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Walking the Dales Way

Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere through the Yorkshire Dales

ISBN

9781786310934

Availability

Published

4 Oct 2021

Reprinted

15 Jul 2024

Edition

Fourth

Pages

176

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.10cm

Weight

260g

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Guidebook to walking the Dales Way. This picturesque 79 mile route through the Yorkshire Dales between Ilkley and Bowness-on-Windermere is one of the most gentle long-distance walks in Britain. The route is described in both directions, passing through Wharfedale, Dentdale and the eastern fringe of the Lake District. With 1:25K OS map booklet.

Seasons

The walk is scenically at its best in Spring and Autumn (April-June and September-October), but is an all-year round walk for suitably equipped walkers.

Centres

Ilkley, Grassington, Hawes, Sedbergh, Bowness-on-Windermere

Difficulty

This is an ideal route for anyone wanting to attempt multi-day walking for the first time. There are no significant physical difficulties beyond the basic need to walk a certain distance each day.

Must See

Historic buildings, roads, bridges, etc. Landscape, flowers and wildlife. Bolton Abbey, Dent, Dales villages. The scenery is outstanding throughout, and a string of communities line the route but without detracting from the sense of freedom.

ISBN

9781786310934

Availability

Published

4 Oct 2021

Reprinted

15 Jul 2024

Edition

Fourth

Pages

176

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.10cm

Weight

260g

Overview

A guidebook to the Dales Way between Ilkley and Bowness-on-Windermere. Taking in the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District National Park this week-long 128km (79 mile) walk is a perfect introduction to a multi-day hike.

The route is presented in 6 stages between 11 and 31km (7–19 miles) in length and described from south to north, a summary description is also provided for those wanting to walk in the opposite direction. The Watershed variant between Wharfedale and Dentdale is included.

Contains step-by-step description of the route alongside 1:100,000 OS maps
Includes a separate map booklet containing OS 1:25,000 mapping and route line
The book features a trek planner that highlights information about accommodation, facilities and public transport along the route
Full accommodation listings are included

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Map key

Overview map

The Dales Way Trek Planner

Route summary table

Preface

Introduction

About the Dales Way

Planning the walk

Suggested itineraries

When to go

Getting there… and back

Public transport

First and last nights

Accommodation

Facilities en route

Pack-carrying services (baggage transfer)

Cash management

Equipment

Dogs

Planning day-by-day

Using this guide

Maps

Weather

Waymarking and paths

Health, safety and emergencies

Phones and Wi-Fi

All about the region

Geography

Geology

Plants and wildlife

History and culture

The Dales Way: Ilkley to Bowness

Wharfedale

Stage 1 Ilkley to Burnsall

Stage 2 Burnsall to Buckden

Langstrothdale and Dentdale

Stage 3 Buckden to Cowgill (Lea Yeat)

Stage 3A The Watershed Alternative

Stage 4 Cowgill (Lea Yeat) to Millthrop (Sedbergh)

Lonsdale and the Lakeland Fringe

Stage 5 Millthrop (Sedbergh) to Staveley

Into Lakeland

Stage 6 Staveley to Bowness-on-Windermere

Appendix A Useful contacts

Appendix B Accommodation along the route

Appendix C Further reading

Updates

August 2023

Trek planner and Route summary table

There are minor tweaks, following remeasurement, to the Trek planner and Route summary table. The following distances should be used:

Trek planner (89.379 KB)

Route summary table (151.507 KB)

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By Terry Marsh

Lancashire-born writer and photographer Dr Terry Marsh specialises in the outdoors and travel. He is the author or revision author/editor of over 100 guidebooks, including the award-winning Cicerone guides to the Coast to Coast Walk (first published in 1993), The Shropshire Way (1999) and Great Mountain Days in the Pennines (2013). Terry has a PhD in Historical Geography and is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS). He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS), a Life Member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (FSA (Scot)).

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