Plenty of places describe themselves as a "hidden gem". Farfield Mill is truly deserving of the description. Just outside Sedbergh, the restored Victorian wool mill is a beautiful building housing exhibitions and artists and makers' studios. It showcases the visual arts, traditional and contemporary craft, and has gone through many stages in its long history - boom and almost-bust.

Its future is now thankfully secure  after an innovative community share offer, backed by over 700 people has raised nearly £¼ million of private investment. With an additional £100,000 match-funding from Power to Change, Farfield Mill will now be able to implement its plans to develop the heritage displays and carry out essential repairs to the building. Investors came from as far north as the Shetland Islands and as far south as Exeter
 
Farfield Mill provides open studios for 20 weavers, craftsmen and artists, an outlet for the work of designer makers from across the North of England, galleries hosting exhibitions of regional, national and international provenance, and a heritage exhibition about the local wool industry.
 
The Mill weaves textiles on heritage looms for artisan producers in the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria.
It is believed to be the last working wool mill in the Yorkshire Dales. It also has a floor of hand looms where visitors are encouraged to have a go.

Joanne Mowbray, who joined Farfield Mill from Lakeland Arts to lead the Mill through its transition, said: “Now the challenges are to deliver the ambitious plans for Farfield Mill’s future, put it on a sound business footing, and ensure it becomes a major cultural venue in the rural north.

Stunning countryside, heritage, characterful locals - they've all inspired countless books set in and about the Yorkshire Dales. We recently asked for your recommendations for your favourites. Here's a round up of some of the best-loved books about the Yorkshire Dales. 

Fiction set in the Yorkshire Dales
 
Artist Ian Scott Massie has collected a series of tales and folklore and illustrated them with his beautiful and distinctive style for Tales of the Dales. Colin Speakman also gathered together local stories into Legends of the Yorkshire Dales. Look out for Ghosts and Other Tales, by Gavin Jones,  out in October 2018. 

The Yorkshire Dales are peaceful and fairly crime-free and yet the area has somehow inspired a myriad of crime-writers. Local Glenda Calvert enjoys Susan Parry’s series of Yorkshire Dales Mysteries set in the Dales. "Susan lives in Swaledale and I like trying to guess the settings and places as I’m reading. Easy reading for holidays or winter nights. Looking forward to starting Frozen Ground - it is about sheep rustling!" Adam Brunskill by Thomas Armstrong is also set in Swaledale, a novel interspersed with many details of lead-mining which was once so important to the area. 

Real life in the Yorkshire Dales

Many authors have given their accounts of life in the Yorkshire Dales. Some have become so loved, their works have become collectors' items and much-prized social history. WR Mitchell, or Bill as many knew him, was prolific. He loved people and their stories, and spent much of his life interviewing and collecting tales which give some marvellous insights. Yorkshire represents a time gone by, captured in a fascinating collection of interviews he conducted. His Folk Tales on the Settle-Carlisle Railway remains a popular volume. You can listen some of his interviews thanks to this archive and the work of Settle Stories. 

For fantastic social history dip into Marie Hartley & Joan Ingilby's Life & Tradition in the Yorkshire Dales, Yorkshire Cottage by Ella Pontefract and Marie Hartley as welll as Swaledale, and Wensleydale.

Sheep farmer, Amanda Owen is not continuing the tradition of documenting and recounting farming life in the Yorkshire Dales with The Yorkshire Shepherdess and A Year in the Life of the Yorkshire Shepherdess. Neil Hanson gives a completely different insight into life in the Dales with The Inn at the Top, his account of the trials and tribulations of life as the landlord at Tan Hill, England's Highest Inn. 
 

Landscape, geology and nature

I bought Haytime in the Yorkshire Dales edited by Don Gamble & Tanya St. Pierre some time ago and still pick it up to dip into the pictures and descriptions of our wonderful flower-rich hay meadows. It covers their biodiversity, traditional farming methods and how they’ve inspired creative people for generations.

