Yorkshire Dales National Park Travel Forum

Hi all
My wife and I are in the process of planning a driving holiday around the UK this coming summer. Our itinerary, at the moment is to leave Sussex where we live and drive to Wales and the Snowdonia National Park, spending a few days touring around the park before driving on to the Lake District, where we will spend another few days, and then driving onto the Yorkshire Dales, where we will spend another few days, before heading south and home, a total of about 12 to 14 days.
My question is, ?if you have been to any of the above locations, which routes would you recommend that give the most spectacular views and are there any little villages that you thought were out of this world and well worth a visit?.
Thank you for any help.

I don't know where Sussex is in relation to Wales but if you like books, you should stop in Hay on Wye on the Welsh border, it has something like 60 bookshops. It's in sort of south mid Wales, should be on the map.

Wensleydale is much broader than the others but still one of my favourite dales because of its Herriot memories and because of Aysgarth with its waterfalls (as seen in Costner's Robin Hood). From its "hub market village" of Hawes you can drive into Swaledale through a road taking you past Buttertubs Pass. It's called that way as Swaledale farmers cooled their butter in the "caveties" next to the road on the way to market in Hawes...

Swaledale with its barns and buttercups is gorgeous and shouldn't be missed - you can continue it all the way to Richmond with its famous castle.

A more overlooked (and smaller) dale that I love is Bishopsdale which enters Wensleydale at Aysgarth. That's where Hannah Hauxwell had her farm before moving north (if you watched that series).

Closer to Cumbria, the village of Dent and the spectacular railway viaduct at Ribblehead are "musts" and there are lots of little overlooked roads there.

Hi,
Short of time today, so a potted version and I can just do you Yorkshire but:
If you are in the National Park itself, you can't really go wrong as it is all beautiful.
Every Dale is different and all have some unique charm.
My top tips would be.
Swaledale - a lovely little Dale north of...
Wensleydale - do go to the cheese factory in Hawes, we found it very interesting and enjoyed the samples!
The drive from Hawes, over the hill towards Deepdale is fantastic and then you can't go wrong in driving all the way down Wharfedale to Grassington (not cute but ok and functional i.e. shops and things, great old village museum).
Arncliffe (Littondale) is a beautiful village and where they used to film 'Emmerdale' years ago (it featured in the opening credits). Do have a drink and crisps in the pub or outside if sunny!!!

Not sure of your physical state but stopping the car and walking in the hills or even along the rivers is the best way to experience the area.

It may be in the UK but The Dales can be quite isolated, make sure you fill-up with petrol at any opportunity. Also, the roads are slow, so what appears to be a short journey can take a lot longer than you would imagine.

Have fun and come back to me if you'd like to ask specific questions.

Best wishes,
Martin

Martin, the roads are less slow when you're on the last Dalesbus for the day back to Richmond and the driver has...ehum...refreshed himself in Muker. Oh and even non refreshed drivers speed it up on the hills above Hawes so you keep wondering how any sheep are alive on those roads! :)))