The Yorkshire Dales offer idyllic landscape with lush green valleys criss-crossed by dry-stone walls. There are numerous picturesque villages and hamlets, often with little more than a pub and a handful of cottages and maybe a post office. Old farmhouses and stone barns can be seen on the sides of the valleys. Beautiful moorlands rise above the Dales often at 600m (2000 ft) or higher. This tour includes the whole of the popular long distance path, the Dales Way, running across the Yorkshire Dales National Park and on to the shores of Lake Windermere in the Lake District National Park.

The Dales Way is essentially a valley walk, crossing some of the best-loved landscapes in England. Surrounded by these amazing views, you can understand the long-held opinion of Yorkshire folk that there is absolutely nothing to compare with Yorkshire scenery. The small villages and farms of the Yorkshire Dales, with their dry-stone walls and outlying stone barns, are thought by many to be incomparable. Some go as far as saying if you walk nowhere else in England, walk here!

The Dales Way begins from the small attractive town of Ilkley, overlooked by Ilkley Moor and near where the River Wharfe emerges from Wharfedale. The route follows the river past the medieval ruins of Bolton Abbey and along the Strid ravine. You then pass through several pretty villages – Burnsall, Grassington, Kettlewell and Buckden. Climbing over wild open moorland you reach the highest point of the route at Cam Fell, at 518m (1647 ft).

You will find Dentdale to be quieter and more remote than Wharfedale. The walk passes through the lovely village of Dent with its cobbled streets then onto Sedbergh, a market town nestled under the steep slopes of the Howgill Fells. During the last two days of the tour, you walk through delightful landscapes with small sheep farms before the land becomes more rugged and you are met by the stunning scenery of the Lake District.

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The Old Brewery is a charming property that will ensure a pleasant stay. A stones throw from the River Swale, at the foot of the castle hill, and just a few minutes walk from the cobbled market place, the house retains its old world charm, is tastefully decorated and offers every modern comfort. Each guest room enjoys attractive views and has a private bathroom or shower room. Guests also have the use of communal sitting room with an open fire. Guests are also free to relax in the peaceful secluded patio garden.

Founded by the Normans in 1071 Richmond, The town grew up around the castle built on the ‘riche-mont’ or ‘strong-hill’ that gave the town its name and whose massive keep dominates. The Georgian era was one of great prosperity, when many fine buildings were constructed. Many of the houses built at that time surround the cobbled market place, said to be one of the largest in England, with the Church of the Holy Trinity rising from its centre. Richmond is a town of unique character with shops and markets, many pubs, and restaurants, and its proximity to the most stunning scenery of the Yorkshire Dales and Swale valley, make it one of the most rewarding places to visit.

Richmond is above all a great centre for walkers and cyclists. Apart from its location on the renowned Coast to Coast trail it offers a wealth of attractive walks through some of the most beautiful countryside in the Britain. We invite you to enjoy, on peaceful trails and quiet country lanes, a choice of 20 selected walks and cycle rides that explore sleepy villages and charming market towns, more historic sites and castles than you can shake a stick at, and truly magnificent landscapes with stunning views. You can be as energetic as you wish to be.

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This walk is the hillier half of the classic Wainwright route for people who have less time or inclination for the full Coast to Coast walk. The week’s walk starts on the Irish Sea coast of Cumbria near the huge red sandstone cliffs at St. Bees Head, ending in Kirkby Stephen, an important Pennine market town. Much of the week is spent in the Lake District National Park with the walk finishing in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. You spend the week walking through two of the most glorious areas of English countryside and as well as coming across some beautiful landscapes you will see some most attractive towns and villages.

During the first few days, you walk over some of the most rugged, beautiful terrain of the Lake District, through the stunning lakeland valleys of Ennerdale, Borrowdale, Patterdale, close to Ullswater Lake, and Grasmere where Wordsworth lived. You pass Helvellyn (with the option of going over the peak), England’s most popular mountain and the mountain oddly named High Street, along which the Roman Legions marched on their way to Hadrian’s Wall.

On leaving the Lake District, you cross less rugged landscape with its limestone dry-walled fields around Shap and its attractive crumbling monastery, and Orton. You then pass limestone pavements, scars and edges into the pretty town of Kirkby Stephen for a final evening on the edge of the Pennines and underneath mysterious Nine Standards Rigg. You can visit the church which is built on the site of an old Saxon church and which is known locally as the Cathedral of the Dales. This church is the home of the famous 8th century Loki Stone.

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