Dales Way

Arrive in Ilkley, a pleasant market town and spend the evening at your first night’s accommodation.

The Dales Way begins in Ilkley which sits on the eastern edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Your route follows the River Wharfe upstream from the lowland scenery of Lower Wharfedale to the hilly surroundings of the Dales. En-route you pass the Augustinian priory, Bolton Abbey – an impressive 12th century ruin situated in lovely parkland.

Continue through magnificent Strid Wood, where the River Wharfe can be dramatic, and on to Burnsall, idyllically situated by the river.

From Burnsall the route carries on along the Wharfedale valley passing through the wonderful town of Grassington, the last town before Sedbergh. Between Grassington and Kettlewell the route leaves the valley and climbs onto high ground, where you cross some fine examples of the famous limestone pavements. The views across the Dale are some of the best of the Dales Way and take in the great rock mass of Kilnsey Crag, popular with rock gymnasts.

The Wharfe is rejoined at Kettlewell, one of the honey-pot villages of the Dales. Kettlewell and Grassington provide everything that you could wish for en route, including shops, friendly country pubs and quaint village tearooms.

The path follows the river gently upstream past the villages of Starbotton, Buckden and Hubberholme. The next section is beautiful and when you reach the copper beech you are approaching Hubberholme. 

The route climbs to the wilder country of the Pennines and an altitude of 450m is reached at Cam Houses providing dramatic views of the Yorkshire Three Peaks (Whernside, Pen-y-ghent and Ingleborough). Descend into gentler Dentdale and across the Pennine Way towards Ribblehead and its famous viaduct.

From Ribblehead you begin to see evidence of the Lake District as you head towards Dent Head Viaduct, a very impressive Victorian structure despite being dwarfed from a distance by the Pennines. Moor fell-sides soon lead to the gentler countryside of the River Dee and Dentdale where you follow riverside paths downstream to the narrow cobbled streets of Dent.

The Dales Way leaves picturesque Dent and follows the River Dee towards the pleasant town of Sedbergh, a small market town nestling under the steep Howgill fells. Sedbergh is ‘England’s book town’ and is full of wonderful second-hand book stores. On emerging from Gap Wood the view opens up over the Lakeland Fells and you get the sense of leaving Yorkshire behind and entering the Lake District.

After Sedbergh the character of the Dales Way changes again as it passes through the gently rolling landscape of the Eden Valley. It is no longer the Dales’ landscape you have been used to, but this delightful area of small hills and sheep farms between the two National Parks has its own charms. A short trip from Burneside is the Lakeside town of Kendal, with lots of shops, pubs and restaurants.

On the final day of your Dales Way walk you will enjoy a pleasant day’s hiking which will bring you into the Lake District National Park and the end of the route on the shores of Lake Windermere – the largest lake in England.

When you arrive into Bowness go for a cruise on or visit the The World of Beatrix Potter in the town.  In the evening there is a great selection of bars and restaurants where you can celebrate the completion of your Dales Way walk.

After breakfast, you will start your journey home after a wonderful walking holiday on the Dales Way.