Category: Activities

Classic Cars

Many visitors to the Yorkshire Dales come here to walk, cycle or just relax.

What if you're looking for something a little special, a different way to explore the Dales or to celebrate a special occasion here?

How about driving on some of our most beautiful routes such as the Buttertubs in a classic car? Imagine driving around in a car that's as stunning as the scenery.

Fancy a day sampling the delights of an E-type Jaguar? A Corvette Stingray or Porsche 911 will make heads turn where-ever you go, or you might decide on a more discrete Morris Minor for a touch of more down-to-earth nostalgia.

One of my favourites is the Morgan, which feels like a classic car but is easier to drive than some. Roof down, meandering around the narrow lanes, stopping en route as often as you want to mooch around the Dales villages, perhaps have a picnic by a stream.

For a really special time an Aston Martin Convertible might be the thing?

There are several companies offering such special experiences. The cars in these photos are available for a day or short break from Classic Car Hire North who will explain all the controls and must-knows to you before you drive off into the Dales.

You can also hire a Morgan through Craven Classic Car Hire.

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Stories of the Vault

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Isn't it wonderful to find somewhere that really exceeds your expectations? To discover a place that hasn't been hyped and that quietly offers something different and really good?

I've worked in tourism for a very long time (30 years) and helped develop a lot of visitor attractions so it's easy to feel a bit jaded and cynical when I hear of a new attraction. Many sound good in principle but the reality can be disappointing. How do you create something special when it feels like everything's been done before?

There are plenty of £multi-million new visitor attractions around the world that are quite good. But one of the simplest, best and most intriguing I've seen in a long time is here in the Yorkshire Dales National Park - in Kirkby Lonsdale. Unbelievably it's even free to visit - although donations and a few positive words in their visitors' book are both very much appreciated.

It's called the The Vault: A Kirkby Lonsdale Story Bank. I thought the idea sounded intriguing but wondered whether it would be as good as it sounded: it certainly is, and it's suitable for anyone from very young to very old.

Part of its appeal is that it feels a little secret even though it's hidden in plain sight. You have to go to the back of the Visitor Information Centre in The Old Bank on Main Street and ask the friendly folk behind the counter if you can see it. They'll show you the thick old vault doors, behind which is a small room that used to be where the bank's safety deposit boxes were stored. It's now the repository for some wonderful stories of Kirkby's past.

Inside the darkened room is an old desk, with an angle poise lamp and a set of half-open doors where the deposit boxes were once kept. It all feels very mysterious. You're left in the rom to choose a deposit box and take out the object inside. These range from a hip-flask, to a soft glove, and a slate. The next bit feels worthy of Harry Potter. You simply place the tag attached to the object in the centre of the desk, stand back and hey presto - the back wall comes alive with a character from the past connected to the object, telling their story.

Each of the stories lasts about five minutes and is very engaging. The combination of an actor, local stories, old photos and documents brings each story to life. Examples include a blacksmith turned broadcaster, Ruskin and Turner, and a teacher from a local school. They all offer some interesting insights about the history of Kirkby Lonsdale and surrounding area, and each suggests places to look out for or something else to see nearby. There are seven characters in all, each telling a true story. It's a good place to start a visit to Kirkby Lonsdale. Afterwards you'll find yourself looking at the small town more carefully, looking for Ruskin's View (or was it Turners?) and the obelisk memorial...

The whole idea was apparently the brainchild of project manager Jayne Davies who worked with a team of community researchers, writers and actors. You can unlock the secrets of the vault every day of the week between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm.

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Historical re-enactments

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We've got a lot of history in the Yorkshire Dales, some of it hidden and some more obvious thanks to buildings such as one of the oldest castles in England at Richmond and former abbeys such as Bolton Abbey and Jervaulx Abbey.

During the Summer months some of the historic buildings play host to living history events when stories of the past are recreated by historical societies and costumed interpreters. It's a great way to understand the part played by the castles and to get an insight into the life and activities of people who lived there.

You could see a recreation of a medieval campsite, with demonstrations of knights' skills and armour, have a chance to practice archery or enter into the spirit of the re-telling of stories of the past by hissing and booing or supporting members of the castle household.

Some of the events are likely to be more sedate, with opportunities to learn about dress from the time of the War of the Roses, to perhaps watch a mummers play or listen to medieval music played in a castle.

You might also learn some forgotten skills such as candle-making, stone-carving or creating cures and potions using herbs.

