Our top 10 places to escape to in Ribblesdale in the Yorkshire Dales

We have always loved visiting the Yorkshire Dales and it has been our go to place to stay since we have had our campervan. We love hiking and photography and Ribblesdale has bit of everything for us. In November 2022 we made the huge decision to Early retire and relocate to a village just outside of Settle and are proud to now call this area of the Dales our home! We love exploring the local fells in-between renovation projects and have been known to look outside our window and just pack all tools away to just get out into the countryside. Painting and renovation projects can wait until a rainy day (To be fair there are plenty of them in the Dales!)

Ribblehead Viaduct

The Ribblehead Viaduct is one of the most iconic images that you see in promotional photos for the Dales and when you stand under the huge arches and look around, you can see why. The images do not do justice to the sheer enormity of the structure build in 1869. It took over 7 years to build and stands at over 32m high and spans over 400m across Batty Moss. It is our favourite place to visit in the valley and we often wild camp in our van on one of the laybys nearby.

It is the starting point for lots of great walks, particularly when hiking up Whernside. One of our favourite walks from here is to climb up Park Fell, across Simon Fell and then up onto Ingleborough, you can then take the paths across the valley floor and back under the viaduct. The Station Inn Pub, by the viaduct is also a firm favourite with a warm welcome, great food and a good choice of beers.

Over the summer we want to use the trains from Settle to explore the area more and go over the Viaduct. The trains make the valley very accessible with stops from Settle at Horton, Ribblehead, Dent and Garsdale.

The Ribblehead viaduct is probably the most famous one on the line but there are several more to explore including Arten Gill and Dent Head.

Stainforth Foss

We first discovered the waterfalls after using the Wild Yorkshire Dales and Lake District guide which highlights some of the hidden beauty spots. They can be accessed from the very pretty village of Stainforth where there is a small public carpark, the half mile walk takes you over the narrowest of pack horse bridges. There is a large flat area which is popular with visitors from the nearby campsite and when we have visited on a summers weekend it was quite busy. We were mesmerised watching some of the locals diving and somersaulting into the waters beneath the falls. We have visited at several different times of the year and is amazing to see how it changes. After a prolonged spell of rain, the sheer power of the water can be heard as the raging torrents tumble over the rocks and the spray hits your face, in a dry spring week, the gentle glass like waters from the river above flow more smoothly.

We are looking forward to the autumn when you can apparently watch the salmon leaping on their annual run up the river.

Hellifield highland cow herd

We discovered the Highland cow herd about 5 years ago when we first had our campervan and were heading up from Skipton into the Dales for a weekend. It has been a regular stop ever since! There are dozens of cows and several huge bulls with large horns. Spring is when the calves start appearing and they are just the most gorgeous sight to behold. Cycling within a couple of miles around the Hellifield area can bring a lovely surprise when you come across the herds. Beware, I was quite traumatised that they have a farm shop selling all sorts of beef products!

Hoffman Kilns

Another tip off from the Wild Guide. We have visited the Dales extensively over the years and driven up on the Settle to Horton in Ribblesdale Road dozens of times but had no inkling that just off the road was one of the largest Victorian age limekilns in the country. They were built in 1873 by the Craven Lime company and there are 3 very different types of kilns on the site. We visited on a cold winters day and it was still a fascinating, amazing place to wander around. The Hoffman is the largest of the 3 kilns and you can still walk through the tunnels, there are several information points to learn more about the history. There are also paths that you can explore above the kilns and we linked our visit with a wander along the river down to the weir in Settle, across the river, up the country lanes to have a pint at ‘The Knights Table’, then headed back to the van via Stainforth Foss, an easy 8km walk.

Attermire Scar

One of our favourite local walks from Settle is to head out up Constitution Hill, following the Penine Bridleway track past the field of donkeys. After going through the gate way you can choose to go onto Langcliffe and on a loop that goes round past Victoria Cave, Brent Scar and Attermire Scar and back down to Settle or follow the Dales Way and Loop back down into Settle via Sugar Loaf Hill and Albert Hill. Both walks are just stunning with views over Giggleswick and Settle. We were surprised at the ruggedness of the landscape and enjoyed sitting watching climbers on the crags above, we also enjoyed popping back into town and having a beer!

Pen-Y-Ghent

The Yorkshire Dales are extremely popular with Hikers and there are several must do peaks to bag. The 3 most famous, that form the ‘Yorkshires Dales 3 Peaks Challenge’ are all situated in the Ribbledale vicinity. Our particular favourite of the 3 peaks is Pen-Y-Ghent which we hike up regularly from various directions. The most common route is heading from the carpark in the village of Horton, past the Golden Lion pub and follow the 3 peaks signs, we then like the hike back to the village past Hunt Pot and Horton Scar.

