Trip Report: Yorkshire Dales

Clareboy

Yorkshire Dales & Forest of Bowland

This thread discribes a backpacking and hosteling trip that I did in 2008 around Lancashire and Yorkshire in the North of England.

SHANNON TO SLAIDBURN

I flew from Shannon to Manchester on Ryanair. From the Airport, I took a bus into the centre of Manchester. I was never in Manchester before, so I wanted to have a look at the city from the top of a double decker bus. After travelling through the leafy suburbs, we arrived on ‘The Curry Mile’ an area of numerous Indian and other ethnic restaurants. The main bus stop in the city centre is at Piccadilly Gardens. When I alighted, I had something to eat at Starbucks before taking stock of my surroundings. From Piccadilly Gardens, I took the Metro, which a light rail system to Victoria Station in order to catch a train to Clitheroe, which is the main transport hub for the Ribble Valley and Bowland. From Clitheroe, I took a local bus to Slaidburn, a village in the heart of the Forest of Bowland. We passed through some beautiful unspoilt countryside on route to Slaidburn. When I alighted from the bus in the centre of Slaidburn, the first thing that struck me about the place was the quietness. The village consists of ancient stone houses surrounded by England’s greenest hills. I had booked three nights at the YHA hostel in Slaidburn.



The hostel looked a bit shabby and rundown, but any misgivings that I had were immediately dispelled by the warm welcome that I received from the resident wardens, Chris and Frances. They are a delightful couple and I knew that YHA Slaidburn was my kind of place. The hostel was originally an inn dating from medieval times as evidenced by the narrow corridors, low ceilings and creaking floor boards. After setting in, I got talking to a cyclist who had just checked in to the hostel. He was a teacher from Ramsbottom. Later we went to the Hark to Bounty Inn for a drink and a meal. That night we all gathered in the common room, where we had some really interesting and stimulating discussions about travel, hostelling and life in general, which lasted until midnight.

THE FOREST OF BOWLAND

The Forest of Bowland is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in Lancashire and consists of remote fells and farmland as well as some very attractive stone built villages. The area is also very rich in bird life and is a popular area for bird watching or ‘birding’.

Slaidburn

On the Wednesday after breakfast, I set out to explore the village of Slaidburn. Unfortunately, the local shop cum post office was in the process of closing down and only sold milk and bread. Luckily, the hostel had a small stock of food items for sale.
The village of Slaidburn remains largely untouched by modern intrusion and it has a real 19th century fell about it. Old stone cottages and houses fronted by aged cobbles set the tone. The centre of the village is dominated by a venerable 13th century inn called the ‘ Hark to Bounty’. It was originally called ‘ The Dog’ until the 19th century. In 1875, the local squire and his hunting party called at the inn for refreshments after a day’s hunting. The drinking was disturbed by a loud and prolonged baying from the pack of hounds outside. High above the noise could be heard the squire’s favourite dog – ‘Bounty’ which prompted him to call out “ Hark to Bounty”. The Bounty provides both food and accommodation in the tradition of the English village inn. When I called in for a drink, I was served by a very charming barmaid – Vicky, who allowed me to take photos all around the inn including the upstairs area. It is a really lovely cosy old inn, very clean and well kept. It was also glad to see that there was no TV in the bar. It is truly a place of refuge for the weary traveller, where one can enjoy good food and good conversation in peaceful surroundings.
My ramble around Slaidburn took me to St Andrew’s Church which is famous for its unique triple pulpit. The church also houses an interesting exhibition of old photographs of Slaidburn.
The weather on that particular day was very cloudy and overcast but I still enjoyed my ramble around the beautiful old village of Slaidburn. I call into the village tearoom for a spot of luncheon before continuing on to nearby Dunsop Bridge.

