Wensleydale

The views up or over Wensleydale, with its barns and farms and clumps and patchwork of walls below wild, peaty plateau-highlands, are magical from whichever angle you view them. Walks range from higher-level view-fests to meanders in ridiculously pretty Wensleydale itself. This is softer country (fewer spectacular limestone features such as cliffs, pot and sink holes) than further south and west, but really delightful scenery nonetheless.

Here are some specials:

• The various walks on the uplands around Sleddale to the south of Hawes. The Pennine Way runs to the west of this lovely valley, and Wether Fell rises to the east, with the remarkable Cam High Road, a Roman road and subsequently a turnpike, traversing its eastern upper flanks. There are numerous routes you can create, from a horseshoe round the top of Sleddale, to combining an ascent of Wether Fell with a visit to lovely Raydale and moraine-dammed Semmer Water to its east, one of the Dales? only two natural lakes.

• Aysgarth Forces and Bishopsdale [link]: a classic valley-bottom exploration is the swing down the valley from Aysgarth to its eponymous falls, then south down perfect little Bishopsdale, through barn-littered fields to West Burton, then back to the start over a low ridge. Delightful.

• The 10 mile (17km) ascent of Great Shunner Fell from Hardraw. This third-highest hill in the Dales is a stand-alone mass of somewhat bleak, but beautiful, moorland. Follow the Pennine Way up the long, steady ascent on fine old tracks (access to an old coal mine in part) to fine all-round views from the lonely (but for the walkers) summit. A return via lovely, and overlooked, Cotterdale, enables a circuit rather than a there-and-back, and results in a walk of huge variety.

• A circular walk traversing the slopes of Lunds Fell, partly on an old track called the ?High Way?. 8+km. A high reard-to-effort ratio.

• A wander in lovely, less-visited Coverdale to the south-east.

Delightful towns and villages such as Hawes to stay in.

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For more information and photos, including detailed practical information and some warnings, see our Yorkshire Dales

page.