Planning your holiday? What's on in Swaledale

 So you are planning your holiday to Swaledale.  When is the best time for you to come?

Here's what's on in the months ahead.

March

We don't open the B&B at Pry House Farm until mid April but Hillcrest Cottage is open all year round.  March is a quiet month and the perfect time to have the dales all to yourself.  Spring is just arriving and with it the early lambs, the early flowering bulbs and the first green shoots.  A great time to get out and walk then scurry back to the cottage for quality time in front of the log burner or an evening stroll to the Punchbowl for supper.  

For a good day out pop down to Richmond where there are things to do to suit everyone.  The Georgian Theatre, the most complete working Georgian theatre in Britain, conducts excellent theatre tours Georgian Theatre Tours. Richmondshire Museum, small from the outside but surprisingly tardis-like inside, is all about immersive local & social history from its rebuilt Cruck House to part of the set from the BBC All Creatures Great & Small tv series Richmondshire Museum.  Other places to visit are Richmond Castle and the Green Howards Museum.  Richmond Station is also full of surprises. No longer a train station but now sympathetically transformed into a cinema, restaurant/cafe, gallery space plus artisan food & craft areas Richmond Station

April

April means new life, spring green and warmer sunshine.  The upper dale begins to wake up and there's something new to see at every turn; lambs absolutely everywhere, buds on trees, catkins, the first tiny flowers; primroses and wild anemones and golden daffodils on the verges and every village green.  An absolutely lovely time to visit the dales.  Its a bit slower at the top of the dale and is why we don't welcome guests to the farm quite as soon as other B&B establishments. Lambing however starts around the 13th and lambs come when they are ready not when the weather improves so its a case of getting on with it - rain, hail or snow!  April is also when our feathered visitors arrive.  Its often a race to see who arrives first, the lapwing, the curlew or the oyster catchers.  We also have snipe, woodcock, geese, dippers, wagtail, wren to name but a few. 

If you'd like to stay local to the top of the dale there's still lots to do. The Keld Resource Centre offers a fabulous selection of events from guided walks and talks to creative crafts.  This April they are holding a Spring Flower Workshop led by local florist, Shannon.  Have a look at the full list of events here KRC Events.

May

Lambing time continues throughout the month of May.  Many ewes with single lambs will have returned to the fell but those rearing twins will remain in the pastures until they have been clipped. So plenty of lambs for you to enjoy.  The meadow fields are cleared of lambs by mid May. The ground needs time to recover after been hard grazed by the ewes but it only takes a few days and the first white daisy heads appear, then the buttercups and clover, speedwell, pignut, cuckoo flower and eye-bright.

 

May is a great month to walk one of the hundreds of footpaths in the Yorkshire Dales.  The days are longer and warmer, the air is fresh, the rivers crystal clear and the daylight sweet.  There are lots of walking guides, ideas & information at both Pry House Farm and Hillcrest Cottage for all ages and abilities.  I have written blog posts for many walks in the area.  Here are the links to some of them Tan Hill to Pry House, Askrigg in Wensleydale Circular, Reeth to Langthwaite circular, Circular walk in Low Row, Richmond Station to Easby Abbey Circular, Pry House to Keld via Ravenseat  However if you scroll further back than July 2021 you will find even more.

June

 June is the month when the wild flower meadows are at their very best.  Muker meadows are famous for the variety and rarity value of the wild flowers found there.  A flagged path through the centre of the six small meadow fields allows visitors close contact making it easy to observe and identify the dozens of species of herbs, grasses and flowers.  I like to visit in the late afternoon / early evening when the flowers give off their scent.  Its a heady experience but perhaps not for those who suffer with hay fever!

At Pry House Farm B&B we are surrounded on all sides by our own beautiful hay meadows.  They are visible from both guest bedrooms and the Shepherds Hut.