Now we live in the Dales, we also like a cheeky short route that takes about 40minutes to get up to the trig point in the evenings ready for sunset, starting from Dale Head. I am sure there are still many routes that we need to discover in the coming months and I am sure we will have fun finding them. It is the lowest of the 3 peaks with an elevation of 694m.

Ingleborough

The first of the 3 peaks I ever climbed with stunning views from the summit… if you can catch it on a clear day. We love the traditional 3 peaks route from the Hill Inn pub (there are a couple of laybys you can park in just up the hill). A particular favourite due to the rugged landscape, walking up through the limestone pavements.

If like us, you enjoy photography, then this route is a must. On a clear summers day there can be dozens of hang gliders taking off and catching the thermals to soar over the valley. As mentioned previously there is a great route up from the Ribblehead and we have even hiked up from the village of Clapham which takes you on another very scenic path through Trow Gill and past the entrance to the infamous Gaping Gill pothole. Last time we climbed up Ingleborough we came across a curious herd of belted Galloway cows – so gorgeous. It has an Elevation is 723m

Whernside

The highest peak in Yorkshire by 13m with an elevation of 736m! The quickest route up Whernside that we have found so far starts at Philpin Farm and follows a track through farmlands for a couple of miles before a steep ascent. We often walk this way if it is later in the day and a good sunset is in the offing as you can descend via the Ribblehead Viaduct and watch the sunset through the arches over towards Ingleborough. On our bucket list this year is to climb from the other side starting from Dentdale. We sometimes combine Whernside and Ingleborough in our walks if we want a longer more challenging hike.

The Yorkshire 3 peaks

We have only done the full 3 peaks challenge once a couple of years ago when we had returned from a month hiking in the Alps. The traditional challenge route starts in Horton in Ribblesdale, taking in Pen Y Ghent first. From there it is a long 6-mile stomp across the valley to the foothills of Whernside at the Ribblehead viaduct. There is usually a food truck in the layby with much appreciated bacon butties and coffees to fuel up on or The Station Inn pub if you want something more filling. Whernside is the second climb followed by Ingleborough before a long walk to drop back into Horton. The challenge is a 24-mile round trip with around 1585m of elevation. We completed it in just under 10 hours on a sunny September day and enjoyed a well-earned pint to celebrate!

Ingleton Waterfall Walk

Starting from the village of Ingleton, the circular walk is around 7km long and has some stunning scenery along the way. There is a charge of £10 per adult and £5 per child which includes parking and well maintained paths. The walk follows 2 rivers, The Twiss and the Doe and takes in several waterfalls and great views across to Ingleborough. There is also a fab new campsite and a takeaway café halfway around the route. We were slightly put off at first by the price but both agreed that it was worth it for the experience, in fact, we did go back in winter when we knew the falls would be in full flow and they were quite a spectacular sight.

Campsites

There are several fab campsites in the Ribblehead Valley, ranging from small quiet farms where you can have a pitch backing on to the lambing fields to larger sites with seasonal pitches, static homes and camping spots.

Our personal favourites that we have used regularly over the years are Orcaber farm and Dalesbridge campsite both situated outside the Village of Austwick which has a great pub, the Gamecock in.

The shower facilities at Orcaber are amongst the best we have ever used, beware you do need a stock of 50p’s but it is so worth it! The toilet block is always warm and clean, even on the coldest, wettest winters day. The site has recently expanded with a new camping field and extra facilities including a small shop and coffee area in the summer months. The owner was particularly helpful and very kind to us while we have been renovating the house and we had no bathroom or kitchen facilities!

Dalesbridge campsite is aimed mostly at campers and has a couple of large fields that are crammed full in the summer months. The owners are investing and updating the facilities and we noticed more EHU points and hardstanding areas on our last visit. There is a restaurant and takeaway that sells wood fired pizza’s and has a pleasant atmosphere for a pint or 2! The toilet/shower facilities were not the greatest and in need of upgrading, which the owners have planned, however this is also reflected in the cheaper pitch price compared to other local sites.

Another quite large site that appears popular in the area is the Knight Stainforth Hall Camping and Caravanning Park which is ideally located for the Foss and Hoffman Kilns. We have not stayed there but have had food and drinks at the restaurant attached.

As I mentioned earlier there are many popular campsites in the valley, varying in price and facilities. Philpin Farm in Chapel le Dale and the small Holme Farm campsite in Horton are popular with hikers climbing the 3 peaks.

There are so many other places we could have included in our favourites, not to mention the gorgeous little towns and villages that are in Ribblesdale, including our very own Hamlet that we relocated to in November 2022. There are so many amazing pubs, cafes and shops, far too many to mention. We would thoroughly recommend a trip to the area, For those who do not have a van or camp, there are dozens of cottages to rent and a few great hotels. Who knows, you could be like us and fall in love with the area that much that you sell up and move here!

Jackie and Richard