The Herriot Way
- Walk through James Herriot's Yorkshire, of "All Creatures Great and Small" fame
- The lush green rolling valleys of Wensleydale and Swaledale
- Hawes, a pretty market town and home of Wensleydale Cheese
- Take in views across Yorkshire from the summit of Great Shunner Fell
- Enjoy a pint of real ale and a Yorkshire roast dinner in a cosy Dales pub
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in AysgarthTake a train to the little Yorkshire town of Garsdale (4.5 from London, 3.5h from Manchester) and on arrival you will be collected by a private taxi transfer and whisked to Aysgarth (15min) for your first night.
Enjoy a wander around this pretty Wensleydale village, home to the Aysgarth Falls. This famous sight is a series of three eye-catching waterfalls on the River Ure. In the evening enjoy a hearty meal at one of the local pubs.
A family run B&B offering lovely guest rooms with large comfy beds, fluffy towels and luxury surprise treats! Enjoy a satisfying home-cooked breakfast made from locally sourced produce and amazing views of the surrounding countryside.
A cosy country hotel with where the team will give you a warm welcome. They have a traditional pub bar and a restaurant serving quality, locally sourced and reasonably priced food.
Stow House is a boutique bed and breakfast set in the heart of Aysgarth. The bedrooms are dreamily comfortable and the bathrooms wonderfully indulgent. In the morning enjoy delicious local sausages, bacon and eggs, salmon which has been cured in Bedale (a mere 20 minutes away) and orange juice that's freshly-squeezed in our kitchen every morning.
Your first day's walk on the Herriot Way leads you out of Aysgarth to follow the River Ure through green meadows and along an old railway track to the little village of Askrigg. This picturesque village was where "All Creatures Great and Small" was filmed and you can see the front of Skeldale House which featured as the vets surgery. Climb gently through lush fields high above the river to another famous waterfall at Hardraw, and then finally on to Hawes. This charming Yorkshire town is the highest market town in England and a lovely place to stop for the evening. If you have time, it is also well worth visiting Wensleydale Creamery, home to the extremely tasty Wensleydale Cheese.
Ascent/Descent: 121m/108m
The 300-year old ‘quirky’ Herriot building on the main cobbled street that runs through Hawes comprises of Herriot’s Guest House, Herriot’s Kitchen and The Herriot Gallery, an ideal location to browse local artwork, enjoy fresh home-made produce, and relax and become guests of Glenn & Liz. They offer six en-suite bedrooms, all of which benefit from the expected home comforts. All of their rooms have been refurbished over the last few winters and have new bathrooms throughout.
Check-in time is strictly between 4 & 7 pm & Breakfast is served in their gallery dining area between 8.15 and 9 am.
The White Hart Inn, Hawes is a 16th-century former coaching inn, situated in the ancient market town of Hawes in Upper Wensleydale. Expect delicious food, local real ales on tap (they also have still keep a classic cellar), and comfortable guest rooms.
Wensleydale House offers guests comfortably furnished spacious ensuite bedrooms, guest lounge and a separate breakfast room overlooking farmer's field and 'our' beck (small stream). The house is centrally heated and on cooler nights guests can enjoy an open fire in the lounge room. For breakfast they offer a choice of full English, continental or vegetarian. All ingredients are sourced from local suppliers featuring local produce wherever possible.
Check in is 3pm – 6pm
After enjoying a hearty breakfast, get ready for the most challenging day of the Herriot Way, as you enjoy an energising but straightforward climb to the summit of Great Shunner Fell, the third highest mountain in Yorkshire. A long, steady ascent brings you to the summit shelter, where it is possible to enjoy panoramic views across Yorkshire. Drop down into the tranquil valley of Swaledale filled with pretty wildflowers, and the village of Thwaite, where a lovely tearoom is a great place to stop for refreshments. Continue through Swaledale to Keld, a typical little Dales village.
Ascent/Descent: 728m/654m
Butt House pride themselves on warmly welcoming walkers after a long day's trekking. They provide drying and laundry facilities, packed lunches, home cooked food, along with a fully licensed bar. All rooms have TVs, hairdryers, tea & coffee making facilities and fabulous views of the area. On the ground floor there is a drying area for boots and coats, a lounge with open fire, dining room, and bar/reception area, where, in the height of the season, you can enjoy a pint of Black Sheep Ale, available on tap.
A warm welcome awaits you at Keld Lodge. This former shooting lodge is now a comfortable hotel and restaurant. You can enjoy the amazing views from the conservatory dining room, lounge, and many of the bedrooms. They place an emphasis on doing the simple things well.
Frith Lodge is a 300-year-old Swaledale farmhouse which has been lovingly restored and refurbished. They have 3 doubles and 2 twin bedrooms which are all en-suite, have tea and coffee making facilities include fresh milk and homemade biscuits and each bedroom has FreeSat TV, hairdryer, welcome guide and breathtaking views from every window. Their guest lounge has stunning views and is the perfect place to rest and relax after a day walking. Check-in time is 15:30
You have a choice of two routes today. The first is a higher level option using an old mining track, taking you onto Melbecks Moor, a lovely heather-clad landscape before dropping down past old ruined mining buildings to follow riverside paths into Reeth. The other option is a slightly longer but easier route which mostly follows the River Swale all the way to Reeth, passing Gunnerside with its lovely tearooms and pubs. This village was once the "capital" of Swaledale's rich mining heritage.