Dunsop Bridge

That afternoon, I caught a bus to the duck-riddled riverside hamlet of Dunsop Bridge. It is a very picturesque spot where people stop to feed the hoards of ducks that swarm around the village green. The local shop cum post office and tearoom is called ‘ Puddleducks’. Just outside the village is the Catholic church of St. Hubert. It is unusual to find an RC church in depths of the English countryside. I wondered how it got there until I found out that the local gentry family are Catholic and that they built the church from the winnings of a racehorse! Dunsop Bridge is also the exact centre of The United Kingdom according to the Ordnance Survey. A telephone kiosk on the village green marks the spot. That evening as I relaxed in the convivial atmosphere of the hostel common room at YHA Slaidburn, I reflected on the fact that I was in a place that is only 2 hours from Manchester, where there is no mobile phone coverage, no television, and no Internet. Here I thought, one can enjoy without modern distractions the pleasures of the countryside, walking, cycling, and birding, with good food and good company at the end of the day.

THE PENDLE WITCHES

The following morning, the sun shone brightly as I made my way to the bus stop in Slaidburn at 07.30. I had planned to do some sightseeing around the Pendle Hill area using the Day Ranger ticket, which allowed unlimited travel on buses in the Ribble Valley for one day. I spent an hour looking around Clitheroe, where I climbed to the castle ruins where there are magnificent views of the surrounding countryside.

Waddington

From Clitheroe, I travelled to the picturesque village of Waddington. The village is built around a stream with gardens on either side. It is a really delightful place to sit and admire the flowers and listen to the murmuring stream. I also took some photos of the quaint old almshouses which are now occupied by widows. Before leaving Waddington, I treated myself to a full English breakfast in a cafe.

Downham

Returning to Clitheroe, I travelled on the ‘Pendle Witch Hopper’ bus route to the village of Downham. The Pendle Hill area has been associated with witchcraft since the 17th century when ten local women were accused of witchcraft and hanged in 1612. The village of Downham is almost too perfect to be real and is considered to be one of the finest conservation villages in the UK. There is no signage, no road markings, no TV aerials and no overhead telephone or power lines. The village is an immaculate collection of flower bedecked stone houses and cottages. The public toilets are housed in a former barn with the stalls still intact. Downham has been used as a location for many films and TV dramas.

Newchurch in Pendle

From Downham, I travelled on to the tiny hamlet of Newchurch in Pendle. Newchurch is considered to be the home of the Pendle Witches. A shop in the village called ‘ Witches Galore’ specialises in all kinds of witchery and displays two hideous figures of witches outside its front door. I am sure that it must be a very busy place around Halloween. The local church has a carving called ‘ The Eye of God’ on its tower. As I was waiting for the bus to Barley, I got talking to this girl from Blackburn who was also touring around the area by bus. As we discussed the history of the Pendle Witches, this black cat appeared at our feet. On seeing him we joked that he must be the witch’s black cat! I also stopped off in the village of Barley for a spot of afternoon tea before returning to Slaidburn via Clitheroe.

Brass at the Bounty

That evening, my last in Slaidburn, I was in for a special treat. The local brass band – the Slaidburn Silver Band put on a free concert of music in the garden of the Hark to Bounty inn. The village was really crowded that evening with cars all over the place. Obviously, people had come from a wide area to attend the concert, some arriving in vintage cars. The inn was really busy that evening, with people queuing to order food. Certainly, Vicky and her staff were kept busy serving food and drinks. It was indeed a very atmospheric sitting in the garden of the inn listening to the music of Gilbert and Sullivan played by a brass band. It was part of a series of monthly concerts entitled ‘Brass at the Bounty’. A perfect end to my stay in Slaidburn and the Forest of Bowland.

Yorkshire Dales



The next morning, I reluctantly said good bye to Chris and Frances of YHA Slaidburn. This charming couple have maintained the true spirit of hostelling at Slaidburn and long may they continue. I had decided to take the scenic route through the Forest of Bowland to Settle in North Yorkshire on bus route B1, which is operated by ‘ The Little Red Bus’ company. The driver was a gentleman who chatted to all his passengers as we travelled along. He was telling me that he bakes all his own bread and cakes. We eventually reached the market town of Settle in North Yorkshire- motto; ‘ Settle in , Settle down and Settle up’. On arrival in the Market Place in Settle, one’s attention is drawn to the curiously named ‘ Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe’ – motto; ‘You come with nowt and you go out with nowt’.

