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Arncliffe in Littondale

Littondale has always been a little set apart from other dales, close to well-known places like Kettlewell and Malham but much less visited. The Skifare river running through the dale adds to its beauty.

The hamlet of Arncliffe feels like it's tucked away in its own special time zone, safely distanced from the troubles of the world.

There are over 20 listed buildings in Arncliffe, testament to its unspoilt character.

The houses around the green mainly date from the 17th and 18th century, some of them quite grand. The village pump still stands on the green. There are plenty of date stones and other features to spot, such as the details on barn doors, porches with carved lintels, and doorways to peek through into pretty gardens beyond.

The construction of the barns and the stone built houses clustered around the village green make it feel even more self-sufficient, a bit like a Swiss mountain village that's secure in its knowledge that every householder has animal fodder ready for the winter, and a warm home in which to hibernate.

Many of the houses still have individual pockets of land behind them, just as they would many years ago, when the neighbouring fields were full of sheep belonging to the Fountains Abbey estate.

There's a medieval ridge and furrow field system nearby, and the mill pond probably date back to medieval times.

Many Yorkshire Dales villages have historic buildings and a lovely setting, but Arncliffe feels even more harmonious and welcoming.

Charles Kingsley stayed at Bridge End in Arncliffe when he wrote 'The Water Babies'. More recently it was the setting for the popular TV programme, 'Emmerdale'. The old name for Littondale was Amerdale so perhaps that's how the programme got the name. In the early days of the TV series, Arncliffe was the setting for the fictional village of Beckindale.

Arncliffe's main draw nowadays is the very traditional Falcon Inn which serves Timothy Taylor beer from the barrel in a jug. It was featured in the Emmerdale series as the Woolpack Inn.

More recently you may have spotted Arncliffe as the setting for some of the 'Darrowby Show' in Channel 5's remake of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small.

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Stay cool

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Image by Guy Carpenter

We're fickle creatures. No sooner have we stopped saying, 'it'd be nice to get some sun,' we start with, 'ooh, it's hot'. So what to do when you can't stand the heat?

Here are a few quick suggestions for cool places to go and things to do when it's too sunny - if there can really be such a thing?

Take a walk by a cool Dales stream or river - you can't go far without coming across one. Paddling optional. Take the plunge with some wild swimming or just pop along to Ingleton Open Air Lido

Go underground - the temperature in caves like Ingleborough, Stump Cross and White Scar tends to be around 9 degrees centrigade, regardless of the weather outside.

The huge thick walls of castles such as Skipton and Bolton Castle were designed to keep out intruders, but they're also pretty effective at shielding visitors from the sun.

Enjoy a walk in the dappled shade in one of our wonderful woodlands such as Hackfall or Skipton Castle Woods.

Climb to the top of a hill in search of cooler air, perhaps one of the lesser known Dales 30 and look around to see if there's anyone around. Chances are you'll be entirely alone.

Enjoy a walk in the shade, maybe exploring the arches of the immense Ribblehead Viaduct, or the inside of the Hoffmann Kiln.

Find a lovely cool piece of limestone pavement (rocks foundation, not by the road!), lie down on your back and gaze up at the endless sky and watch the birds swooping below.

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Bridges & river crossings

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Image by Paul Harris

With over 50 dales, and at least that number of rivers and streams, we constantly move across bridges and river crossings in the Yorkshire Dales, sometimes without even noticing.

Some are not just useful, they're beautiful and historic.

Many settlements grew up close to rivers, with important bridges or other crossings nearby.

The expression 'we'll cross that bridge when we come to it' probably came from the fact that rivers can be dangerous and changeable things and crossings were not always in the state you'd hope for when travellers reached them.

Bolton Abbey photo Devonshire Arms

There are essentially three different kinds of river crossing still in existence (apart from boats...): stepping stones, fords and bridges.

The stepping stones at Bolton Abbey are probably the most famous, but you'll find many others through out the Dales, some half-hidden by the flow of the river.

They would have been a hazardous and unreliable way to cross, often only passable with a wooden staff to keep one's balance.

Ford in Coverdale

Fords could only be built where rivers ran quite slowly and were shallow.

You'll notice some over streams which were paved for more frequent use, often leading to a house or settlement.

After the Romans, one of the most common reasons for travelling around the Yorkshire Dales was to trade wool or sheep, something at which the landowning monks were adept. They're likely to have built some of the earliest bridges.

One of several bridges in Linton

As I write this, the memory of a primary school history lesson has popped into my mind, together with the smell of the clay we used to make a clapper bridge and then a packhorse bridge. I remember learning about the keystone, the differently shaped stone in the middle of the bridge that kept all the others in place.

You can see clapper bridges in Austwick, Malham and Linton. They were mostly built using slate for the convenience of locals across narrow and shallow rivers or streams.

