Rent a self catering cottage in Bainbridge in the Yorkshire Dales for a holiday with some walking and exploring stone-built villages of the Dales. Bainbridge lies on the A684, the road that winds its way from Sedbergh in the west, to Leyburn in the east, crossing the Pennines in the process.
Bainbridge is remarkably small village, although it is located in the scenic Dales other than exploring the countryside, you can also go fishing in Semer Water Nature Reserve. You can discover Lake Semerwater on a remote and tiny dale off the upper reaches of Bainbridge village in Wensleydale, and arrive at it from the A648 between Hawes and Aysgarth. A road leads south from Bainbridge and, after a couple of miles; the shores of Semerwater become visible. The name is derived from ancient English words meaning, sea or lake, sae and mere, describing either pool or marsh, meaning a marshy lake.
In geological time, it owes it formation to the Ice Age. A huge wedge, of the Vale of York, blocked Wensleydale glacier, and as the ice melted, a drift developed at the foot of the valley, and this remnant lake was formed. Eventually the water cut an outlet through the drift, forming River Bain, England’s tiniest river only two miles long. It transports the lake’s waters to River Ure at Bainbridge. The miniscule streams, and springs in the dales of Cragdale, Bardale and Raydale keep it filled up. There are many mysteries about Lake Semerwater and a perhaps a sunken village. In 1937 when the water level dropped, an excavation discovered an iron-age settlement on the bed of the lake.
There is some parking space close to the water’s edge for ease of carrying heavy angling gear. The area of Bainbridge is popular with anglers, fishing enthusiasts, and those that like to walk to explore the marshy beauty of the surrounding area. There are many ways to approach the lake, but you must like walking because some the most striking scenic areas worth seeing require you to walk 4 or 5 miles. There is an incline leading from Countersett, to the edge of the lake. The whole area is 104 acres and is divest of any village life, which adds to the charm of the area. The lake can flood to massive size and spill over onto the marshy areas, and meadows at the mouth.
Of course do remember to make sure that you are equipped to deal with the weather, have all the safety gear needed for fishing and walking along some perfidious routes if the weather gets bad.
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