The Dales Way runs for 79 miles (127 km) from Ilkley in the Yorkshire Dales to Bowness in the Lake District. The route heads north through Wharfedale, crisscrossing the river, and rises over high moorland to pick up River Dee through Dentdale. Briefly it joins River Lune before heading west across the Lake District to Bowness-on-Windermere. Along the Way, you'll see impressive railway viaducts and fine stone bridges; Bolton Priory and many small churches; limestone scenery with stone walls, barns and kilns; and heritage centres you can visit. Above all, the route is blessed with many small villages with a range of accommodation and welcoming pubs at strategic intervals. Gradients are modest and most people will complete it comfortably in 6 or 7 days. This guidebook has all that a walker needs: concise, up-to-date directions background on geology, railway heritage, farming and wildlife side-trips to heritage centres and a feature on Bolton Priory contact details for accommodation and transport dropdown route map (1:110,000) over 60 glorious colour photos waterproof, rucksack-friendly format.
The Dales Way
Description
Author Description
Peter Stott was born and raised in Wharfedale, where his father introduced him to outdoor pursuits and an appreciation of the landscape. He acknowledges a debt to the Scout and Youth Club leaders who extended his range with backpacking weekends in the Yorkshire Dales and youth hostel expeditions to the Lake District and along the Pennine Way. Since retiring from a career in lowland hydrology and water resources, he has indulged his preference for striding the skylines, free to choose where to spend the night. He lives in Derbyshire, close to the Peak District National Park.