Yorkshire Walks

21 Miles outside of Harrogate, Skipton is a wonderful place for anyone who loves going for walks and taking in some truly beautiful scenery. 

Last Weekend 

Last Saturday I met up with a group of friends to do the Skipton and Horse Close Hill Circular walk. This  was a moderate walk across the dales starting from Skipton Station, taking in the Skipton reservoir and much of the scenery.

This was the first time I had been to Skipton in a while and I was looking forward to the visit. Skipton another historic town forming one of the boroughs of Yorkshire. There are plenty of buildings dating back  as far as the normans, with others from the Victorian era.

It is worth a visit if you ever choose to Visit Harrogate or North Yorkshire. 

I had a great time and as you can see from the photos it was a bright summer's day. 

Easy Drive 

The drive from Harrogate to Skipton took around 40mins. I have always liked this drive as it takes in much of the moors.  The route was easy to follow as there were plenty of road signs leading the way. For most of the drive you can just follow the Skipton Road. 

Some of the roads could get a little windy so I would recommend going slowly and carefully if you or any of your pasingers suffer from motion sickness. 

The Walk 

The walks began at Skipton Station which is also where I parked my car. From there we walked into the centre of Skipton passing Skipton Castle and eventually made our way up a steep hill. This was the hardest part of the walk, but worth the view of Skipton reservoir which can be seen once you get to the top. 

From there we made our way into the hills walking through sheep fields.  If your dog is at all attracted to life stock I would recommend leaving them at home for this one as there were many sheep along the route, most of whom had lambs. 

The walk also included wading through some mash land at one point which not everyone was prepared for! This is definitely not a walk for trainers so I would recommend wearing a sensible pair of walking boots. Likewise, I would also suggest some proper walking trousers as they are likely to get muddy. 

The Views 

The views across the dales were spectacular! 

Sites included the crags, Ilkley and the standing stones just to name a few. 

If you love looking out on vast areas of open countryside then this is the walk for you. 

Skipton Beer Festival 

Once we had arrived back in Skipton, we went on to the Beer Festival taking place at the Town Hall.  The festival is an annual event and is part of the campaign for real ale. 

Brewers from across Yorkshire come together for this event, most notably being Timothy Taylors, but many other local brands can be found in attendance as well. 

The atmosphere was very welcoming and it was great to see so many locals at the festival. The bar staff were very friendly and happy to make recommendations and share their expertise. 

All in all a great day out. I would definitely recommend coming for Skipton Beer Festival next year (18th-20 th May 2024)and doing the Skipton and Horse Close Hill Circular walk. 

Planning a walking weekend? Why not stay in one of our cottages? They are all an easy drive to Skipton, and you get the pleasures of the countryside with the convenience of town life. So what are you waiting for? Book your stay with us today!