Most guests staying at The Hen House come for the Lake District. Understandably — it’s on the doorstep and needs no introduction. But a significant number discover, usually mid-week when they’re looking for something different, that the Yorkshire Dales are equally close and entirely distinct in character — and considerably quieter.
That last point is worth dwelling on. The Lake District, for all its beauty, has become genuinely difficult to enjoy at peak times — overflowing car parks, gridlocked roads on bank holidays, queues for popular paths. The Dales receive a fraction of the visitor numbers, even at the well-known spots, and the difference is immediately noticeable the moment you cross the boundary. Where the Lakes are green and rounded and wet, the Dales are limestone and open sky and dry-stone walls running for miles across high moorland — a different kind of beautiful, and twenty minutes away.
Sedbergh — the book town
England’s official book town — a cluster of independent bookshops in the compact centre. Beyond the books: a farmers’ market on the last Sunday of each month, several excellent cafes, and the Howgill Fells rising dramatically behind the rooftops.
From The Hen House: 20 minutes. An easy half-day or full day.
The Howgill Fells — proper walking from Sedbergh
The Howgills deserve their own section rather than a passing mention, because the walking here is some of the best and quietest in the whole region.
The Calf is the highest point in the range, reached via a steady climb from Sedbergh through the intake walls onto open, rounded moorland that feels closer to the Scottish borders than anywhere else nearby. The going underfoot is good grass throughout — no scrambling, no scree — which makes it a genuinely pleasant ascent rather than a grind.
Cautley Spout is England’s highest cascade waterfall above ground, tumbling down the eastern flank of the Howgills in a series of dramatic drops. The walk in from the Cross Keys Temperance Inn is straightforward and the waterfall itself is worth the trip alone, even without continuing further onto the fell.
Both can be combined into a single longer route for those wanting a full day, or treated as two separate, shorter outings.
Kirkby Lonsdale — market town and river gorge
Kirkby Lonsdale occupies a ridge above a bend in the River Lune, with a medieval market square and some of the best food in the area at The Sun Inn. The Radical Steps lead down to a stretch of river gorge that John Ruskin called “one of the loveliest scenes in England.”
From The Hen House: 15 minutes.
Malham and Malham Cove
A 260-foot curved limestone cliff formed at the end of the last ice age. The walk from Malham village to the cove, up the steps to the limestone pavement above, and back via Gordale Scar is around five miles. Gordale Scar — a narrow gorge with a waterfall — catches most visitors by surprise. This is the one genuinely busy spot in the Dales; arrive early on a weekday if you can.
From The Hen House: 50 minutes.
Ingleton Waterfalls Trail
A four-mile circular walk through limestone gorges and waterfalls. The trail passes Thornton Force — one of the most photogenic waterfalls in northern England. A managed trail with a small entry fee, suitable for most fitness levels.
From The Hen House: 40 minutes.
Aysgarth Falls
A series of three limestone waterfall tiers on the River Ure in Wensleydale, each with its own distinct character — the upper falls broad and powerful, the lower falls quieter and more wooded. A short, well-maintained path connects all three, making this one of the easiest dramatic landscapes in the Dales to reach on foot. The National Park Centre at the site has a good café for afterwards.
From The Hen House: 55 minutes.
Wensleydale and Hawes
The broadest and most pastoral of the main Dales. Hawes has a Tuesday market, the Wensleydale Creamery, and the Dales Countryside Museum. The road west over the Buttertubs Pass to Swaledale is one of the great driving routes in England.
From The Hen House: 50 minutes.
The Three Peaks
Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough — each a satisfying day walk in its own right, or combined in the classic 24-mile Three Peaks challenge. All require proper walking boots, waterproofs and map-reading ability.
From The Hen House: 45 minutes to Horton-in-Ribblesdale.
Why the quiet matters
It’s easy to undersell “quieter” as a selling point until you’ve experienced the alternative. A walk on a busy Lake District path on an August Saturday — queuing at stiles, jostling for photo spots, hunting for parking for half an hour before you’ve even started — is a fundamentally different experience to a walk in the Dales, where you can go an entire afternoon on a well-known route without seeing more than a handful of other people. For a genuinely restorative day out, that difference is the whole point.
Staying at The Hen House and exploring the Dales? Check availability via Airbnb or Booking.com.
Frequently asked
- How far is The Hen House from the Yorkshire Dales?
- The western edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park is approximately 20–25 minutes by car. Sedbergh, the closest Dales market town, is around 20 minutes. Hawes and Wensleydale are 45–50 minutes.
- Are the Dales quieter than the Lake District?
- Generally, yes. The Dales receive a fraction of the visitor numbers the Lake District does, particularly outside the most famous spots like Malham. Car parks are easier, paths are less crowded, and the villages feel less geared toward tourism.
- Is Sedbergh worth visiting for a day?
- Absolutely. England's book town, with a cluster of excellent independent bookshops, a farmers' market, good cafes and the Howgill Fells rising directly behind it. A very easy and rewarding half-day.
- Can I walk in the Yorkshire Dales from The Hen House?
- The Howgill Fells — which sit on the boundary between Cumbria and the Dales — are accessible within 30 minutes. For walks deeper into the Dales such as Malham or the Three Peaks, allow 45–60 minutes driving.
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