For details of historical re-creations taking place this summer see the events pages on websites for Bolton Castle, Richmond Castle, Middleham Castle, Skipton Castle.

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Malham Safari

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In a top secret location in a special place in a hidden spot of Malham in the Yorkshire Dales, something special and quite magical is happening. A herd (or flock? or a troop? colony?) of 'mythical beasts and fantastical creatures' are slowly being brought to life.

No one quite knows exactly what species they are. There's hot debate about where they've been hiding and gossip is rife about their origin. Some of the animals look strangely similar to those spotted around this time in Malham last year, but with some different markings. Some of them have never been seen before.

Those who're prepared to look closely and complete a simple quiz trail will be rewarded with sightings of these mythical beasts and fantastical creatures during the week of the Bank Holiday week at the end of May when Malham Safari takes place.

It's a simple idea: locals create these eye-catching animals which are 'hidden' through out Malham for visitors armed with a quiz sheet to spot.

As if that wasn't enough to entice you to Malham, there's plenty of other family entertainment including a magician, face painting and a daily duck race. There's quite a bit of throwing things too: coconut shy, archery, and axe throwing, as well as homemade cakes and refreshments from the Safari Cafe. The event is organised by creative volunteers and proceeds go to local charities.

One final point though: please park sensibly in a designated car park, not on the side of one of the narrow lanes (how would you feel if your car was the one preventing access by emergency vehicles, or if it's damaged by a tractor?) or you never know what one of the Malham beasts might do...

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Underground wonders

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Image: Lost Earth Adventures

We're used to enjoying stunning views in the Yorkshire Dales but most of us miss some of the most magnificent ones.

There's a whole other world of incredible sights right beneath our feet.

Hidden underground in the Yorkshire Dales, especially around Clapham and Ingleton is an extensive network of cave systems and potholes. Some are easily accessed, others more suitable for experienced cavers.

Thanks to the Three Counties Cave system, you could go underground in Yorkshire, move under Lancashire and emerge in Cumbria. It's already the longest system in Britain but new entrances and passages are constantly being found - there are at least 40 different entrances and it's thought to be about 90 km long. I love some of the expressive names of different parts of these caves such as the Bull Pot of the Witches, and Wretched Rabbit Passage!

You don't have to be an experienced caver to see some of the magical underground spaces, as we have three show caves, Ingleborough, White Scar and Stump Cross Cavern. These are all open to the public, and relatively easy to access although you have to be prepared to walk and down (and up!) a number of steps.

One of the most famous caves and largest underground chambers in Britain is Gaping Gill. Thanks to the Bradford Pothole Club and Craven Pothole Club who set up a gantry over the main shaft, there are chances (usually twice a year in May and August) to enjoy a really incredible underground experience, being winched 100 metres down into Gaping Gill. Organisers joke that the cost to go down is free, but the ride up again costs £15. A bargain to see one of Britain's secret awe-inspiring beauties.

Is it in our blood to feel excited when, out walking in glorious countryside we come across an easily accessible cave? Does the rush of pleasure and urge to explore come from thousands of years ago when this would have meant shelter, possibly a new home? Or maybe it's just the hint of adventure that a hole in a cliff or in the ground represents? If you enjoy exploring in this way, there are numerous caves to discover in the Yorkshire Dales. Use the map on the Dalesrocks website to see where to go for different types of caving adventure and find out more about their formation.

If you're of an even more adventurous disposition, you might like to explore some of the potholes and caves that fewer people know how to access. Rather than risk getting stuck and having to call out cave rescue volunteers, it's best to go underground with someone who is an accredited adventure activity guide such as Alfresco Adventures, Yorkshire Dales Guides, or Lost Earth Adventures.

A few years ago a small group of passionate volunteers established the Overground Underground Festival, which has now grown to offer an extensive programme of events from May to September including caving, abseiling, and geology talks and walks.

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Walking in the Yorkshire Dales

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There are miles and miles of footpaths for walkers to enjoy through out the Yorkshire Dales, whether you want to enjoy a short saunter by a river, stride out over the moors or climb one of the peaks.

There's no shortage of information to help you enjoy a walk in the Dales so I thought I'd do something a little different for today's blog and suggest some useful websites, blogs and companies to help you plan walks in the Yorkshire Dales.

