RichmondshireGreat Outdoors Trail

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Cycling in Richmondshire is not particularly easy as there are inevitably some hills! However, if it wasn’t for the hills, we wouldn’t have the breath taking scenery.

For those who fancy stretching their legs, the options are truly breathtaking. You'll find miles and miles of charming country lanes, unspoilt villages, lush valleys, archaeological sites, and wildflower meadows. Yorkshire's varied landscape offers variety and activities for all abilities of walker. If you're not in the mood for a long distance walk, you can enjoy shorter snatches of the long distance paths at your own pace. Or, just make your own exploration wherever and whenever you feel like it.

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Amazing Biking Experiences...

Discover the best walking...

Shows and walking events

For other events in the area and to find out more, go to yorkshire.com/events

If you’re in Swaledale, take a walk along the traditional hay meadows around Muker from May to June, and Keld (on the Pennine Way too); ramble along the Old Corpse Road bridleway running between Keld and Muker or enjoy the isolation of Kisdon Fell and a trek through Upper Swaledale that can finish with the waterfalls around Keld, (Kisdon Force, East Gill Force, Catrake Force and Wain Wath Force). At three out of four corners of the fell are the quintessential Dales villages of Thwaite, Keld and Muker.

Go for a gentle riverside walk in Reeth and climb up to Maiden Castle, the best preserved hill fort in Yorkshire, or walk around Gunnerside Gill for lead mining remains (or the fellside of Great Pinseat and nearby Hard Level Gill).

If you like a patchwork landscape criss-crossed by dry stone walls, Lower Wensleydale is for you, offering easy walks along the River Ure or more demanding hikes along the shoulder of Leyburn Shawl, there really are routes to suit all abilities. Some of the best family routes are at Aysgarth Falls taking in a series of breathtaking waterfalls and the gem of a walk to Mill Gill Force and Whitfield Gill Force from Askrigg.

If you’re after a faster pace, fell running and fell running races are popular and have a long history in the Dales.

longer distance paths that pass through Richmondshire

A Dales High Way is an exhilarating and challenging 90 miles of high level walking, beginning in the World Heritage village of Saltaire, before crossing the glorious high country of the Yorkshire Dales. The route covers some of the most beautiful and varied scenery in the Dales. There are printed short walks for Wensleydale available to purchase from Leyburn TIC.

Also in the area...

• Wainwright’s Coast to Coast• The Inn Way to the Yorkshire

Dales - top section passes through Swaledale

• A Pennine Highway – the rediscovered Wainwright route travels through Swaledale

Walking providers/places to visit:

• Where2Walk provide walking holidays, guiding and navigation instruction plus lots of walk ideas. where2walk.co.uk

• TeamWalking provide navigation courses from Reeth. www.teamwalking.co.uk

• River Mountain Experience provide private instruction and guiding for Hillwalking skills, Paddle Sport and Nordic Walking. rivermountainexperience.com

Discover our cycling events

Etape du Dales Cycle RideMayAnnual cyclosportive, regularly features in the Top 10 of UK rides. The event starts and finishes in Grassington and the route includes Buttertubs Pass and Tan Hill.

Richmond CyclosportivesMayThese are challenging rides with plenty of hills. The 5 Dales version is 100 miles with 6 major ascents, including Fleet Moss and Tan Hill.

Nutcracker XC SeriesYorkshire Dales, various datesThe north's very own mountain bike series including a Swaledale Round from Dales Mountain Bike Centre. Includes 'just for fun' categories as well as races for the very serious.

For more information about cycling go to www.yorkshire.com/cycle

Look out for the Walkers are Welcome logo on route to stop off and enjoy something delicious.

Wensleydale ShowaugustWensleydale Agricultural Show is a tradiotional Dales show, located close to Leyburn in the heart of Wensleydale. there is an extensive range of competitive events for livestock plus horticultural and handicraft classes.

Muker ShowFirst Wednesday in SeptemberMuker is a small, friendly, traditional agriculture and horticultural show blessed with an enviable location, the meadows in Muker village with stunning views up and down the dale.

Black Sheep Boots & Beer FestivalSeptemberA weekend of great walks, beautiful countryside, fantastic beer and excellent entertainment.

Reeth ShowSeptemberIncludes The Great Fremington Edge Fell Race, a fixture of the national fell race runs every year.

Richmond Walking & Book FestivalSeptemberEnjoy guided walks through Swaledale and Wensleydale with knowledgable guides. The festival offers walks to suit all abilities from 5-13 miles each day. There are also themed walks, town walks and even self-guided walks plus ghost walks, woodland strolls and Walking For Health - with a variety of day and evening events when you're not on your feet! www.booksandboots.org

For information about other events in the Dales visit www.eventsinthedales.org

There are many fantastic classic mountain bike rides around Richmondshire, taking advantage of the big network of bridleways. Starting in Reeth you can embark on a tour of Swaledale, the highlight being the two rocky descents from Fremington Edge and then into Gunnerside Gill.

If road cycling is your thing then don’t miss going over Buttertubs Pass into Swaledale or enjoy the quiet back roads from Reeth to Langthwaite, the river bridge being the introduction of All Creatures Great and Small.

For more information on routes visit www.cyclethedales.org.uk and www.mtbthedales.org.uk

Perfect biking bases

• Dales Mountain Biking/Dales Mountain Bike Centre, Fremington, Reeth – legendary cakes in the café, perfect after a day out on the hills, they also offer mountain bike guiding, a very high quality bunk barn, and also cycle hire.

