Wensleydale in the north of the Yorkshire Dales national park is a very beautiful part of England. Natural and unspoilt, people have lived in harmony with nature over the centuries, farming sheep and making the most of the land. Typical of this part of the world, limestone outcrops and boulders are strewn across the hillsides and sweeping valleys. The same material is used in building the myriads of dry stone walls that divide up the countryside in an attempt to fence in the wayward sheep.
One of the stone barns that is characteristic of Wensleydale.
The River Ure runs through Wensleydale and reputedly is one of the best places in England for fly fishing. Day licences are not available for the most part but there are brown trout and grayling to be caught. Wensleydale is one of the Yorkshire dales not named after the river flowing through it.
Tourism plays a big a part of the life of Wensleydale and the Dales today. The small towns and villages dotted about depend on day trippers and holidaymakers using the pubs and tea shops, buying souvenirs at the gift shops.
It's perfect walking country, offering great views, open countryside and plenty of places for refreshment. Aysgarth falls and Hardraw Force waterfalls are an attraction for many.
Visitors to Wensleydale will find a traditional way of life, well-preserved buildings and communities.
Things to do in Wensleydale
Go back in time
Ride 1960s trains, mostly diesel carriages. Wensleydale Railway for train rides on 1960s railcars travelling from Leeming Bar to Redmire on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Redmire is a convenient stop for walkers who might want to visit medieval Bolton Castle and gardens in Wensleydale.
There is also a 1960s single decker bus that ferries passengers between the Dales towns of Ripon, Leyburn, Redmire, Hawes and Garsdale. View the Daelbus vintage bus timetable.
The towns and villages of Wensleydale offer a good place to stay.
Tourists often stay in holiday accommodation in the towns and villages. Shops and restaurants are a necessity on holiday and not many hikers feel like cooking after a day out trudging over the fells. Hawes is the main town in Wensleydale plus there is a hot of smaller pretty villages that are also good for accommodation and have interesting features of thwir own: Askrigg, Aysgarth, Bainbridge, Carperby, Gayle, Hardraw, Simonstone, Swinithwaite, Thoralby, Thornton Rust, West Burton, West Witton and Worton.
Events in Wensleydale
- Brass band competition in September
Cycling and motorbikes through Wensleydale
It is very common to see cyclists and motor bike enthusiasts out enjoying the scenery on the quieter Wensleydale roads.
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