Photo by Guy Carpenter

Over time some packhorse bridges have been altered to make them safer but you can still find some in their original condition, either without any sides or with low ones so packhorses carrying panniers laden with goods could easily pass.

Some bridges were initially built using timber but were replaced with stone when the wood rotted,

In the 18th century the Turnpike Trusts were given the power to collect tolls making it worthwhile to improve roads and bridges, making them better and broader.

Reeth Swing Bridge by Scenicview Gallery

Bridges were essential to travellers but not everyone wanted to pay for their upkeep. If you look at 19th century bridges you may notice small initialled markers at the side of the bridge, such as the one inscribed WR at the end of Grassington Bridge, showing that West Riding County Council had liability for its upkeep.

You might associate suspension bridges with Hull or other bigger cities but we have at least two in the Dales, one in Reeth, known as the Swing Bridge and the other across the river Wharfe near Linton.

The suspension bridge across the river Wharfe was created after a local man drowned trying to cross the stepping stones. It was designed and built by the village blacksmith using over 250 metres of old steel rope, bought from a mining company.

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Betty's Vintage Hut

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Over the years I’ve carried out a lot of ‘research’ into special places for afternoon teas. The Waldorf, Langham, Café Royal in London, grand country house hotels, beautiful gardens, stately homes – you name it, whether it was for work (I’ve been paid for writing about cake – it’s an actual job…!) or pleasure, I’ve tried quite a few places.

Some have beautiful settings but disappointing food. Others have gorgeous food but surly staff. A few manage to get the setting, staff and sustenance just right. But the best? It's right here in the Yorkshire Dales and it’s still a bit of a secret pleasure: Betty’s Vintage Hut.

Owned and run by Ann, it's in a hidden spot in lesser-known Littondale. It's even more special because it's not open all the time - just for advance bookings.

Betty was Ann’s grandmother, who taught Ann to bake when she was four. Betty inspired her to go on to train as a chef and have her own café until quite recently.

Supposedly retired, Ann realised that she isn’t actually very good at sitting still. She bought the shepherd’s hut so she can cater for small pre-booked groups of up to 6 - 12 people. She currently offers afternoon teas but is thinking about doing some other evening events, perhaps taking advantage of the wide windows in the hut looking out on to the fields and dark starry skies. There’s a wood burner in the corner of the hut so it will be delightfully cosy in winter.

Ann bakes for most of the day to create an extraordinary range of sandwiches, savoury tarts and quiches, with sumptuous and creative cakes and pastries. She makes everything herself and constantly invents new treats. On the day we visited Ann was trying out her new gin and tonic tart – delicious.

Some of the afternoon teas I’ve tried feel a bit rationed. You glance at the plate and instantly calculate stomach space for exactly 3 small sandwiches and 3 cakes. That's not at all the case in Betty's Vintage Hut. Ann’s afternoon tea is incredibly generous. I don't think any of us have a clue how many tiny sandwiches, savoury delicacies and wonderful cakes we consumed. My daughter has a lot of different food allergies so she's used to sitting quietly or eating a couple of bland things while everyone else tucks in, but Ann had asked plenty of questions and double-checked detail, and then provided a special cake stand of treats.

When we first saw the table we were all delighted, tucking in, sampling and exclaiming as we went, ‘have you tried…’, 'Oh, this one is especially good...' Then delight turned to concern – how could we possibly finish everything? Ann reassured us, she had boxes ready for anything we didn’t eat.

A lot of places have jumped on the vintage bandwagon and it can feel a little tired and overdone. I’ve had afternoon tea in one place that had me looking round for dead bodies it felt so musty. This is the opposite. There are vintage touches such as the embroidered table cloth and tea service, but it isn’t fussy, keeping the overall feeling fresh and clean. The afternoon tea is incredibly good value: just £15 per person. This is going to become a very popular spot so think up a celebration (just admitting to gluttony would be fine too) and book as soon as you can via Betty’s Vintage Hut or call 07990 584340.

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Ingleton Lido

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As temperatures start to rise, you might think about taking the plunge and going for a swim.

There's no shortage of excellent swimming spots in the Yorkshire Dales, particularly if you're keen to try some wild swimming in one of the many rivers.

If you fancy something a little warmer, take a trip to Ingleton Lido, a heated open air pool in a lovely location. It was first built in 1933 and is now staffed, cleaned, and maintained by a team of volunteers.

Numerous lidos were built in England in the 1930s, perhaps inspired by the trend towards glamorous cruise-liners and foreign travel. The original pool took about a year to dig out by volunteers, ably assisted by striking miners from a local colliery. It was filled by a gravity fed pipe from the nearby river, taking 25 hours to fill.

Ingleton Lido was updated and practically re-built in the 1970s, and is now heated and open three months a year from May to early September. It's thanks to some very committed volunteers who fundraise and lifeguard that the pool has continued to operate for almost a century.

