Some of England’s most beautiful scenery, lies between the “Dales” and Scotland. For those who are not familiar, the Yorkshire Dales is the upland region in Northern England. The biggest part of this area forms the Yorkshire Dales District National Park. Historically, the area is linked with hard manual labour for ‘lead mining’. The remnants of this industry scar the landscape of most dales, many years now after the last mining operations.
Recently, I visited the area on three different occasions. On all trips, I followed the same route by car to get there. I travelled from Glasgow following the main M74 motorway and skimming through the little Scottish towns of Moffat and Lockerbie. After the border, at Gretna Green this highway stem changes its name to M6 and continues to the heart of NW England. Immediately after Kendal, I joined the A65 and near enough trekked to its very end at Skipton.
Places with a striking attractiveness
The A65 appears as if it is an incision on the landscape. It runs as the border of the National Park while it separates the YDDNP from the Forest of Bowland. A typical Type A road, narrow and often winding but, of excellent condition with proper lay out. Driving on the A65, you come across some magnificent background and outstanding natural beauty spots. In addition, the road takes you through a number of stunning little towns and graphic villages. Kirkby Lonsdale, Ingleton, Long Preston, they all share a striking attractiveness and they are definitely worth visiting. Between these places, visitors will also find a number of smaller ‘pit stops’ offering restaurant, bar and cafeteria facilities.
Due to business commitments, I also travelled to the furthest South-West corner of this region. Actually, I took advantage of my visit and for a big part done lots of sightseeing within this part of England. I explored the small sleepy market town of Burnoldswick. I done a lot of trekking around Kelbrook which is a peaceful and tranquil village. In fact, for those who enjoy hiking, the A6383 – the main road connecting these two small places – offers a very easy walk. Interestingly, for the whole length of the road, a sidewalk and a cycle way are available which makes the journey safer and enjoyable. I also paid a short visit at Colne, relatively the biggest of the small towns in this setting. Colne’s character is traditional although accommodates a chain of well-known retailers, bars, and essential amenities.
Good quality outspreads on all aspects of service
In terms of lodging, I decided to stay at The Craven Heifer Inn at Kelbrook. As a matter of fact, I stayed twice at this lovely establishment, five nights each time. This popular gastro-pub and hotel was recommended to me by colleagues. It turned out to be an excellent proposal. For me, what makes this place different from other places, is the well-organized management style, the staff friendliness and the customer service. However, good quality outspreads on all aspects of service and facility of Inn. For example, accommodation is very good, the rooms properly managed, with nicely decorated spaces. Hardly anything to complaint on this department.
In the bar / restaurant, the food is simply tremendous and this classification goes to all dishes and plates. Whoever is in charge of the kitchen definitely deserves complimentary comments for their work and professionalism. Drinks are reasonably priced and there is a fabulous selection of wines. Nonetheless, the biggest asset must be the staff. All of them where adequately trained, well-mannered and the type of people that you can engage in conversation with no trouble.
Yorkshire Dales look majestic
To summarize, the Yorkshire Dales [including the wider expanses that encompasses] is simply a wonderful place to visit. This is a picture-perfect area with picturesque towns and villages, gorgeous hills and endless places to see. As mentioned at the start, I visited the region by car from Scotland. An easy journey, depending on your departure point and destination; should take between two and three hours drive. In any case, the region is easily accessible from diverse points in the UK, with good train, road and bus links. Maybe not ideal time to visit the Dales in winter nonetheless, spring to autumn the place looks majestically.