I spent about an hour exploring Settle Railway Station, which is one of the best kept stations in the UK and is the starting point for the famous Settle to Carlisle Railway – the highest and most scenic railway in England. The station features an exhibition on the history of the line.

WENSLEYDALE

Wensleydale, the best known of the Dales, if only for its cheese, is the largest and most serene of the national park’s dales. The dale takes its name from the village of Wensley. I Travelled from Settle to Hawes, Wensleydale’s chief town on the famous Settle to Carlisle Railway, but unfortunately, the weather was very cloudy and overcast, so I could not enjoy the magnificent views that may be had from this line. I alighted at Garsdale Station at 12.30, from where there is a bus connection to Hawes. The driver on the Little Red Bus into Hawes was very friendly and he was telling me all about his Irish mother and that his sister is married in Sligo. I was the only passenger on the bus.

Hawes

Hawes is Wensleydale’s chief town and home to its tourism, cheese and rope-making industries. On arrival in Hawes, I had some lunch in a restaurant and spent the afternoon exploring the town of Hawes and the nearby village of Gayle. Hawes is a busy little town as it is the main focus for visitors to Wensleydale. I was pleased to see that the parish church in Hawes is used for both Church of England and Roman Catholic worship. At around 5 PM, I made my way to YHA Hawes, where I had booked for one night. The hostel in Hawes is a large purpose built building. I was given my own room which had a lovely view across the Dales. I had planned to spend 2 nights in Hawes and 3 nights in Ingleton, but the staff informed me that they were booked out for the rest of the week and that YHA Ingleton was booked out for the next 2 weeks. The staff gave me the number of a private bunkhouse called The Old School in Bishopdale. When I rang the number, a lady said that there was no problem as regards accommodation. That evening in the common room this little old lady was holding court talking about the quality of staff meals in hotels and the pros and cons of owning a cat!

The Old School House

The next morning (Tuesday) was very rainy as I headed off down to bus stop in Hawes in order to find my way to the Old School House in Bishopdale. That morning, I could the ‘clippidy clop’ of horse’s hooves passing through Hawes. I am amazed to see a convoy of traditional horse drawn gypsy style caravans passing through the town. I learnt later that they were on their way to the famous Appleby Fair in Cumbria. From Hawes, I travelled by bus to the town of Leyland, where I passed a rather miserable morning killing time until midday. The good thing about the Old School Bunkhouse is that the buses from Leyland to Hawes pass the door. When I arrived at the Old School, a note on the door advised me to go to the nearby Street Head Inn. At the inn, I found out that a local farmer, Nigel Fawcett, owns the bunkhouse, the inn and the nearby caravan park. Nigel later arrived on a tractor with the key of the bunkhouse. I had never stayed in a ‘bunkhouse’ before, but it is just a more basic kind of hostel. The charge was £13.50 per night and I had the whole building to myself for two days. As the name suggests, it was originally Cross Lanes School before being converted into a bunkhouse. Inside, it is well equipped and it is approved by the English Tourist Board.
That afternoon I travelled by bus to the nearby village of Aysgarth to view the famous Aysgarth Water Falls and the unusual Edwardian Rock gardens. That evening, I had dinner in the Street Head Inn. The food at the inn was best that I had during my trip, absolutely mouth watering! There was a friendly atmosphere at the Street Head Inn with a chatty barmaid and of course no TV! I was introduced to Black Sheep ale, which became my ‘tipple’ while in Yorkshire! On both mornings, I had a full English breakfast at the inn prepared and served by the head chef. I may have been sleeping in a bunkhouse, but the dining was 5 star!