• Hit the Hills – MTB weekends in the Dales with a difference

For walks, cycle ideas and travel information go to www.yorkshire.com/travel

National Cycle Network routes www.sustrans.org.uk

RICHMONDSHIRE

JMW Turner RA (1775-1851) was one of Britain's greatest landscape painters, watercolourists and printmakers. Renowned as 'the painter of light', Turner's work helped to place romantic landscape painting on a par with history painting in the 19th Century and helped plant the seeds of impressionism.

Turner first visited Yorkshire in 1797 and returned here throughout his life, inspired by the spirituality he found in its glorious landscapes. He visited more than 70 places sketching and painting the views from so many angles. Many scenes in his Yorkshire works are in Richmondshire and can still be viewed today.

Middleham impressed Turner more than any other site in Yorkshire, if his number of sketches is an indication. He made more than dozen in a small notebook and four more considered sketches in a larger sketchbook.Turner captured many great locations in the area including Richmond Castle, The Kings Head Hotel in Richmond and Leyburn Market Place.

To find out more about these sites and others in the area go to yorkshire.com/turner

Discover the Turner Trails

Richmond Castle © Si Homfray

Middleham Castle

PaintingWhere better to develop your painting skills than in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales National Park. Generations of painters have gathered here to make use of the extraordinary light and atmosphere of the Dales’ rolling countryside. You also can be captivated by some of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes in North Yorkshire.

If you’ve got your own sailing boat or windsurfer and are looking for a great day out on the water, then try Lake Semerwater, the largest glacial lake in North Yorkshire. Set amongst the high and imposing hills of the Dales, and with easy access to the lake from the large car park, it’s the perfect spot for enthusiasts.

Watersports

A warm Yorkshire welcome...

t the northern tip of the Yorkshire Dales the unspoilt valley of Swaledale winds its

way north west into the northern Pennines alongside the gentle, rolling woodland and hills of Wensleydale. Famous for its wildflower meadows, heather moors and waterfalls, the region is also home to some of Yorkshire's best walking and cycling. When it comes to peace, tranquillity and natural beauty, few locations offer more.

With miles of hills, moorland, and mountains to explore, and few modern distractions, you can walk, cycle or ride, and tour to your heart’s content. Stroll in any direction and you'll find fields of native wild flowers, waterfalls, grouse and hares, curlews and lapwings. When night draws in, head for the scenic stone villages of Reeth, Grinton, Low Row and Gunnerside or venture further up the dale to Muker, Thwaite or Keld and spend a relaxing hour in a traditional tearoom or a quiet country pub in Leyburn or Hawes.

A perfect place for relaxation...

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Birdwatching

The Yorkshire Dales have miles and miles of fabulous bridleways. Wensleydale Trekking in Bainbridge offer trekking as well as riding holidays. www.wensleydaletrekking.co.ukIf it’s a riding holiday you’re after, Ride Yorkshire can organise it for you at any location www.rideyorkshire.org

Riding

Wensleydale is known as ‘the valley of the waterfalls’, and is a year round delight nowhere more so than Cotter Force, a secluded waterfall in a wooded setting. Look out for dippers, grey wagtails, redstarts, long tailed tits and kingfishers. The trail to it has a 490m level footpath alongside the beck suitable for wheelchairs.

River Wharfe

River Nidd

River Cover

River Ure

River Bain

River Ribble

River Swale

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MASHAM

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Brimham Rocks

Fountains Abbey

Black Sheep Brewery

Richmond Castle

Swaledale Folk Mueum

How Stean Gorge

Semer WaterSnaizeholme Red Squirrel Trail

Ripley Castle

Ribblehead Viaduct

White Scar Caves

Upper Wharfedale Museum

Ingleton Falls

Swaledale Woollens

Kiplin Hall

WENSLEYDALE RAILWAYRedmire

LeyburnFinghall

Bedale

Leeming Bar

gary VerityChief Executive, Welcome to Yorkshire

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Wensleydale Railway

Railway Routes

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national Parks

Grab your tackle and take your pick from loads of freshwater options teeming with fish. The Yorkshire Dales boasts some of the finest fishing in the country across rivers, lakes reservoirs and ponds.

www.yorkshire-dales-flyfishing.com

Fishing

Get a round in

if you fancy a round of golf, you’re spoilt for choice, with many stunning courses in this area. The courses at Richmond, Masham, Oakdale, Catterick and Romanby offer some of the most picturesque views in Yorkshire, if not the Uk.

To book your tee off time go to yorkshire.com/golf

Oakdale Golf Course

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Essential Information

Ordnance Survey Explorer mapsFor detailed maps use Ordnance Survey Explorer maps:

• OL2 Yorkshire Dales Southern and Western Area

• OL30 Yorkshire Dales Northern and Central Area

• 304 Darlington and Richmond

For your perfect break, you’ll find a great choice of places to stay to suit all budgets. From self- catering cottages and cosy bed & breakfasts to camping spots by secluded rivers or even a wigwam, you’re certain to find everything that you need.

For walks, cycle ideas and travel information go to www.yorkshire.com/travel

National Cycle Network routes www.sustrans.org.uk

For more information on the local area go to:www.swaledale.netwww.lower-wensleydale.comwww.eventsinthedales.orgwww.richmond.orgwww.wensleydale.org

Look for the Cyclists Welcome or Walkers Welcome logo when booking which tells you that the accommodation has extra facilities, like water points for washing bikes and lockable storage areas for cyclists and space for drying outdoor clothes and cleaning boots for walkers.Look for the leaf when booking your holiday. The Green Tourism Business Scheme awards are places to stay and visit that are taking action to support the local area and the wider environment.

To plan your next break and where to stay, go to yorkshire.com/accommodation