The wonderment of the untamed landscape of the dales gives inspiration and hope to many.  Unleash your inner creativity at one of the many crafting events around the area.  Make a clay bowl in the image of the Swaledale landscape with potter Suzie Wright.  Link here Keld Events.

July

July and summer is here.  Some people think the dales will be crammed with people and uncomfortably busy in the main summer holiday months.  It can be but not in the most northerly dales such as Upper Swaledale and Arkengarthdale.  It is however a very busy time for farmers as they meticulously watch the weather forecast for a good spell of hot, dry weather to make hay.

The herb, flower & grass rich meadow fields that have been admired from the B&B windows are now cut and turned and left to dry before being baled into hay.  Its a fascinating process.  Once the grass has turned to hay it is rowed up and the balers follow along gobbling up the dry grass and spitting it out as small, tightly packed & ready strung bales or rolled out as large round bales.

If you get the opportunity, do stop and watch. 

Here with the family?  There are lots of places to safely swim or paddle if supervised.  Forbidden Corner near Middleham is a unique experience and terrific fun Forbidden Corner or a visit to the World of James Herriot in Thirsk is a must for All Creatures Great & Small fans World of James Herriot. Another 'must' but this time for cheese lovers is the Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes Wensleydale Creamery  And for dog lovers Askrigg Ropemaker is the only place for a hand made lead or a pair of skipping ropes!

August

During August there could be some hay & silage making going on so watch out for tractors & trailers and farmers on a mission!

The agricultural show season starts in August and runs through September.  Wensleydale Show on 24th August is the largest in the area Wensleydale Show.  Reeth Show, a very popular little dales show, is on Monday 26th August Reeth Show.  

On 18th August Chris will be giving a talk for the Keld Resource Centre, From Horse Power to Tractor Power.  A photographic record of farming and farming methods from the 1930s to present day.  Tickets available from the Keld Events link above.

September

The first Wednesday in September is an important date for us 'up dalers' as its Muker Show day! Its a not-to-be-missed day out for a lot of other people too.  Muker Show has a dedicated following and people come from all over the region to take part and enjoy the day.  Accommodation is scarce so book up now if you need to.  The B&B is already booked but Hillcrest is available week commencing 31st August.

In general, Muker Show and September is largely blessed with good weather.  The dale is starting to slow down and ease back a bit so its a very good time to come and stay and enjoy the tail end of summer.

October

October and autumn is upon us but what a bonny time of year.  Crunchy leaves, clear skies and the cleanest air, it makes for wonderful walking.

Once again there's plenty of activity on the roads as hill farmers take their stock to markets.  October is the month for selling breeding stock; both yows and tups (females & males).  Anyone can attend an auction mart.  Our marts are Kirkby Stephen and Hawes.  Call in, its quite an education!

November and December

Bonfire Night is celebrated in Reeth with a huge bonfire on the green and a very good firework display.  However if you are wanting to escape the cracks & bangs Hillcrest Cottage in Low Row is quietly located well away from the disturbance of fireworks.

Christmas in the dale is marked with Carol Services, children's parties, Christmas markets & craft fairs and pantomime.  The Georgian Theatre in Richmond (as mentioned in March) puts on a fantastic family pantomime with plenty 'oh, yes you did and oh, no you didn't' but less racket and innuendo than some of the bigger shows.  Craft Fairs take place in Low Row Institute & Reeth in November, great places to find genuine locally made and produced goods.

If you are in the dales in December do pay a visit to Askrigg in Wensleydale in the late afternoon.  The villagers decorate & light their windows and the church hosts a Christmas tree festival with trees decorated by local families, businesses and organisations.  Its very special.   

I hope this has given you an insight into some of the things that happen in the dales throughout the year.  I hope too that you are able to visit and experience a part of it.

 
 

 

Walking the Herriot Way

 The Herriot Way

The Herriot Way is a 4 day, approx 52 mile walk in Swaledale and Wensleydale.  Inspired by a walk first described by James Herriot, the famous dales vet.  The Herriot Way is a circular walk that traditionally starts and ends in Aysgarth in Wensleydale however as I live in Keld in Swaledale, I wanted to start and finish in my own back yard!

 

The most important element of a long distance walk is careful planning and a good map.  Stuart Greig's pocket size guide and downloadable maps are the most wonderful resource imaginable.  Each of the four days are described step-by-step in the little book and provide almost bomb-proof directions.  The written instructions are backed up with a series of maps showing the Herriot Way path and the surrounding landscape and are annotated to keep you on the right track.  I cannot recommend Stuart Greig's guides highly enough particularly for someone like me who does not want a huge, flapping OS map and who can't use a compass!  Walking the Herriot Way

Day 1: Keld to Reeth - 12 miles

There is a choice of the high road or the low road between Keld and Reeth.  I chose the low route to ease the legs in but the views were still tremendous.  Weather was on our side too.

Plenty of stiles!

Taking a break and taking in the Swaledale scenery.

Day 2:  Reeth to Aysgarth via Castle Bolton - 14 miles

Day two was absolutely spectacular with views to die for and the most beautiful stretches of purple heather as far as the eye could see.  Grinton Moor was as sea of purple and the honey fragrance that floated in waves on the warm breeze was intoxicating.

Climbing

Dropping over the top into Wensleydale.

Day 3:  Aysgarth to Hawes - 12 miles

In comparison to the other three days on the Herriot Way the walk from Aysgarth to Hawes is a pleasant ramble taking in several lovely dales villages. Askrigg was the first we came to.  Askrigg will be forever immortalised as the village of Darrowby in the original tv series of All Creatures Great & Small, home of the fictitious vet James Herriot. The building that was used as the Farnon & Herriot residence and veterinary practice is still there with the name Skeldale House etched above the front door.  The Kings Arms Hotel was used extensively as the Drovers.  The walls in the bar proudly display photographs of the stars during filming of this iconic and much loved BBC television series that brought the James Herriot stories and the Yorkshire Dales to millions of front rooms on a Sunday evening in the 1970s and 80s.

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Hardraw is the last stop before Hawes and a rest and a swift drink at the Green Dragon is most welcome.  The Green Dragon is an original dales pub with stone flagged floor, range fire (even lit in August!), low beamed ceilings and a typical Yorkshire welcome.  No wonder the interior was chosen as the Drovers for the new Channel 5 All Creatures Great & Small tv series which is as popular on our screens in 2023 as the orginal series was over fifty years ago.

Day 4:  Hawes to Keld - 12 miles

The walk from Hawes to Keld over Great Shunner Fell, Yorkshire's third highest mountain, was always going to be the hardest day.  We were however blessed with the most glorious weather.  It was tough walking as the sun beamed down on the steep slopes but at each break for breath the views behind were breathtaking.

and finally to the top ..... and Swaledale opened up ahead .... beautiful Swaledale, beautiful dale.

In 2013 I went to the top of Great Shunner Fell on a quad bike.  Ten years ago I couldn't have walked there to save my life but this year, August 2023, I reached the top under my own steam relying on nothing other than my own feet, legs and lungs.  It was a fantastic feeling.  

I am now looking forward to my next adventure.  I will certainly be chosing one of Stuart Greig's walks as I love his format and his easy to follow instructions.  I feel safe in his hands and in his footsteps Stuart Greig - Lonewalker 

Walking to Nine Standards Rigg, Cumbria

 Nine Standards Rigg

Nine Standards Rigg is an iconic landmark near the summit of Hartley Fell in Cumbria.  Nine cairns, some which once stood nearly 4 metres high, stand at 2170 ft above sea level and provide spectacular 360 degree, panoramic views of the Teesdale hills, Swaledale, the Cumbrian hills and the Lake District mountains in the far distance.  Nobody really knows why they are there.  Some say they could have been an ancient boundary marker between Swaledale and Westmorland.  Another theory is that they were built to give the impression of a large army encampment and that the 'standard' or flag would have flown from the top of each cairn, sending a warning to any approaching foes.

Whatever their purpose, I am pleased I made it to the top,  Another boxed ticked!

My walk stared in the pretty village of Hartley just outside of Kirkby Stephen.  The village has popped up along both sides of a babbling stream with several attractive little footbridges that knit the village together.  At the top of the village is a short path (thoughtfully signposted) through a wooded area that is a pleasant diversion from the road.  Coming out of the wood carry on up hill to a left hand junction clearly marked 'Walkers path and C2C'.

The first glimpse of the Nine Standards

The trail is very easy to follow.  The first mile or so is along a the tarmac road that leads to the fell gate.

Through the fell gate and a wooden seat provides a good stopping place to take on water and admire the wonderful views of the Eden Valley that has been left behind.  The whole walk is largely uphill.  Hartley is 575 ft above sea level and Nine Standards Rigg stands at 2170 ft above sea level.  It doesn't have to be an uphill struggle but it does take stamina and a degree of determination.

Looking back from whence you came.

The path is easy to follow. There are however three different colour coded routes for different times of year.  These are for guidance only and are for those who are following the C2C trail all the way through to Keld.  For the purpose of walking to Nine Standards walkers are asked to use the Permissive Path.

Coast to Coast Walk and Nine Standards.  Due to severe ground damage the path has been re-routed.  Please follow the waymarked Permissive Path.

The fell is a working environment for hill farmers.  When gathered in, the sheep are penned up for one of many reasons; clipping, dozing, sorting, foot bathing.  These pens, although in a very remote spot, are in regular use. 

                                          

Although the trail is easy to follow the stone cairns have a habit of coming in and out of view.  There they are on the horizon but the next time you look they have disappeared.  Stick to path, you will get there eventually.

 Wow!  That last half mile is certainly worth it. 
This is also a natural watershed.  From here any water that falls to the west of the cairns flows back down to the River Eden and any water that falls to the east of the cairns flows into the River Swale.


For me this is where the walk ended.  After a short break and a well deserved sandwich I turned round and walked back down the 3.5 miles to Hartley.  

For a small bribe and by prior arrangement, any serious walker staying at Pry House Farm B&B who would like to tackle the whole stretch from Kirkby Stephen to Keld, a lift to Kirkby Stephen is possible. 

My Own Garden and Favourite Gardens to Visit

 My Garden and My Favourite Gardens to Visit

I love nothing more than being in the garden.  To see the borders, change from bare soil to lush green, hot pinks, purple, peeping blues and sunshine yellow gives me untold pleasure.  From the earliest bulbs to the vigourous hardy perenials, every aspect of my garden is a joy.

Gardening at 1300ft above sea level with a prevailing westerly wind and above average rainfall presents its challenges.  It is no good being over ambitious when choosing plants for the garden at Pry House Farm.  Everything has to be very hardy so its best to try and mirror what grows naturally here and not to pick a fight with Mother Nature! Plants like marshmarigold, forget-me-nots, foxgloves, michaelmass daisies, hardy annual geranium, geum, astilbe, primrose & primulas, London pride, Russian iris and Yellow flag all do well in the garden at Pry House.

At Hillcrest Cottage the soil conditions are completely different.  The garden is very well drained and drought resistent plants thrive in the south facing aspect.  Peonies and Japanese anemones, roses, fuchia, foxgloves, aquilegia, lavender, hardy geraniums, rosemary and poppies grow in abundance at the cottage. The front garden at Hillcrest  is a lovely place to be.

The garden is delightful but the eye is always drawn to the fells beyond with the miles of drystone walls snaking up the hillside, sheep dotted here and there, a couple of tumble down buildings completes the scene. Idyllic.  

There is generally something to catch the eye.  A farmer checking his sheep, people out for a walk, heigher up a vehicle squeezes slowly between the walls of a narrow lane.  The views from Hillcrest are mesmerising. 

Gardens I like to visit

Parcevall Hall in Whafedale - my absolute favourite

Parcevall Hall

Parcevall Hall is quite literally a hidden treasure.  Hidden down a narrow lane that leads to nowhere except Parcevall Hall, hidden by trees but with the most amazing outlook, the journey is more than worth it. Not that the journey is in any way unpleasant. A lovely drive through quaintly named places like Kettlewell and Starbotton, the journey is a treasure in itself.

Parceval Hall is so well hidden, it is never overcrowded.  The woodland walk winds its way along shady paths to the formal gardens which are meticulously kept, beautifully symetrical with well tended borders, a traditional lily pond, rose garden, niches and corners to sit to admire the jaw dropping vista towards Simon's Seat and the high fells.

Behind the hall (not open to the public) is a large limestone rock garden. A footpath explores every area with bridges over the stream, a natural pond full of water plants and marginals and occasional quiet seating areas.  

Don't take my word for it, go see for yourselves.

Eggleston Hall Gardens near Barnard Castle My nearest-to-home, all time favourite

Eggleston Hall Gardens

(photos courtesy of Ryan Slee)

Eggleston Hall Gardens, the secret garden of the North.  

Eggleston Hall Gardens is primarily a nursery that grows and nurtures a huge range of plants and shrubs.  The staff are highly experienced plants people with a wealth of knowledge and are readily on hand to give advice and help.

 In addition to the nursery, the growing beds and the glass houses is an enchanting garden walk.  Nothing formal here, instead pathways and yew arches that lead from one fabulously planted area to the next.  

For hundreds of years there has been a private chapel at Eggleston Hall.  It fell into disrepair when it closed in the late 1800s and stood unwanted and overgrown for over 120 years until it was cleared and tended and returned to a quiet place of contemplation and peace.  Not just a spiritual place but a place full of local history.  The earliest gravestones are marked 1607. On the edge of the churchyard, by the wall, are three small headstones marking the graves of family pets.

Less than an hour from both Pry House Farm and Hillcrest Cottage, a visit to Eggleston Hall Gardens and the Court House Cafe is a super day out for all garden lovers.

Aysgarth Edwardian Rock Garden

Aysgarth's Edwardian Rock Garden

Built for a wealthy local game & fur dealer and amateur horticulturist, the Edwardian Rock Garden can easily be found on the western edge of the small Wensleydale village of  Aysgarth.  Its an unusual find, a folly perhaps, as today it would be unheard of, to move giant pieces of limestone rock to create a garden. Nevertheless its a little gem of a place and Mr Frank Sayer Graham's whim is our gain.

The garden is home to over 300 varieties of plants and alpines.

Listed in 1988 the Edwardian Rock Garden is perhaps the most unusual listed property in the Yorkshire Dales. Having fell into disuse for many years funds were raised to restore it to its former glory.  The  present owners are happy for visitors to venture through the gate and enjoy this small but magical place. 

There is an honesty box for donations which are gratefully accepted and used for the upkeep of the garden.

The Swaledale - one big garden of meadows, moorland, pastures & roadsides

Let's be honest, the whole of Upper Swaledale is every gardener's dream.  

Our traditional hay meadows produce a show of flowers worthy of Chelsea Gold.  

However its not just our meadows that cause gasps of delight.  Swathes of tiny wild pansies and viola grow on the high moorland pastures.

Along roadsides dog rose and hawthorn blossom flower in profusion and marsh marigold or king cup create ribbons of yellow in damp places while gentle primrose, shy violet and beautiful bluebells hide in the shade.

 

Despite being surrounded by natural beauty and wild flowers of every description I could not be without my own garden.  Once you've caught the gardening bug, its with you forever!

Happy Gardening and Happy Garden Visiting.