Hubberholme is a good base for a cottage holiday with days out walking in the dales. Hubberholme is an ancient village in Upper Wharfedale in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England. It is easy to find as it is at the point where Langstrothdale meets Wharfedale, the best way to the village is to come through Skipton on the B6265 through to Threshfield then the B6160 to Buckden and take a left at the signpost to the village.
Hubberholme is the resting place of the ashes of the writer J.B.Priestley. It also the centrifugal point for many walks and hikes within the area, the most common being from Buckden to Hubberholme to Cray along the lower slopes of Buckden Pike and then walking back six miles to the starting point Buckden.
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The river Wharfe is easily accessible via Hubberholme and is considered one of the most spectacular riverbank landscapes in the Dales. Its starting point are the beginning the moors above Langstrothdale Chase, and although its not the longest, the views of the country are staggering from higher up in the valley where the stream begins to flow into a tidal river close to the River Ouse near Cawood. In the summer months, this section of the Dales is popular with children or people wanting to stay for a picnic lunch or may be a small jog or a walk. Hubberholme village is situated further down the narrow valley where the River Wharfe is joined by Cray beck, marking the beginning of Upper Wharfedale.
Hubberholme boasts an impressive parish church, resting place of J.B. Priestley. Now, the nature of the river changes as it slows down even more. The valley is flatter, and the flow of the water in the river is calmer, deeper and less changeable. The valley has also opened out to establish the traditional straight bottom glacier formed valley with the low level fields, steep sides, dry stone walls and field barns which give the Yorkshire Dales its uniqueness admired by many all over the world.
Upper Wharefedale, is near Hubberholme, and has a decidedly attractive landscape that is dotted with a number of ancient picturesque villages, packed with amenities, accommodation and food and beverage establishments. Provided you plan your trip in meticulous detail then you should be able to take advantage of most of the amenities offered and have an enjoyable time. It is a good opportunity to try out some locally produced beer and organic products. Summer scenery includes glowing buttercup-filled meadows.
Other beautiful and communal villages include Kettlewell, Grassington and Appletreewick, they are within easy reach either on foot or by car.
As you follow the river towards the southern end of the valley, the river flows into the woods on the estate of the Duke of Devonshire. Concealed within the woodlands is one of the most noticeable features of the river Wharfe, known as The Strid. The entire flow of the cascade is pushed into a deep, and rocky duct less than 2 metres across. The resulting roaring tide is full of strong downward currents and underwater overhangs to trap and overwhelm anyone who is not familiar with its nature.
Just down stream, the river passes by the glorious ruins of Bolton Abbey. With the ruins of the priory, 80 miles of footpaths, 40,000 acres of outstanding countryside and an abundance of teashops, local pubs and restaurants will delight visitors to the area. This is quite simply a lovely place for a family day out, and the best time to visit is in the summer months.
The nature of the river alters again, as the valley broadens substantially the river becomes higher, but the at the same time flows a lot slower influencing the nature of the riverside landscape extensively. The nature of the riverside settlements also changes, growing bigger and more commercial as the Wharfe moves closer to Leeds and Bradford. However, before hitting the main cities, the river passes the village of Addingham famous for its church and the nearby suspension bridge before passing through the first city in it course, the town of Ilkley. It is charming little town full of culinary delights, shops and additional places to visit from there.
Situated further down the river is the town of Burley which has all the features of a small country town. But close by is the market town of Otley that has many ancient factory buildings and riverside parks with riveting wild life, flora and fishing.
If beer is your passion then this is the perfect place to stay as the river leaves the Dales and enters the Vale of York. The main town is Tadcaster, and the river has provided both transport and raw material for the brewing industry. Tadcaster is the backbone of many well-established brands of breweries, from the giant John Smith Breweries complex to the smaller and popular Samuel Smith brewery. The story of these two breweries both originally owned by the Smith family, descendants of the original Samuel Smith - a butcher from Meanwood in Leeds - reads like an epic play with family feuds and splits.
If you plan to spend some days exploring the river below Tadcaster then you will be able to see several more settlements, some with exceptionally Nordic names like Ulleskelf or Ozendyke. Around this point, the river becomes faster, gathering speed and developing into tidal proportions, bringing with it the twice-daily rise and fall of the waters flowing into the much larger River Ouse.
The river Wharfe finally joins the Ouse just above the urban village of Cawood - famous locally for its swing bridge. It was here at Cawood where Cardinal Wolsey was arrested by the Earl of Northumberland and, taken south to stand trial for treason against Henry VIII. He was, however, never to reach London; falling ill at Leicester and eventually dying of his illness.
The waters of the River Wharfe now merge with those of the River Ouse and flow south east to become the Humber Estuary below Selby and finally to run into the North Sea east of Kingston upon Hull.
The vast majority of the course of the Wharfe can be experienced on foot, the entire walk taking 7 days. Many walkers may wish to just walk sections. It is easy to rent a cottage at the end of your walking holiday as a well desrved rest and start this incredible passage from Hubberholme along River Wharfe through to Leeds.
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