Walking Holiday in North Yorkshire

Small groups & Self-Drive options are also available – please ask for more details.

Example of a Ramblers Short Break in North Yorkshire
5 days / 4 nights’ duration with return coach travel or self-drive from your selected departure points
4 nights half board accommodation at a hotel to suit your preferred walks and itinerary
Daily walks and excursions to suit your group type
Group Organiser’s Personal Liability Insurance Cover is automatically included without any extra charge

For smaller groups, The Black Horse Hotel is an ideal base for this specific holiday. Originally a 17th Century Coaching Inn, the Black Horse is located in the heart of the pretty cobbled street village of Grassington in the ‘Heart of the Yorkshire Dales'. The character of this building is spread over three floors which brings with it the ‘quirkiness' of undulating corridors and each ensuite room has its own individuality. It has a public bar serving real ales and a recently refurbished restaurant where you will take your evening meals and breakfasts daily.

http://blackhorsehotelgrassington.co.uk/

Sample Itinerary

Day 1 - A leisurely stroll around Grassington High Lanes (approx. 3 miles) or just around the village itself.

Day 2 - A local guide will escort you on your journey. Walk starts at the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes and will take in Appersett, Hardraw & Sedbusk (approx. 5.5 miles). This is an undulating walk with many stiles, ladder stiles and gates. This will take you through typical Dales landscape where there are extensive views over Wensleydale. After your walk there may be time to explore Hawes, which is known as the "little capital" of Upper Wensleydale and Yorkshire's highest market town which lies in the path of the Pennine Way. Not only is it famous for its chocolate-box picture postcard appeal, but it is also the home of some of the most delicious cheeses to be made in Britain and is home to the ancient art of rope making. This craft has been passed down from generation to generation and still draws visitors from all over the world. Tuesday is Market Day in Hawes and a visit to the Wensleydale Creamery is a ‘must’. You may wish to visit the Wensleydale Cheese Museum (local entrance charge), where you can find out how the cheese has been made throughout the centuries. Discover the captivating and often emotional story behind Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese and how the art of Wensleydale cheese-making has evolved. On display are real items of old cheese-making equipment as well as recreations of an old farmhouse kitchen and dairy. Re-joining your coach we will travel via Aysgarth Falls where the river Ure tumbles over a series of broad limestone step. Although not particularly high the waterfalls are one of Wensleydale's most famous beauty spots and were featured in the Kevin Costner film ‘Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves’.

Day 3 - Malham where a ‘moderate’ walk starts at Malham National Park Centre and takes in Malham Cove & Tarn (approx. 5.5 miles). You will see the natural amphitheatre of the Cove which crosses the limestone pavement, where there are extensive views over Malhamdale. The main uphill stretch of this walk is via a man-made path with a long series of stone steps. There will be a little free time to browse around Malham after the walk. This is a very small village at the southern base of the Yorkshire Dales and is a pretty place surrounded by limestone dry-stone walls. Mentioned in the Domesday Book as 'Malgun', Malham has been a settlement for at least a thousand years. Traces of Iron Age boundaries are still visible today. One hundred years ago Malham was a place of mills and mines but today it is a sleepy village and a must-see for many visitors.

Day 4 - Starting in Burnsall, walk to the hamlet of Linton ( approx. 3.5 miles). This is a splendid and relaxing walk through some of the finest scenery in Wharfedale, embracing pleasant riverside scenes and two picturesque villages. Burnsall is a delightful small parish in the scenic Yorkshire Dales National Park and is situated on the River Wharfe, where its five-arched bridge gives the village real charm and character. Linton is a picture postcard built around a delightful green. At the head of the green stands the Fountaine Hospital, a Grade II listed Palladian style Almshouse built by Richard Fountaine to provide shelter to the village's poor in 1721. It is still used today as a home for the elderly. Downstream just outside the village is Linton Falls which has an upper and lower waterfall as well as a walkers’ bridge where you can watch the flow pass beneath your feet. When the waters are low you can also cross the beck near the falls using an ancient course of stepping stones leading to the village church. For non-walkers, we suggest you visit nearby Bolton Abbey where there will be free time to explore. Venture out to Appletreewick for a ‘tipple’ at the very traditional and quirky Craven Arms which also has a reconstructed Cruck Barn, before retiring for the night.

Day 5 - Skipton is a must (try to fit in with Market Days), this market town is known as the ‘Gateway to the Dales’. Skipton's unique appeal lies in its happy marriage of olde-worlde charm and the hustle and bustle of a living market town, which has evolved naturally over the centuries and consequently retained its many historic features. With its bustling market, canal and thriving shops, pubs and cafes, Skipton provides something for everyone. Skipton Castle is over 900 years old, is one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England and is well worth a visit. If the castle is not for you, simply explore the alleyways or 'ginnels' as they are locally known, savouring the town's history and character. Visit the canal basin with its boats, footpaths, and picnic areas and discover why Skipton is one of the most popular destinations for visitors to the North of England at any time of the year and why many people return again and again.

Simply Groups reserve the right to make minor changes to the itinerary due to circumstances beyond our control.