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EAT AND DRINKAROUND MIDDLEHAM
The Sandpiper Inn moderate
Well-kept ales and inventive cooking
from a changing menu are on offer at
this traditional inn. Try some home-
made soup, a Wensleydale sandwich,
fish and chips or pressed Dales lamb.
Market Place, Leyburn, DL8 5AT; 01969
622 206; http://www.sandpiperinn.co.uk
George and Dragon
inexpensive–moderate
This 17th-century coaching inn on the
A684 between Hawes and Leyburn,
serves soup, sandwiches and full meals,
using local ingredients in season such
as roast Nidderdale chicken breast with
smoked applewood risotto.
Aysgarth, DL8 3AD; 01969 663 358;
http://www.georgeanddragonaysgarth.co.ukAbove (all) Bolton Abbey, extensively
damaged during the Dissolution of the
Monasteries in 1539Wensleydale Creamery
sign, HawesDRIVE 17: Yorkshire Dales & Abbeys
DAY TRIP OPTIONS
Choose from family fun around
Harrogate, touring the beautiful
gardens of Fountains Abbey and Ripley
Castle, or a day out in the Dales.
Town and Country
Explore Harrogate 1 , taking in its
pretty flower gardens, fine architecture
and spa facilities. Head to Bolton
Abbey 7 to ride a steam train, see
some farm animals, go fishing and just
enjoy the glorious countryside.
From Harrogate take the scenic A59,
then B6160 to Bolton Abbey.Gardens and History
Staying at Ripon 3 , visit its cathedral
before heading off to Fountains
Abbey and Water Gardens. After
walking around the best-preserved
Cistercian abbey in England, go on
to historic Ripley 2 for a picnic in the
castle’s deer parks, gardens or the
estate village, or just make use of the
tea rooms. Then return to Ripon for
dinner and to hear the Hornblower.Take the B6265 to Fountains Abbey;
head down Fountains Lane to B6165 to
Ripley. Return via the A61 and A6108.Royalty in the Dales
Visit the castle at Middleham 5 ,
former haunt of Richard III; pop across
to quaint Leyburn and walk in the
steps of Mary Queen of Scots up to
Leyburn Shawl to see the great views.
Enjoy the drive to Hawes 6 to stock
up on cheese for a picnic on the way
through the Dales to the graceful
ruins of Jervaulx Abbey 4 , destroyed
by King Henry VIII.Follow the instructions in the drive to
Hawes and on to the B6160, but turn
off left at Kettlewell back to Middleham.Eat and Drink: inexpensive, under £25; moderate, £25–£50; expensive, over £506 Hawes
North Yorks; DL8 3NT
Pretty, bustling Hawes, at the head of
Wensleydale, valley of the waterfalls, is
Yorkshire’s highest market town. There
are some fine walks to be enjoyed
from here; visit http://www.wensleydale.org for
instructions. Pick up picnic supplies
from the Wensleydale Creamery (open
daily) and see how they make the
famous cheese. Tuesday is market
day and stalls of produce line the
streets. Dales Countryside
Museum (open daily) is also
well worth a visit, with
displays about the
history, people and
landscape of the region,
housed in the converted
railway station.
ª Head south on Gayle
Lane to Buckden. Turn right
on the B6160 all the way to Bolton
Abbey. Use on-site car parks.
7 Bolton Abbey
Skipton on Swale; N Yorks; BD23 6EX
Now owned by the Duke and Duchess
of Devonshire, Bolton Abbey (opendaily; http://www.boltonabbey.com), located
on the banks of the River Wharfe,
was founded by Augustinian monks
in 1154. Although the priory
buildings were partially destroyed
during the Dissolution of the
Monasteries, the Parish Church of
St Mary and St Cuthbert survived,
and continues to this day. The ruins
are best explored in the company of
a volunteer guide or by downloading
a detailed map from the website
and planning a visit.
Bolton Abbey offers
a very different
experience from
dreamy Jervaulx; there
is so much to do in its
12,140 hectares (30,000
acres), including over
130 km (80 miles)
of paths for riverside or
moorland walks, a steam train for a
nostalgic trip to Embsay, stocked
rivers for fly fishing (with lessons
available, if needed), woods and
parkland for picnics, a children’s farm
and a range of visitors’ shops and
places to eat.