20 Attractions to Explore Near Wensleydale

Semerwater is the second largest natural lake in North Yorkshire and one of only two natural lakes to be found in the Yorkshire Dales, the other being Malham Tarn. It was one of the iconic location for a picnic with your family and also there are so many other leisure activities in this area.

This museum tells the fascinating story of the Yorkshire Dales and the people who have lived and worked here for thousands of years. The museum is located beside the disused Hawes railway station in the small town of Hawes at the head of Wensleydale. The museum's outdoor display includes a real steam train and carriages on the track bed of the former Wensleydale Railway.

Aysgarth Falls was actually a series of three main waterfalls, which the signs referred to them as Upper, Middle, and Lower. The falls are quite spectacular after heavy rainfall as thousands of gallons of water cascade over the series of broad limestone steps, which are divided into three stages: Upper Force, Middle Force and Lower Force. There is a visitors' centre with an exhibition, information, items for sale, a café, toilets and a pay-and-display car park.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park is a 2,178 km2 national park in England covering most of the Yorkshire Dales. The majority of the park is in North Yorkshire, with a sizeable area in Cumbria and a small part in Lancashire. The park was designated in 1954 and extended in 2016. Over 95% of the land in the Park is under private ownership; there are over 1,000 farms in this area.

Bolton Castle is a stark and imposing medieval fortress at the entrance to Wensleydale, begun by Richard le Scrope in 1378. It was a grand family home as well as a defensive fortress and, despite being partially ‘slighted’ by Cromwell’s’ men during the Civil War siege, is still preserved in outstanding condition with many interesting rooms and features to discover. The castle is still in the private ownership of Lord Bolton, the direct descendant of the castle’s original owner Sir Richard le Sc

Pen-y-ghent is the perfect hill with which to give young children a taste of an outdoor challenge. The circular walk to the summit from Horton-in-Ribblesdale is under six miles – perfect for little legs or when the days are short and time is squeezed. The summit ridge divides streams flowing east to the North Sea from those that flow west into the Irish Sea and is at the end of a whaleback ridge that includes nearby Plover Hill.

Ribblehead viaduct is just over the border from Cumbria into North Yorkshire and is undoubtedly the most impressive structure on the Settle-Carlisle Railway. The viaduct carries the Settle to Carlisle Railway line across Batty Moss. The Viaduct has twenty-four magnificent arches that carry the railway line 104 ft above the moor. It was one of the iconic structures in this area and attracts a lot of tourists.

Great Whernside is a fell in the Yorkshire Dales, England, not to be confused with Whernside, some 17 miles to the west. Its summit is the highest point of the eastern flank of Wharfedale above Kettlewell. Great Whernside forms the watershed between Wharfedale and Nidderdale, and is on the boundary between the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The River Nidd rises on the eastern slopes of Great Whernside, above Angram Reservoir.

The Forbidden Corner is a unique labyrinth of tunnels, chambers, follies, and surprises created within a four-acre garden in the heart of Tupgill Park and the Yorkshire Dales. You can enjoy a day out with a difference that will challenge and delight children of all ages. Its bespoke themed play park is a new and exciting addition for your little explorers to enjoy.

Scar House Reservoir is the second of the three reservoirs in Upper Nidderdale, England, the others being Angram Reservoir and Gouthwaite Reservoir. Between them, they attract around 150,000 visitors a year. The dam contains over one million tonnes of masonry, it rises to 55 metres (180 ft) above the river and is almost 600 metres long. It was completed in 1936.

Ingleborough is the second-highest mountain in the Yorkshire Dales, England. It is one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks and is frequently climbed as part of the Three Peaks walk. A large part of Ingleborough is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and National Nature Reserve and is the home of a new joint project, Wild Ingleborough, with aims to improve the landscape for wildlife and people.

Middleham Castle at Wensleydale in Yorkshire was the childhood home of King Richard III. The castle was built to defend the road from Richmond to Skipton, though some have suggested the original site of the castle was far better to achieve this than the later location. After the death of King Richard III the castle remained in royal hands until it was allowed to go to ruin in the 17th century. Many of the stones from the castle were used in other buildings in the village of Middleham.

Gaping Gill is one of the most famous caves in the Dales and one of the largest underground chambers in Britain. It’s often said, without exaggeration, that this dramatic chamber is big enough to fit a cathedral. It is so big that there has been an attempt to fly a hot air balloon inside the cave. Gaping Gill still retains the records for the highest unbroken waterfall in England and the largest underground chamber naturally open to the surface.

Malham Tarn is England’s highest freshwater lake.The current tarn is actually thought to only be half its original size with Tarn Moss, immediately to the west, having originally formed part of the lake It is an area of outstanding moorland uplands, with lower-rich hay meadows, varied birdlife, and awe-inspiring vistas.

Kilnsey Park is a family visitor attraction in the heart of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. It offers activities for all the family including fun fishing, friendly farm animals and a nature trail with butterfly garden and rare orchids. It also offers a real Yorkshire Dales experience with events and activities including fun fishing, walking, pony trekking and cycling.

Ingleborough Cave is one of the best known in the UK with many visitors coming each year keen to see the historic attraction. Visitors to the cave will be greeted with one of the finest show caves in the UK with a number of notable features. It was located close to the village of Clapham in the scenic Yorkshire Dales. The tours of the Cave leave from the entrance at regular intervals with an expert guide to help interpret the many features of the Cave.

Gragareth is a mountain on the border of Lancashire and Cumbria, whilst sitting The Yorkshire Dales. Its summit is 628m and is claimed to be the highest point in Lancashire. The summit has a trig point and extensive views towards Morecambe Bay, the Lake District fells, the Howgill Fells, Ingleborough, and the Forest of Bowland. One of the nice trekking destinations and also you can spend some nice time in the middle of nature.

White Scar Cave is the longest show cave in Britain. See underground waterfalls, flowstone, and the massive ice-age cavern decorated with thousands of stalactites. Spectacular location in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Originally accessed through a vertical boulder choke, an access tunnel has been cut to include it on the visitor trail.It is open as a show cave, the entrance being from the Ribblehead to Ingleton road on the west of Ingleborough, with tours being run throughout the year

Dramatic moorland situated on either side of the arterial A66 road. Little changed since Roman times. most of it covered by blanket bog, which supports significant breeding populations of a number of wading birds. Many Roman artifacts have been found here over the years, including a Roman aqueduct.

Malham Cove is a huge curving amphitheatre-shaped cliff formation of limestone rock.It was formed by a waterfall carrying meltwater from glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age more than 12,000 years ago. Today it is a well-known beauty spot within the Yorkshire Dales National Park Formed along the line of the Middle Craven Fault, it has been eroded backward from the line of the fault by the action of water and ice over millions of years. The limestone pavement at the top is a superb example of