Useful walking route websites
These websites have masses of walking route descriptions to download and use free

Where2Walk
Walking English Man
CountryFile
Dales Walks
Happy Hiker
Walking Britain
Walking in the Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire Dales National Park - short walks to download, including some without stiles

Long distance routes
We've got some excellent and well-marked long distance routes:

52 - 76 miles:
Herriot Way
Ribble Way
Dales Inn Way

80 - 100 miles:
Lady Anne's Way
Dales High Way
Dales Way

100 - 270 miles:
Pennine Way
Coast to Coast
Pennine Bridleway

Walking tour and luggage transfer companies
If you want to follow a long distance route, you might find it helpful to do a navigation course before you go, or to use a walking holiday company to make accommodation arrangements on your behalf and transfer your luggage to save you carrying it. Here are some companies that could help:

Brigantes Walking Holidays
Where2Walk
Mickledore
Inntravel
Contours Walking Holidays
Footpath Holidays
On Foot Holidays

Walking books
There's a huge number of books featuring walks in the Yorkshire Dales, including some that focus on short walks with children, those that cover longer distance walking routes, tea shop walks, pubs walks, history walks... Many of these are available from great independent bookshops in the Dales such as the Little Ripon Bookshop, Stripey Badger in Grassington, Castle Hill Bookshop in Richmond and Westwood Books in Sedbergh.

Pick up more information, advice and books from one of the National Park Centres at Aysgarth Falls, Grassington, Hawes, Malham and Reeth.

Walking with dogs?

Please note: there are many ground nesting birds in the Yorkshire Dales, between March to July. They can easily be disturbed by dog and likely to fly off, leaving their young behind. Please keep dogs on leads.

You may think your dog won't chase sheep but no-one really knows for sure and every year hundreds of sheep are killed either by dogs attacking them, or through the stress of having dogs run among them. During lambing seasons please keep sure you keep dogs on leads.

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DalesBus

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Could you give your car a holiday?

Sometimes it's good to be driven instead of driving yourself, casting off the care of needing to know where to go, which routes to choose. Climb aboard a country bus!

Public transport in the Yorkshire Dales isn't as plentiful as we might like, but in the summer months there is an extended timetable of buses calling at key visitor locations.

DalesBus has all the information you'll need to make journey planning easy.

An added benefit of travelling by bus is that you tend to travel a little more slowly and the seats are higher than in a car, so you can see much more. There's often a lovely friendly, community feel, with plenty of greetings exchanged and short snippets of conversations as passengers get on and off. Many people see buses as a way to get from A to B, but they can be more than that: a form of relaxation in their own right.

A couple of years ago the bus on the 'Northern Dalesman' route was fixed with cameras to film its scenic journey from Richmond to Ribblehead. BBC broadcast the entire film in a programme called 'All Aboard! The Country Bus', which attracted a million viewers. The Telegraph published an article 'Is this the most beautiful bus route in Britain?'

Why not enjoy this in real life, sitting back and appreciating the sights and sounds of the Yorkshire Dales? See DalesBus for more information.

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Skipton Castle Woods

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England has many wonderful woodlands, but few of them are as easily accessed as Skipton Castle Woods, sandwiched between the medieval castle and the bustling High Street.

Nowadays we build houses and add a garden. When Skipton Castle was built it was the other way round - they almost certainly built the castle in that spot because the woods were there, providing fuel, building materials, a place to hunt for food and water supplies.
You can see the huge beams taken from oak trees in the Woods, in the banqueting hall of Skipton Castle. 'Locally sourced materials' don't get much more local than that!

Over the years the Woods have changed in purpose, from providing timber and limestone during the industrial revolution, to becoming a pleasure ground.

Skipton's first industrial mill, High Mill, was built at the entrance to the woods, using water power to spin cotton.

You can still follow a walk along the watercourses that powered the mills. An offshoot of the famous Leeds to Liverpool Canal was built, called Springs Canal, which transported timber and stone. Water from Eller Beck was used to power a sawmill and corn mill.

In Victorian times, Skipton Castle Woods were a place to go to enjoy the peace and tranquility.

You can now enjoy access to the Woods thanks to an arrangement between the owners of Skipton Castle and the Woodland Trust who lease and maintain the woods.

It's easy to step away from the bustling Skipton High Street into the magical peace of the Woods, with entrances by the Old Sawmill, the Short Lee Lane entrance (this is the entrance to use where you're most likely to see the family of deer) or the Bailey entrance. The Bailey entrance takes you along a line of beautiful lime trees.

