Yorkshire Dales cottage holidays

The Yorkshire Dales offers:

• diverse wildlife
• breathtaking scenery
• great pubs
• tearooms
• open farms
• museums
• local crafts

Swaledale and Arkengarthdale

Swaledale and Arkengarthdale are truly special places supporting a rich cultural heritage. Both are located in one of the most beautiful National Parks of the UK - the Yorkshire Dales.

Holiday amid the rugged beauty and grandeur of Arkengarthdale or the rolling hills and unspoilt woodlands of Swaledale. 

Enjoy:

• walking
• cycling
• gentle rambling
• admire the patchwork of fields surrounding Gunnerside
• Walk a section of the Pennine Way - and reward yourself with a pint at the The Tan Hill Inn - the highest inn in England
• Marvel at the limestone scenery
• admire the charming stone-built Yorkshire dales cottages

Life in the past

Discover the ancient history of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale.  Each community offers a quiet enchantment in a region settled by 10th century Vikings, leaving names like Langthwaite, Gunnerside and Askrigg.

Lead mining played an important role in the Dales – many North Yorkshire cottages were originally miners’ homes.  Visit Old Gang Mine and keep an eye open for thousand-year-old flint arrowheads!

Attractions in Swaledale and Arkengarthdale

• Enjoy home-made scones in the charm of tiny Swaledale villages such as Thwaite or Gunnerside.
• Visit tiny shops selling crafts, paintings and locally-knitted woollen jumpers. 
• Time holidays to take in local shows at Reeth and Muker or the Swaledale Festival.
  
• Visit the bustling little market at Reeth or catch the mobile fish and chip van in Swaledale, both on Fridays. 
  
• Children will love the farm animals and an organic ice-cream at Hazel Brow Farm!
  
• Pop over the hills from Low Row to Arkengarthdale, noticing the picturesque water splash, featured in the TV series “All Creatures Great and Small”. 
  
• Go pony trekking at Arkle Moor Riding Centre. 
• Treat yourself to lunch or a drink at the CB Inn, or the characterful Red Lion Inn at Langthwaite. 
  
• Barnard Castle, with its magnificent fortress, and Bowes Museum are within easy driving distance.
  
• Richmond has a magnificent Norman castle, impressive Georgian architecture and the recently refurbished Georgian Theatre Royal, built in 1788. 
• Book early for touring shows in local North Yorkshire village halls by the highly-regarded North Country Theatre.
  

Attractions in Wensleydale and further afield

• There are a many inns, cafés and shops at nearby Leyburn and Hawes, also home to the famous Wensleydale Creamery and the Ropemakers.
  
• The Forbidden Corner, at Middleham, is fascinating to both children and adults!  
• Enjoy local hospitality at the Dales Festival of Food and Drink. 
• If you’re interested in how the local pint reaches your glass, visit the Black Sheep or Theakston’s Breweries at Masham.
• York has a fount of attractions, including the magnificent Minster and Jorvik Viking Museum. 
• Ripon is close by, with beautiful Fountains Abbey, stately home Newby Hall and Gardens and Lightwater Valley for the children. 
• Skipton has castles and canals – or slip back in time, relaxing on a steam train puffing over the towering viaduct on the Settle to Carlisle Railway.
• Explore the rest of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the Lake District, the North York Moors or even Hadrian’s Wall.

Our local Swaledale knowledge offers you plenty of scope to explore and discover this wonderful part of the UK - with the added reassurance of cosy dales cottages to retreat at the end of a great day out.