The Yorkshire Dales

ITINERARY

Sunday - Morning departure from Dorset with stops as appropriate for refreshment to arrive in Skipton late afternoon. Bags will be portered to your room and after settling in enjoy a delicious 3 course dinner with choices while overlooking the canal.

Monday - Visit RHS Harlow Carr Gardens - very much part of the Yorkshire countryside. Spanning 58 acres it is a beautiful space with great history, real character and lots to discover - a moist streamside garden, a sub-tropical garden, wild woodland, formal arboretum, lakeside garden, plant centre, alpine house and tea rooms.

Tuesday - Enjoy the morning in Skipton - the town centre is just a short stroll along the canal tow path. Immense history, a rich culture, independent shops, food and drink, the famous market and iconic castle - what's not to love? This afternoon we shall join a canal cruise onboard a narrowboat - the best 60 minutes of rib-tickling historic escapism you can find in Skipton. Above the jokes and laughter you will hear points of interest and stories of how the canal delivered the lifeblood of the industrial revolution to Yorkshire.

Wednesday - Touring the Yorkshire Dales National Park, voted the best in Europe! Offering a mix of tranquil valleys and dramatic upland scenery dotted with waterfalls and picturesque villages, crossed by drystone walls and home to regional speciality foods. First stop at Grassington with its cobbled streets and quirky shops. Then via twisting and rolling dales roads to Hawes, set amidst the spectacular scenery of Wensleydale and seemingly lost in time. This afternoon we pause at the imposing Ribblehead viaduct then call into Settle, an unspoilt dales market town with many 17th & 18th century buildings, stone cottages and 76 listed properties - charming.

Thursday - Reluctantly leaving this gorgeous region to head homewards, with breaks as appropriate, returning to Dorset late afternoon.

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner