'The Dales Way Trail'

The start of the Dales Way at Bowness. Picture by Ann Bowker

The Dales Way is an 84-mile (135 km) Long Distance Footpath in Northern England, from Ilkley, Yorkshire to Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria.

The Dales Way passes through two National Parks: the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Lake District National Park.

The first half of the walk follows the River Wharfe upstream to the main watershed of northern England at Ribblehead. The second half follows several river valleys (Dentdale, River Mint, River Kent) to descend to the shores of Lake Windermere.

The largest settlements on the route are Ilkley and Bowness-on-Windermere at either end, and the small town of Sedbergh in Dentdale. The town of Kendal is not far from the route.

Another notable place is the stone village of Dent, with very little modern housing. Along Wharfedale, the route passes through the villages of Grassington and Kettlewell.

For more information, descriptions and pictures of the route - see the links below.

Related Links :

• Wikipedia - The Dales Way
• The Dales Way - by the Walking Englishman.

Places to Stay :