A day in Wensleydale

The following day, I purchased a ‘freedom’ ticket which allowed me to travel all day on Dales & District buses. It was a beautiful sunny morning as I headed off to explore the villages of Wensleydale. The Dales really looked their best in the bright morning sunshine. The sun shining on the outcrops of limestone rock reminded me of The Burren in County Clare. The first village that I stopped off to explore was Askrigg, which is situated on a small hill huddled around the medieval church of St. Oswald. A market cross and a bull baiting ring define the centre of the village. I was pleased to note that the Rector of Askrigg is a woman. From the village of Askrigg, I followed a footpath across the fields of wild flowers to a gently flowing river with stepping stones – a perfect pastoral scene. The village itself is an absolute gem with narrow cobbled alleyways to explore, not to mention the countless photo opportunities provided by the many superbly maintained and flower bedecked 17th and 18th century stone buildings.
After spending about three hours in Askrigg, I boarded another Dales bus to Bainbridge, famous for that fact that it is situated on England’s shortest river, the two and half mile long River Bain. Bainbridge has a fine village green which includes the village stocks, which were used to punish petty criminals in olden times. The venerable old Red Lion Hotel (1445) dominates the village. In the hotel hallway can be seen the Bainbridge Forest Horn, which was sounded every night at nine o’clock in case any of the villagers were lost in the surrounding forests.
That afternoon, I continued on to West Burton, which in my opinion is the nicest village in Wensleydale. In an area of really attractive villages, West Burton stands out as being picture perfect. On entering the village a lovely riverside vista opens up, which is only a prelude to the delights ahead. Immaculately tended gardens lead down to the riverside and a pathway leads to a hidden waterfall. I got chatting to two Australian visitors who were sitting by the river and they too were captivated by the beautiful setting of West Burton. The centrepiece of West Burton is a wide, sloping village green with some superb examples of domestic architecture to be seen on either side. A stepped market cross acts as a centrepiece. The village is home to Moorside Cats, a cat pottery which designs a wide range of stone and ceramic cats for the home and garden. The place is an absolute delight to visit – a cat lover’s paradise! After all that – a half of bitter in The Fox and Hounds, this is the life! Later, I walked back to the Old School Bunkhouse along some peaceful country lanes. That evening, I enjoyed another delicious dinner at the Street Head Inn. A perfect end to a perfect day!



I have to say at this stage that The Yorkshire Dales is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever visited. The combination of rugged hills, valleys of lush green fields separated by a maze of dry stone walls, the old stone built farm houses and barns and the exquisite villages of 17th and 18th century houses, each one prettier than the last leaves one with a lasting impression.Indeed, many of the villages are straight out of the pages of a children's story book.

Bishopdale to Earby

The next day saw me back on the road again on route to Earby, which is situated between Nelson and Skipton. People kept saying to me “ there’s nothing in Earby”. Well I did not care because everywhere was new to me and there is a nice, quiet and comfortable hostel in Earby. That day I did 7 different bus journeys and 1 train journey in order to reach Earby from Bishopdale. Firstly, I travelled to Hawes on a Dales & District bus, leaving the bunkhouse at 09.45. I was the only passenger on the bus that morning. From Hawes, I got a connection to Garsdale Station in order to catch the 10.05 train to Settle. My old friend with the Irish mother was again the driver of the Little Red Bus to Garsdale. As before, I was the only passenger on the bus.
The weather was absolutely brilliant as I travelled on the famous Settle to Carlisle Railway. The views from the train were breathtaking and I was able to take some photos as we travelled along. The railway crosses the Pennine mountain range, the backbone of England. From Settle, I boarded the Little Red Bus to Slaidburn. My old friend, the driver/baker was again driving on this route. There was only one other passenger on the bus as we travelled through the Forest of Bowland to Slaidburn via Wigglesworth and Tosside. I got chatting to my fellow passenger and he was telling that he was from Settle and that he was travelling to Blackpool to visit his mother. In Slaidburn, we changed to another bus for Clitheroe. I was back again in the county of Lancashire – motto; ‘ where everyone matters’. There were just the two of us on the journey into Clitheroe. Driving into Clitheroe, I saw a most astonishing sight, a guy riding an old penny farthing bicycle. Unfortunately, as I was on the bus, I did not get the chance to take a photograph. It was around 12.30 when we reached Clitheroe and we both had a picnic lunch sitting on a bench near the station.
From Clitheroe, I travelled on a Burnley & Pendle bus to Burnley. Burnley Bus Station was the most modern that I had come across on my travels so far. It was an ideal place for ‘bus spotting’ and I took a number of photos of the buses there. I was really impressed by the ‘ Witch Way’ service that runs between Nelson and Manchester. They use really comfortable double decker buses with eye-catching logos on this route. Each bus is named after one of the infamous Pendle Witches. The town service in Burnley use really snazzy buses called ‘Starships’, which feature quotations from Startrek such as “ Beam me up” or “ Take me to your leader”. From Burnley, I boarded the ‘Witch Way’ bus to Nelson. Nelson Bus Station is very much a big barn of a place, and I then realised that I had left the peace and tranquillity of the Dales and that I was back in the gritty and grimy industrial towns of the North of England. As I waited for the bus to Earby, a young lad asked me for some money for his bus fare. I did not have much of a choice but to give it to him. The bus to Earby was very crowded with school children, leering youths, dogs and crying babies! It was standing room only at one stage. I was now really back in work-a-day England.
Earby is a nondescript kind of place, a large village without an obvious centre. It is about a mile from the bus stop to the hostel. YHA Earby is housed in a lovely stone cottage at the edge of the village. It has a very cosy atmosphere and is kept spotlessly clean throughout. There is a nice garden with a stream at the back. Simon, the warden is a really nice chap, very friendly and helpful. I would rate YHA Earby as the best hostel that I stayed in during my trip, a place of refuge for the weary rambler.

