those underground. It is on private land, and we pay to enter, taking in both the lower and higher circuit walks. The Church of St Mary and St John here featured as Darrowby Church in the TV series "All Creatures Great and Small"

    Afterwards, we walk across fields to the Simonstone Hall Hotel and follow a footpath to the hamlet of Sedbusk. We then follow a footpath across more fields back Haylands Bridge and into Hawes. It has been a pleasant 6-mile walk.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsNorth YorkshireTraveler
    En route to Burtersett
    Old field barnLambsBurtersettView back to Burtersett from Shaw's LaneEn route to GayleView of Hawes Church of St MargaretView of the fellsView of Gayle from the bridgeEn route to Aysgill ForceAysgill ForceDuerly BeckAppersett ViaductView of field barnCrossing Appersett Bridge

    Hawes, Aysgill Force, and Appersett Walk

    May 24 in England ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    The other very popular circular walk in Hawes is to Aysgill Force; we do this, but with extensions east and west to incorporate the Hawes Mosaic Trail (see next FP post).

    We leave Hawes and follow the footpath to Burtersett, known for being the seat of the Hillary family with connections to Sir Edmund Hillary, the famous mountaineer. The weather is overcast, but there are still good views over Upper Wensleydale with lots of sheep in the fields.

    From here, we walk up Shaw Lane towards the small hamlet of Gayle. Here, we cross the bridge and follow the path along Duerley Beck to Aysgill Force, a small but spectacular waterfall. After a while, we double back north towards Low Bands Farm via Bands Lane. We pass Thorny Mire house and turn up towards Appersett, going under Appersett Viaduct; this used to carry trains over the Beck from Garsdalw to Hawes, but was totally closed in 1964.

    From Appersett, we cross the bridge over the River Ure and walk up over fields (in the rain!), eventually bearing east towards Hardraw (see last post). From here, we follow the Pennine Way back to Hawes to complete an interesting 11-mile walk.

    We enjoy a lovely meal at The Fountain Inn later on. It's been a good weekend in Hawes.    Read more

  • Andrew's TravelsNorth YorkshireTraveler
    1. Land rover; en route to Burtersett
    2. Sheep in field; en route to Burtersett3. Head of Roman soldier; Burtersett4. Shepherd and dog; en route to Gayle5. Cow; Gayle6. Candle; en route to Aysgill Force7. Curlew; Aysgill Force8. Fish symbol and rainbow; en route to Band's Lane9. Pink flower; Band's Lane10. Sunset; the end of Band's Lane11. Kestrel; turning off towards Appersett12 Yellow flower; en route to Appersett13. Steam train; Appersett Viaduct14. Lime kiln; Hardraw road junction15. Monk; en route to Simonstone16. Purple flower; en route to Sedbusk17. Goose; Sedbusk18. Red squirrel; footpath to Hawes19. Kingfisher; near the Stone House Hotel20. Brown trout; coming into Hawes

    Hawes Mosaic Trail

    May 24 in England ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    The Hawes Mosaic Walk is a 2000 millennium project where the community of Hawes created a circular route with 20 mosaics to find. The walk starts at the Dales Countryside Museum and finishes at St Margaret's Church. The trail features 20 mosaics that depict aspects of Wensleydale's culture, history, landscape, flora, and fauna.

    We used a trail map to find the mosaics and did the trail in two stages by incorporating it into the local walks that we did around Hawes (see previous two posts). The pictures show the 20 mosaics, together with their titles and approximate locations. It made the two walks even more interesting!    Read more

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