Swaledale: Valley of the River by Andrew Fleming is a great book if you’re interested in the history and geology of the landscape, similarly David Johnson’s full history Ingleborough: Landscape and History.
 
The Dales of Yorkshire: a Portrait by Richard Muir gives insightful accounts of how these much-loved landscapes were created over millions of years, how the market towns, villages and hamlets originated, the history of the churches and monasteries and the meaning of place names. 

Photography

The Dales landscapes have inspired countless photographers. These two books were recommended - you may wish to add more in the comments below. Open Fell, Hidden Dale by Eliza Forder & John Forder shows beautiful black and white photographs of life in the Dales, and the Dales landscapes themselves, with insightful writing by Arthur Raistrick. Hill Shepherd by John Forder & Eliza Forder has evocative photographs of hill farmers, landscapes, sheep, and great scenery. 
 
​Guides
 
Where do we start, where do we finish with a list of great guides to the Yorkshire Dales? Perhaps the easiest is to mention a few local authors and leave you to add your favourites? Look for guide books by Colin Speakman, Mark Reid, Chris Grogan and Jonathan Smith.

Sometimes the world feels like a fierce, uncomfortable place. We're bombarded with stories of political unrest, constant technological change, and unpleasant scandals. The temptation to retreat from all this, to look for a better world is strong. Space exploration is one option. Burying your head in a good book is infinitely easier. So it's wonderful to be able to bring you some excellent news. Books and bookshops - flourishing! 

It started with a whisper. Gill at one of my favourite bookshops, the Little Ripon Bookshop said they might be about to become a bit bigger. This week her dream (and mine) becomes reality - they are expanding into the next door premises. I'll repeat that. An independent shop on a high street is expanding! How often do you hear that kind of news? Not only that, but this is a business that can teach Amazon a trick or two about quick service and personalised recommendations. Within a couple of visits, Gill had sussed out my tastes and has since introduced me to a myriad of fantastic authors. Order a book from them and you can usually pick it up the next day. 

Then came more good news: a new bookshop has opened in Grassington in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. The Stripey Badger also has a cafe next door so you can enjoy the heady combination of culture and cake. What more could anyone want? Well obviously, there are no limits to how many books a true bibliophile can hoard. If that sounds like you, you could do worse than head to Sedbergh, England's book town where you'll find the wonderful Westwood Books and several other great book shops or shops that sell books among other items. They have a book festival during the first weekend in October. 

Do you have a favourite book shop in or near the Yorkshire Dales? Would love to hear about it! ​

Have you been to one of our agricultural shows? During the Summer months, you'll find them taking places in every corner of the Yorkshire Dales - Birstwith, Lunesdale, Brough, Gargrave, Wensleydale, Reeth, Kilnsey, Malham, Bentham, Muker, Nidderdale and Masham. Each one is different but has a similar celebratory atmosphere, a chance for farmers to gather and visitors to get an insight into another life. 

   - Find out which show takes place where -

As soon as the first marquees and tents appear, the excitement builds. You'll spot people scurrying around as they place their carefully tended onions in their allocated place in the show tent, see farmers making final tweaks to their sheep, ensuring there are no stray white hairs in a black muzzle. Horse-riders tentatively enjoy a last-minute practice round the show ring. Farmers clap each other on the back in greeting, grunt a few words to each other, then tend to their animals - banter will come later, once the rosettes have been handed out. The air is full of a mixture of manure, leather and straw bales.  

Yorkshire Dales country shows are a chance to see the best of the countryside: cattle at their finest and fattest; cabbages at their greenest; cakes at their lightest and most moist deliciousness. Many shows include fell-running races and other feats of determination and strength. 