HARROGATE & KNARESBOROUGH

The following day, I decided to travel over to Harrogate and Knaresborough via Skipton in order to visit the famous ‘ Mother Shipton’s Cave’. That morning, I caught a Pennine bus to Skipton and from there a Harrogate and District bus to Harrogate. From Harrogate to Knaresborough is only a half an hour by bus.

Knaresborough

Knaresborough has a real medieval atmosphere with many steep and narrow winding streets and is spectacularly situated overlooking the River Nidd. It has a beautiful riverside area with cafes and places to relax and admire the River Nidd and the buildings of the town towering overhead. The whole riverside area is dominated by a massive railway viaduct. A ruined castle, an ancient church peeping through the trees and a charming thatched cottage completes a very English scene.

Mother Shipton’s Cave

Normally when I travel, I tend avoid ‘ tourist attractions’ but I think that Mother Shipton’s Cave is unique and definitely worth a visit. It is England’s oldest visitor attraction – since 1538!
In 1488, a local 15 year old girl gave birth to an illegitimate child in a cave in the forest. The cave was near a petrifying well or as it was known in olden times ‘ a dropping well’. The child was hideously deformed so the mother and baby had to live in the cave for many years. A local abbot heard of their plight and had them removed. The child was adopted by a local family but was constantly taunted because of her appearance and many thought that she was a witch. It was said that her crooked nose almost came down to meet her chin. She would come to the cave near the ‘ dropping well’ to escape her tormentors. She eventually became famous for her predictions and attracted the attention of royalty. When she married a man named Shipton, it was said that she had cast a spell on him! In old age, she became known as ‘ Old Mother Shipton’ even though she never had any children.
The cave and the petrifying well are part of an estate and a pleasant riverside walk brings one to what is one of the strangest sights I have ever seen. The water from the well is so laden with calcite that any object hung under the dripping water will turn into stone in three months. Whatever about the predictions of Mother Shipton, the petrifying well is something unique that cannot be found anywhere else in this part of the world.

Harrogate

Harrogate, the very epitome of genteel Yorkshire respectability, became famous as a spa in the 19th century. I spend a few hours exploring the town that afternoon before returning to Earby. It is a very elegant sort of place with lots of high class tea rooms and antique shops. It has some wonderful parks and gardens and some really swish hotels. Even the bus shelters are done in wrought iron with slate roofs. I stopped off in Skipton for a break on my way back to Earby. I had an evening meal in the Woolly Sheep and a pint of Black Sheep in the Cock and Bottle. Afterwards, I made my weary way home to YHA Earby.

The following morning, I travelled to Manchester Airport for my return flight to Shannon.

Certainly, travelling in England is a very pleasant experience, with its unspoilt villages, glorious countryside, excellent public transport and of course friendly, polite and helpful people. I’ll be back!