The pool is in the centre of the village in a riverside park setting. Please check opening times before setting out on a long journey. All images thanks to Ingleton Rural Community Association.

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How many Yorkshire Dales?

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Here's something to ponder: how many Yorkshire Dales are there?

You would think that in an area known as the 'Yorkshire Dales', where the dales themselves are the main attraction, that some one would be able to tell you exactly how many dales there are? And that they'd be a definitive map showing each of their locations? I've never managed to find anyone who really knows and certainly never discovered a map with that detail. Let me know if you do!

Let's start with what we mean by a dale. The word is old English, probably originating from the German word Tal or Nordic Dal, and essentially means a valley. Most of the Yorkshire Dales are named after their river e.g. River Swale = Swaledale. There are a few exceptions such as Wensleydale named after Wensley, once a market town and now a village. The river Ure runs through Wensleydale, and the old name for the dale was Yoredale.

And what do we mean by the 'Yorkshire Dales'? Many people take it to mean the Yorkshire Dales National Park, often with the addition of the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (NAONB) which is adjacent. Since the National Park was extended ,it now covers 2179 square kilometres and the NAONB adds another 600. Since some Dales wander outside these two areas, and no-one is very certain about their exact boundaries, the 'Yorkshire Dales' are quite fluid and for some mean much of the large swathe of green land between the M6 and A1.

So, as you can see it's hard to be very specific about how many Yorkshire dales there are! Most people can name at least four: Swaledale, Wensleydale, Wharfedale, Nidderdale, but how many others are there? Counts vary from around 30 to over 50.

It's often hard to be clear about where a dale really starts and ends. Some lesser known named dales are side dales of larger ones. Some are short and remote, rarely visited like Mossdale above Grassington. Others are often misnamed like Apedale which many assume to be Swaledale or Wensleydale as it joins the two.

Here's a list of many of the Dales: we could argue about some of them and whether they're dales in their own right or not, and we could definitely add more to this list too - although it's doubtful whether most people would find them. For me, one of the delights of the dales is that you can't instantly name and define them. Isn't that what nature should be like? Sometimes untamed, uncertain, but always full of beauty. 'A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet'...

Apedale, Arkengarthdale, Barbondale, Birkdale, Bishopdale, Claphamdale, Cotterdale, Coverdale, Crummackdale, Deepdale, Dentdale, Doedale, Fossdale, Garsdale, Gordale, Grisedale, Kingsdale, Langdale, Langstrothdale, Littondale, Lonsdale, Lunesdale, Malhamdale, Mallerstang, Mossdale, Nidderdale, Ravenstonedale, Raydale, Ribblesdale, Swaledale, Waldendale, Weasdale, Wensleydale, Wharfedale, Widdale...

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Reeth - a bakery, gallery & walk

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I've admired the work of photographers Debbie and Gray from Scenicview Gallery in Reeth for a long time. Their location means they're well placed to dash out and get the perfect shot of the stunning surrounding landscape when the light is just right. But I recently saw they'd taken some very different images that caught my attention. Pictures of beautiful sourdough loaves, croissants with layers and layers of buttery deliciousness enticed me to Reeth to find out if it all tasted as good as it looked.

Hannah and David set up the Two Dales Bakery in Reeth this year, swapping their previous jobs for a new life of baking and passion for food. One of the reasons their bread and pastries are so good is thanks to Colin who's worked as a pastry chef in leading hotels such as The Dorchester and in Michelin starred restaurants in London. There's an attractive outdoor and indoor eating area where you can enjoy the quiches, tarts, pastries, excellent coffee and other lunch time dishes such as soups.

So how are the bread and pastries that had enticed me there?

In a word, delicious. My husband had a tea cake and declared it the best he'd ever tasted so he bought some more for later, to go with the sausage rolls and quiches I'd spotted.

After a while I stopped listening to him telling me all the reasons why they're so good, and focused on finding a picnic spot so we could eat and enjoy the rest of the goodies.

Image: Scenicview Gallery

There are plenty of walks from Reeth to enjoy the wonderful Swaledale vistas. One of the easiest is to head towards the Garden Pottery (definitely worth visiting) and then out of Reeth along the old paved way towards the swing bridge.

Scenicview Gallery is just down the road from Two Dales Bakery on Silver Street, so you can pop in to see and buy iconic images of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale captured by Debbie and Gray.

They've run the gallery for 16 years and in that time really perfected the art of showing the atmospheric beauty of the Dales. Even after all that time they're still excited to keep keep discovering new and inspiring places to photograph. All the images below are taken by Debbie and Gray. To see more, do go visit their gallery.

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Llama & Alpaca Trekking

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Image: Hazel Brow

You expect to see masses of sheep in the Yorkshire Dales but llamas and alpacas?