In the show-rings you'll see sheep, cows, horses, dogs, ferrets and other animals primped and paraded. Judges carefully scrutinise every detail, sometimes to the bemusement of onlookers. The rear end of a prize tup (ram) will be considered just as carefully as its face. The crowd will ooh and aah as decisions are made and skills demonstrated. Onlookers don't always understand why one sheep wins over another but if you go and ask the proud winners to explain their livestock's best features, they'll happily do so. Winning at some of these agricultural shows can vastly increase market prices and secure breeding lines. 

In the tents you'll find gorgeous displays of flowers, vegetables, cakes and handicrafts. Children's competition categories almost always include "made an animal out of a vegetable". At almost every show you'll notice certain family names appearing again and again on prize certificates. Friendly rivalry is strong, resurrected each year. 

These fantastic photos by Stephen Garnett give a taste of what you can expect to find - these were all taken at Malham Show.

Could there be any better setting for a festival of medieval music and merriment? 14th century Bolton Castle will play host to Medieval Music in the Dales from 7th - 10th September. This celebration of all things musical and medieval is full of colour, spectacle and amazing sounds.

Some of the finest medieval musicians in Europe will play, using beautiful replica instruments.

You could also have a chance to step out a medieval dance or try playing a bagpipe. The event includes concerts, workshops, demonstrations, a Medieval Market, a Medieval Tavern and a Grand Medieval Feast. This year's event is set to be even bigger and better than last years. Organisers are planning to welcome performers and craftspeople from Spain who may even bring along their Spanish weather! You can even camp out at the castle if you book in advance!

For more information see www.medievalmusicinthedales.co.uk

If you enjoy cheese as much as I do, you're going to love this!

Andy Swinscoe at the Courtyard Dairy near Settle is one of the world's leading experts on cheeses. He even won Cheesemonger of the Year at the World Cheese Awards. He created the tiny Courtyard Dairy a few years ago and since then, he's had a huge impact on cheese-lovers. You may well have seen him at food festivals around the Dales, or perhaps gone to their shop, where the focus is firmly placed on quality farmhouse cheeses. Don't go expecting to always find your favourite - if it's not in season or a batch wasn't up to Andy's exacting standards, he won't have it in the shop. But he will generously offer you delightful slivers of other options so you'll quickly discover a new favourite. And another. And another.

Cheese fans are now in for an even bigger treat. Andy and Kathy have bought the former Yorkshire Dales Falconry Centre so they'll have more space for storing and maturing cheese to make it truly special, a small information area showcasing information about cheese-making and its history in the Dales, and be able to open a cheese-themed café, and a cheese-making room.

That's not all. Where-ever you are, you can enjoy the delights of the Courtyard Dairy thanks to their mail-order service. I'm in a particularly good mood today as my monthly delivery just arrived! I'm feeling quite virtuous too as I've promised myself I can't test any of it until I've written this... You can order one-off deliveries or if you're as wise as I am, you'll subscribe to their regular delivery service. Once a month I open the door to a delivery of three fantastic cheeses. I don't know which ones they'll be - Andy chooses the best available at that time. They arrive perfectly packaged, and complete with full details of how each one is made, and some information about each cheese-maker and their animals. 

The monthly subscription or special deliveries made a great gift. And if you're getting married, you might want one of their special cheese cakes for your guests to enjoy as well. Find out more here 

There can be few places where you can stand in a medieval barn with a pint in-hand and watch ferrets racing but go to the Craven Arms in Appletreewick and that’s exactly what you can expect to see.

Amid the live music sessions, beer festivals and other regular events, there’s one date in February when this beautiful pub in the heart of Wharfedale near Grassington stages the annual ferret racing championships.

As you step from the traditional flagstone floor bar and into the cruck barn, the quirkiness of the occasion is hard to miss, with a judge in bowler hat and white coat, the pub landlord wearing a farmers’ smock and an array of handlers, young and slightly less young, watching proceedings.
​
Place a bet with the pop-up bookie who donates all the proceeds to the local fell rescue group and watch the action unfold as the ferrets race along a there-and-back drainpipe loop suspended from the ceiling.