The Woods support many wildlife including badgers and deer, at least 28 species of bird, as well as butterflies, and five species of bat.

As you wander through the woods, you'll spot oak, lime and beech trees. Look more closely and there are over 160 different plants, grasses and herbs. Many have healing properties - at one time the Castle's herbalist would have used the Woods as their pharmacy.

If you have children with you, you might like to download the details of the geocache trail so they can look out for the treasures hidden in the Woods and find out more about some of the people who lived there. Can you spot the archer and horse willow sculpture made by Anna and the Willow, the bird by Dragon Willow and carved bench made by chainsaw artist Karl Barker?

Thanks to Hazel at Skipton Castle Woods for all images.

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Don't get lost!

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The Yorkshire Dales are very beautiful. But they're also unpredictable. They stretch over a huge area, with many wild places, hills and lanes that can all look very similar when the weather suddenly changes and mist descends.

Many of us learnt basic map-reading at school or as part of Brownie or Scout camps but it's a disappearing skill. Even those of us who know how to map-read can become over-reliant on an irritating voice relaying sat nav or Google map instructions on our phone.

An alarmingly high number of walkers set off on long walks, simply hoping they'll be able to follow footpath signs or use a map on their phone to find their way around the Yorkshire Dales.

The reality is that phone signals can disappear at the exact moment you need them most, weather conditions can change very quickly and those who can't 'read' the landscape can become lost very quickly. This may mean an embarrassed call to one of the volunteer mountain rescue services.

Luckily there's a very simple answer to avoid all this, and make walks much more enjoyable: do a short, practical navigation course in the Yorkshire Dales with an experienced walking guide. There are several, in different parts of the Dales. They share a similar aim - to offer novice and experienced walkers a fun day that equips everyone with a valuable skill and confidence to make spending time outdoors even more enjoyable.

Depending on the one day course you choose, you'll learn to really understand every detail on an Ordnance Survey map, to drill down into the detail of the weather forecast and what it means for your planned trip.

You'll get to grips with using a compass and other methods of navigation, and be able to visualise the kind of terrain you'll cover so you're better prepared for your next outing. You'll also gain a better understanding of your rights and responsibilities in the countryside.

You can join several practical navigation courses in the Yorkshire Dales. For more details see Where2Walk, Yorkshire Dales Guides and TeamWalking. The volunteer rescue services will thank you for it!

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Paragliding

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When I first started to write this blog I wanted to include as many different ways to enjoy and discover the Yorkshire Dales as I could. Until now the focus has been on places and things I've directly experienced myself.

Today's entry is certainly a very different way to enjoy the beauty of the Dales. I haven't yet tried it myself though - still dithering about whether I'm brave enough!

Thanks to amazing footage by drone photographers we've become more used to seeing the Yorkshire Dales as a birds' eye view.

Take a trip with Dean Crosby and you can actually become a bird. Well, almost. Dean is a multiple British Paragliding champion and former National Team captain. He runs Active Edge, a paragliding company in the Yorkshire Dales, and is keen to encourage beginners to sample the exhilaration of paragliding and being borne along by nothing other than the wind. He's been flying and teaching paragliding and hang gliding from the Dales for over 30 years.

They offer Fundays as well as longer courses so you can enjoy a shorter session either as a one-off or before deciding if you'd like to learn all the skills. They welcome anyone over 16 year and there's no upper limit. A reasonable level of fitness is needed as you'd have to be capable of walking up small hills to get airborne.

I'm not exactly scared of heights but have a fear that I'll be high in the sky and then suddenly want to shout "get me down, get me down!". Dean explains that many pilots are actually afraid of heights, but once you've understood how a glider works and how to stay safe you will become comfortable with the idea of flying.

I like the idea that the training builds up height gradually. You start by running down a slope, staying on the ground and then do small hops and move a little higher each time you fly. Compared to the way birds seem to learn to fly straight out of their nests, not quite knowing if they'll make it, this sounds a much better idea!

You can choose a funday or tandem paragliding which sounds particularly good to me. Tandem paragliding offers a short flight of 20-30 minutes, chance to relax and admire the view and take photos.

As Dean says, the Yorkshire Dales offer some fantastic paragliding sites, with rolling hills, open moors and unobstructed landscapes for beginners. Their sites are mostly around around Settle, Ingleton, Hawes and Kettlewell so you'd be guaranteed to enjoy some of the most stunning green views in the country. For more details see Active Edge.