Did you know you can not only see but also walk with llamas and alpacas in two corners of the Dales, Nidderdale and Swaledale?

Several years ago Suzanne Benson brought a llama to Kiln Farm in Nidderdale, literally setting her life on a different path. The herd grew and grew, and Nidderdale Llamas was created.

Visitors now have the opportunity to enjoy walking with llamas and alpacas in the beautiful Nidderdale countryside, with options from a brief wander to full day treks. Each participant leads a chosen llama or alpaca who will carry your belongings.

Suzanne stresses that these fascinating creatures all have individual personalities, and she tries to match them to guests. With 30-40 llamas and alpacas to choose from, even the quirkiest character will find a walking companion. It's essential to pre-book.

Llama and alpaca trekking has been found to have many benefits for people with emotional issues or learning difficulties, as the animals are non-threatening, gentle and characterful.

You can also enjoy a walk with alpacas in Swaledale at Hazel Brow, choosing from a 30 minute stroll stroll along the village pasture or a steeper 90 minute trek with amazing views, before returning to the farm to feed the alpacas. Their fur is very soft, so once a year after they've been cut, the fibre is used to make clothing. Find out more about alpaca trekking in Swaledale here.

All images thanks to Cath Calvert, Hazel Brow

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Distinctive Dales

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Image: thanks to Paul Jackson

How do you know you're in the Yorkshire Dales?

If someone were to remove all the signs between the Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors, the Lakes and North Pennines, it would still be possible to tell where you are thanks to some small features that mark one place out from another.

Some are obvious: landmarks such as The Three Peaks or buildings like Bolton Castle.

Many of the distinguishing features are much smaller and take time to discern and appreciate. Some differences are only noticed by those in the know, but nonetheless important to local people as they define the place where they live.

Language, accents, even words vary. Do you call a narrow passage-way a ginnel or gennel? My secondary school had a catchment area of a few miles, taking in children from several villages. To outsiders there were no discernible differences between the pupils from each village, and yet we were instinctively aware through almost indescribable nuances of speech, whether fellow pupils were from our village or “across the valley”. It's said that even birds sing with regional accents! Place names are another way of gathering information about a location.

Building materials and styles are another tell-tale feature. Local stones are used and they weather differently according to micro-climates in each area. There are subtle differences in barn and farm building styles around the Dales which you'll see if you look carefully enough. We're proud of our dry stone walls. That's not to say that other places don't have them, but compare walls in somewhere like Devon with those in the Dales and you'll quickly see what I mean by 'local distinctiveness'.

Local customs also contribute to our sense of place - this could be anything from games like quoits, to Austwick's Cuckoo Festival and Masham Sheep Fair. Sheep are good clues that distinguish one place from another. In the Yorkshire Dales you're much likelier to see hardier breeds such as Swaledales, Dalesbred and Rough Fell sheep.

If someone asks, 'what makes the Dales, the Dales?' it's hard to answer because it isn't just one dominant feature. It's the combination of landscapes, buildings, people, customs, and of course wildlife that make it special. We're glad to have good populations of some species that are not frequently seen outside the area: red squirrels, swifts, curlew and other birds. Really the only way to answer the question of what makes the Yorkshire Dales, the Yorkshire Dales is to spend plenty of time here... watching, listening, noticing...

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Thwaite & inspiration for David Attenborough

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Image thanks to Valerie Hunter

Thwaite in Swaledale is a small hamlet, popular thanks to its location on the Coast to Coast, Pennine Way and Herriot Way.

Most visitors enter Thwaite by crossing the much-photographed bridge over Thwaite Beck.

Thwaite is a norse name meaning a clearing: this area was once more densely wooded. It's thought that people may have lived here since the Iron Age (600 BC!) as there's an earthwork bank and ditch just outside Thwaite.

Most of the present buildings were built around the time when lead mining was an important industry.

Few of today's visitors know about some of Thwaite's most famous former residents - the Kearton brothers who were born here, and who effectively became the world's first professional wildlife photographers in the 1890s. David Attenborough has spoken admiringly of their pioneering work, which he says inspired him and many others.

They were not rich and their first camera was a simple box camera but they were entranced by nature and their surroundings and went to extraordinary lengths to capture pictures of animals. Over time they started to use more complex cameras but they were all heavy instruments, using plate glass, so it was almost impossible to sneak up on a grazing animal in the way a modern photographer might do with a telephoto lens.

The brothers came up with some bizarre ways to get closer to animals. One of their methods used an ox which had been hollowed out by a taxidermist so the brothers could place it in a field or near a bird's nest, taking pictures from the inside of the ox, with the lens poking out from the head! After this success they used other 'camouflage' such as sheep, and made disguises for themselves such as trees and even a rubbish dump.

All images below are by Guy Carpenter, Gullwing Photography