If all the excitement gets too much, it’s easy to retire back into the pub and savour the experience over a meal and locally brewed pint of beer. 

​​It’s all been said before and it really is true – the Yorkshire Dales are a delight to walk in whether you’re after an epic challenge, a quiet riverside stroll or a focused stride out where you’re intent on getting to a certain tea room or pub at the end.
 
However the other day a small group of us were walking through a meadow looking across the drystone walls as our eyes fixed on the shimmering blue of the reservoir in the distance. It was a beautiful day and in that one moment I felt as giddy as a kipper, or for those who have never seen a giddy kipper, like a lamb that's just discovered the joy of bounding skywards.

With that in mind, here are just some walks we think are worthy of mention for inducing an ‘all is well’ feeling. In fact, it’s a tricky thing narrowing down the choice so I have no doubt we’ll revisit this subject further down the line. First up though are a couple of suggestions venturing into some of the lesser-visited parts of the Dales and one more well-known option for those who are looking for a challenge.

Buckden to Yockenthwaite, Upper Wharfedale
For us, this has it all, a choice of good pubs and tearooms along the way, the beautiful river Wharfe, a stretch of limestone pavement, wildflower-rich meadows that are a riot of colour in late spring, small hamlets and superb views right down the dale.There are a couple of opt-outs if you want to shorten the 8-mile circular as well and apart from one shortish uphill section it’s fairly easy walking throughout.

Middleham to Coverham in Wensleydale
If you like castles, horses and a bit of Yorkshire quirk, then this route of around six miles could be for you, with plenty of places to dawdle and distract along the way. Starting from the village of Middleham the route leads you onto the surrounding moor with a grand view back to the impressive castle, which was the childhood home of Richard lll. Middleham is also famous as a racehorse training base and it’s quite a sight seeing the horses being put through their paces on the gallops as you stride along.
 
By now you’ll have ventured into Coverdale, dropping down from the moor and into Tupgill Park where the fantastic Forbidden Corner with its labyrinth of follies, grottoes and other strange surprises awaits.  It’s definitely worth a detour here, especially if there are children in the party, and is an easy way to spend an hour or two. From there, you can press onto the hamlet of Coverham with a view across to the Abbey before returning to Middleham.

Whernside, Ribblesdale 
While you’re unlikely to have this walk to yourself, it’s worth doing as a more challenging hike where you can claim to have conquered Yorkshire’s highest peak Whernside at some 736 metres.
 
We did this as part of the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge but there is a circular route if you want to stick to just Whernside with the start and finish at one of the most iconic images from this part of the Dales, the Ribblehead Viaduct.
 
If you’re thinking of doing the whole Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge, 24 miles and around 1600 feet of ascent and descent within 12 hours, then we’d recommend joining a trip run by guided walking specialist Large Outdoors.
 
Not only do they sort all the logistics, including accommodation nearby, but the guides are great morale-boosters when you’re having that inner tussle where your mind is thinking that bailing out from doing the last peak might just be a good idea!
 
Large Outdoors runs regular guided Yorkshire Three Peak challenge events throughout the summer as well as other weekend trips around Kettlewell during the autumn and winter. They’re very obliging and if your party comprises eight or more people, they’re willing to organise a guided walking trip for your group that can include overnight accommodation and homemade meals. Blog by Amanda Brown

Here's something really special and a chance to get a very different view of the Yorkshire Dales. The Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa at Bolton Abbey are offering sightseeing flights by helicopter, followed by a full champagne afternoon tea. 

The scenic helicopter ride will take you over the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, flying over Bolton Abbey, Appletreewick, Burnsall, Grassington, Cracoe, Hetton  and Skipton.

Each flight is available for up to 6 people, and there are departures from May to September. 

Prices start at around £130 per person including the sightseeing flight and champagne afternoon tea. To reserve your place call 01756 718155. ​