There are so many words to describe the spectacular scenery in the limestone landscapes around Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.
Something that I discovered again for myself on a morning walk today in the autumnal sunshine. Setting off early is always a good plan for Malham. It meant that I had the footpaths pretty much all to myself - certainly for the first hour of this short 4.5 mile route, and it was bliss.
The setting of Newton Grange Holiday Cottages, adjacent to one of the most picturesque sections of the Leeds Liverpool Canal that you'll find, is so often commented upon by our guests as one of the best parts of their stay.
From easy and level walking along the canal towpath, through to taking some precious time out, our cottages are a popular choice for those seeking time to spend doing more of the things they love. Be this walking, reading, painting, drawing, enjoying a leisure picnic with family, practising Tai Chi and movement, or paddling on the waterways - we warmly invite you to stay at Newton Grange Cottages.
This Spring we loved making a video all about Wellbeing stays, which can be watched on our Facebook page. A selection of photographs capturing the essence of it are shared below.
Sometimes wintery weather does nothing to entice us outside to stretch our legs, and yet at other times it has the greatest appeal. I must admit, I love a good day hike in winter - provided I have all the right clothing and layers on, and am wrapped up to the elements. When crisp, winter days arrive with a morning ground frost and clear sky, the clarity of vision is superb - especially when the leaves from deciduous trees have long since fallen. Hiking in the Yorkshire Dales is a year-round activity for sure, you just need to be prepared.
This scene captures the essence of winter walking in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
It was a week day in September. Schools had just gone back. This felt like a monumental moment this year after the extended closures during the Lockdown and I think we were all glad about it, if a little apprehensive.
Most of the past few months had been our family of four at home, mainly, with me taking on the task of looking after the children round the clock and home-schooling and my husband working at the desk full time, with the occasional break or short lesson and some enjoyable lunchtimes together.
So just being my youngest daughter and I felt suddenly quiet, and we decided to go to Malham and arrive early (entirely possible with the school run starting 10 minutes earlier these days, with staged drop-offs). We were happy to meet my friend and her little boy there and catch up on each other's school summer holiday times. We took a walk through the village and up to the Cove and had a lovely time. We had the place almost entirely to ourselves, which was wonderful as it does help you to take in the beauty of the place even more.
Climb a hill
Take in the view
Look all around you
From me to you
And breathe in the air
It's fresh and crisp
Then you can tick
Wonderful Sharp Haw off your list
Skipton Castle Woods is a captivating place that we have loved spending time in this autumn. It is so close to the top of town and accessible from it, that it's quite possible to combine a visit to the High Street's Eateries with a walk in the woods.
Embsay Crag is a popular local summit a short distance from the market town of Skipton and North Yorkshire, where the effort a climb is soon rewarded by fantastic views.
Do you know Wycoller Country Park?
When we arrived in the Trawden Road car park we asked ourselves, 'where is the Country Park?'
We followed the road to the village by walking down the hill and later discovered that the Country Park describes much of the area around Wycoller itself.
What did we love about Wycoller?
We love discovering the waterfalls of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. There is just something about being in nature and watching water cascading over waterfalls that transports your mind to another place and brings joy. Or is that just me?
Here are three North Yorkshire locations where our family has enjoyed discovering the beauty of waterfalls over the past year. So very often the setting of these waterfalls is accompanied by woodland, which I find brings a real sense of adventure, beauty and even story-telling amongst our little people as their imagination is ignited...are fairies real or not?
I hope we shall continue our discoveries of waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales - there are certainly many more gems to discover.
And if it's every been raining aplenty, we are in the north of England after all, well - the WONDERFUL news is that waterfalls often look their best after a good downpour. Just remember sturdy footwear, full waterproofs and to check the weather forecast before you set out.
The second of 'walks from the doorstep' in our collection, here is a 5 mile circular walking/running route from the doorstep of Newton Grange Cottages to the village of Gargrave in North Yorkshire.
Discovering what's on our doorstep is a joy. I took the chance this morning to go for a run and compile the descriptions below, so that you can follow it too.
Here is a 4+ mile route that you can enjoy on foot from our holiday cottages in Bank Newton - taking in a short section of the Pennine Way national trail and the towpath of the Leeds Liverpool Canal - and leading you to the village of East Marton.
Taking a walk along the Leeds Liverpool Canal towpath in Bank Newton last week, I enjoyed pausing to take some photographs of the canal locks and their wonderful setting. It is always a joy to potter along the canal towpath, to watch canal boats travelling through the locks in Bank Newton and to marvel at the feat of engineering that the Leeds Liverpool Canal is.
Changing seasons offer a sense of delight in the natural world. As the end of summer approaches and the very beginning of autumn arrives, I am reminded of a wonderfully atmospheric walk I took one morning from Newton Grange a few years ago in the first week of October.
I was reminded the other day of the joy that is climbing a new summit for the first time. Of the rewarding feeling that you get when you get to the top of a hill, a ridge with a wonderful panorama or perhaps, even, a great big mountain.
I was driving along and saw two of Yorkshire’s ‘three’ iconic peaks – Pen-y-ghent and Ingleborough – from the roadside. So I pulled over, and stopped to grab my camera and take a few photographs. I wasn’t hiking that day, or even planning to, but I wanted just to pause and capture them on camera. It reminded me of the two occasions when I walked the Yorkshire Dales Three Peaks and loved the sense of achievement and stunning views along the way.
So here they are…
Combine a day's walking in the fresh air, stunning scenery, the warmth of sunshine on my face, a touch of physical geography, and the fabulous company of friends and I could not be happier. Here in the Yorkshire Dales we are blessed with dramatic landscapes, none more so than our recent day out to the Norber Erratics near Austwick.
A couple of weeks ago on a scorchingly hot summer day, I took a journey down memory lane as I returned to Embsay Station and Steam Railway. When I was little my Grandad used to take my brother and I there at weekends. We would admire the steam trains, take a journey to Holywell Holt and call in to the platform cafe for refreshments too.
I was joining St Georges Church Walking Group from Leeds on an 11 mile walk from Embsay to Skipton and Draughton. Being on 'home turf' I expected to recognise much of the route. But for me it was a balance of the old and the new. A reminder of how walking is a brilliant way to discover an area and to see more along the way.
Do you prefer a mini-expedition or a gentle stroll?