High Level Route: 11m/18km, Ascent 529m, Descent 649m
Low Level Route: 12m/19km, Ascent 294m, Descent 403m
Ivy Cottage is a stylish B&B situated in a lovely position overlooking the renowned Green in the centre of Reeth. All of their rooms have comfortable beds, tea and coffee making facilities, hairdryers, colour TV, complimentary WiFi and central heating.
The owners extend a warm welcome, and are wholly dedicated to providing a high level of service with a distinctly personal edge. Their 5 bedrooms are all extensively equipped and benefit from breath-taking, south-facing views of the expansive Swaledale countryside.
The Buck at Reeth was originally a Coaching Inn dating back to around 1760. There are many original features; the main bar features aged beamed ceilings adorned with an interesting array of horse brass and interesting door knockers.
Head back into Wensleydale on your final day, walking through vibrant hay meadows before climbing gently to the lovely open heather moorlands of Apedale. Drop down through lush fields and pass the ruins of the medieval Bolton Castle before arriving back at the wonderful Aysgarth Falls. Stop here for one last look before following quiet country lanes back into Aysgarth, where you can enjoy one final night in this Yorkshire idyll.
Ascent/Descent: 723m/710m
A family run B&B offering lovely guest rooms with large comfy beds, fluffy towels and luxury surprise treats! Enjoy a satisfying home-cooked breakfast made from locally sourced produce and amazing views of the surrounding countryside.
A cosy country hotel with where the team will give you a warm welcome. They have a traditional pub bar and a restaurant serving quality, locally sourced and reasonably priced food.
Stow House is a boutique bed and breakfast set in the heart of Aysgarth. The bedrooms are dreamily comfortable and the bathrooms wonderfully indulgent. In the morning enjoy delicious local sausages, bacon and eggs, salmon which has been cured in Bedale (a mere 20 minutes away) and orange juice that's freshly-squeezed in our kitchen every morning.
After enjoying one last hearty Yorkshire breakfast, a transfer will pick you up and transfer you back to Garsdale Station for your journey home.
This trip has a carbon score of 7kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 7kg is equivalent to 1 single running shoe (not even a pair!). Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information on how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?This is the perfect trip for you if you are looking to experience classic Yorkshire and a great introduction to a multi-day walking tour. The daily walks are between 12 and 14 miles, with up to 850m of ascent on the toughest day (the others involve around 200 and 600m ascent) on varied terrain. You will overnight in small B&B's, guesthouses or small hotels in traditional Dales villages.
Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
Solo Travellers
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
This tour is graded as moderate overall. Daily walks are between 11 and 14 miles and involve ascents of between 120m and 728m (on Day 3 when you walk up Great Shunner Fell). You will cross a variety of terrain including well-defined paths and tracks through meadows, open fells and heather moorlands. There are some sections which can become wet and boggy during bad weather.
You will stay in a mixture of carefully chosen B&Bs, guest houses or small hotels. Please note that due to 2x night minimum stay restrictions, this tour can only be booked starting a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Sunday.
Single Rooms & Solo Walkers
If you require single rooms we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement payable.
We welcome solo walkers on this trip although you should, of course, take extra care in the outdoors when walking solo.
Whilst the Herriot Way is not a waymarked path, it overlaps with a couple of other signposted trails including the Pennine Way and the Coast to Coast. We also provide comprehensive route notes, maps and GPS tracks through our smartphone app, so you shouldn’t have any problem finding your way.
- 5 Nights in B&B's, guesthouses or small hotels
- 5 Breakfasts
- Daily baggage transfers
- Transfer from Garsdale Train Station to Aysgarth
- Access to maps, GPX tracks and daily route information with the Macs Adventure smartphone navigation app
- All your trip documents provided digitally through your online Macs “My Account”
- 24/7 Emergency telephone support from our UK office
- Travel to/from Garsdale
- Dinners and lunches
- Drinks and snacks
- Personal equipment
- Travel insurance
- Additional nights before or after the holiday
You can start this tour on any day of the week from April through to September. It is also possible to travel in March and October if you wish but there will be a small additional charge for luggage transfers during these months. Please note that due to 2x night minimum stay restrictions, this tour can only be booked starting a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Sunday.
The best months for walking are in the spring, summer and autumn when the weather is fairer. Spring is great as the wild flowers will be in bloom. The hay meadows around Swaledale are in full bloom in June and this is when you will see them at their most colourful. September is when the heather is in full bloom on the moors and the autumn months also tend to be a bit quieter. By October the Yorkshire Dales are covered in lovely orange hues as the leaves start to fall.
By Rail - The nearest train station to Aysgarth is Garsdale. Trains run from London to Garsdale (via Leeds) and take approx 4.5hrs or it is also possible to travel from Manchester (3.5h). From Garsdale it is a 15 minute taxi journey to Aysgarth which is included in the cost of your tour.
By Car - It is a 4hr drive from London to Aysgarth or 1.5h from Manchester. Please let us know if you do plan to drive as we will need to let your accommodation know you plan to leave your car there.
By Air - The closest airports are Leeds Bradford or Manchester. From either of these airports, you can take the train via Leeds to Garsdale.
For more information on train times and schedules please visit the Traveline or National Rail websites.
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.
The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes.
Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.
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