Welcome to Muddy Boots! We live and work slap bang in the middle of the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, and there is nothing we enjoy more than tramping through the beautiful countryside, be it through colourful hay meadows on a warm summer’s day, with the scent of cut grass in the air, or a crisp winter’s morning when the frost adds a sense of magic to the most simple of scenes.
On this blog we are going to share some of our favourite walks, sights and experiences from our time in the Lakes and Dales and hope to whet your appetite for a trip here yourselves!
Talking about rocks and geology can sometimes get a bit confusing, but we’re hoping that this blog will give an accessible introduction to some of main features you’re likely to come across when you’re in the area or out on one of our Lake District walking holidays!
In very broad terms, there are three main rock types to look out for when walking in the Lakes – handily for us, they are largely grouped together and change as you go from north to south.
Read MoreThe post-winter period can feel a bit dull and grey, with the festivities over and a lot of winter still to come, but with many people planning to start a new year with more activity and more time outdoors, there is no better time to get out for a walk! Although togging up and facing the elements can sometimes seem daunting, when you do manage to get yourself out of the door, it’s always worth it, and sometimes the walks are even better than the summer months – stunning lighting, a dusting of snow and no crowds!
So here are our top tips for winter walks in the Lake District to give you some inspiration to get out.
Read MoreWith summer well and truly behind us it’s time to start embracing the changing colours, autumnal breezes and plentiful rainbows that this season brings.
Don’t let the cooler temperatures and ‘changeable’ conditions put you off – we think walking in autumn is just a good as in spring and summer and, in some cases, even better! Here are our top picks of walks to make the most of the season.
Read MoreThere’s still time this year to get out and admire one of our favourite wildflowers – the beautiful, delicate, bluebell. There are currently great swathes of them all over the woodland, hillsides and verges of the Lakes and Dales!
They pop up all over the place, so keep your eyes peeled when you’re out and about, but here are some of our favourite spots for seeing the vast carpets that make bluebells so special.
Read MoreThe beautiful landscape of the Yorkshire Dales has long been associated with James Herriot and his vetinary adventures in ‘All Creatures Great and Small’, and with the third series of the most recent adaptation in full swing, the rolling hills and dry stone walls of the Yorkshire Dales are back in the spotlight!
So where should you head for to see the filming locations for yourself and what are the best walks to do around them?
Read MoreWhat is the best walk in the Yorkshire Dales? It’s a question we’re often asked when out leading guided walks and, to be honest, it’s a really difficult one to answer! There are so many fantastic walks across the whole of the Dales and the answer depends on what sort of day out you are looking for!
From full mountain hikes to a quick fix of clean Yorkshire air and beautiful countryside views, we have such great variety here in the Yorkshire Dales that picking a single walk is just too difficult…but here is a selection of a few that we always think about when asked ‘what is the best walk in the Yorkshire Dales?’!
Read MoreMany of us have good intentions or getting out in the fresh air and doing more exercise in the New Year, but cold weather and short days can put us off! When you do manage to get yourself out of the door though, it’s always worth it, and sometimes the walks are even better than the summer months – stunning lighting, a dusting of snow and no crowds! So here are our top tips for winter walks in the Yorkshire Dales to give you some inspiration to get out.
Read MoreWith the summer weather looking to make a comeback next week (and still several weeks of the school holidays to fill!), it’s the perfect time to be try out some new picnic spots in the Yorkshire Dales.
We thought we’d share some of our favourites with you and have included a wide variety, from places you can just pull up in the car to ones that require a challenging hike to get to!
Read MoreThe hay meadows are looking absolutely stunning around the Yorkshire Dales at the moment. In late spring and early summer there are few prettier places to be, with the fields filled with a riot of yellows and pinks. But, as well as looking beautiful, they also have a really important ecological role to play by providing a home to many rare or declining species, including wildflowers, grasses, pollinators and lots of other wildlife (including one of our favourites, the brown hare).
Find out more about the meadows and where to see them…
Read MoreCountryside walking has long been seen as the preserve of those who like peace, quiet and a gentle pace of life (and that is certainly part of its appeal) but, with the events of the last 12 months, many people have developed a newfound love of walking and discovered that it can also feel adventurous, exciting and give you a real sense of discovery.
Part of what we love about walking is that it allows you to really explore an area in a way that other outdoor activities do not and there is no need to stick to the well-trodden paths!
If you like the idea of making your peaceful country walk more of an adventure, here are our top tips.
Read MoreWith the Easter holidays only a few weeks away (already!) and lockdown restrictions gradually beginning to ease, we thought it would be a good time to share some of our favourite family walks in the Yorkshire Dales, to give those that can get here some ideas for outings over Easter and so others can add them to the (ever growing!) list of things to do once we’re able to travel properly again.
See the end of the article for a great family activity we’re offering from 29 March – a great option for a fun day out over the Easter holidays!
Read MoreWe’ve recently been involved in Welcome to Yorkshire’s ‘Walkshire’ campaign to share some of the best walking in Yorkshire and give ideas for great days out (once days out become an option an again!).
Our pick for our first route was our take on the classic circuit of Kisdon Gorge in upper Swaledale. This route takes in two traditional Swaledale villages, fascinating wild-flower meadows, a hidden gill, several waterfalls and far-reaching views down Swaledale! It is undoubtedly a popular area for walking but it is well-worth sharing some of the footpaths with others and you will likely find that you get some sections of the route entirely to yourself!
Read MoreThe limestone pavements, deep wide dales, heather covered moorland and many of the other well-known features of the Yorkshire Dales all owe their characteristics to the region’s geology. We have to admit that the terminology and geological processes can get a bit confusing but we’re always trying to learn more about it, and are hoping that this blog will give an accessible introduction to the main features to look out for when you’re in the area or out on one of our self-guided walking holidays!
Read MoreAfter receiving a couple of enquiries, we thought it would be nice to share more details of some of the circular walks that form part of our trips, for people who live in the area or are interested in doing these walks individually, rather than as part of a longer walking holiday.
We are starting with the route up Wild Boar Fell from Ravenstonedale, which is part of our new ‘Hills of the Cumbrian Dales’ walking holiday.
Read MoreIt’s hard to decide which you would rather stumble upon on a walk – a cosy country pub or fantastic village café with lots of homemade cakes. I’m inclined to think that the best walks have both!
We’ve already told you about some of our favourite pubs in the Yorkshire Dales so here are some of our top cafes, and walks you can do around them.
Read MoreOne of the most northerly Dales, Swaledale runs west to east from high up on the moors above Keld, out of the National Park through Richmond and eventually joins with the River Ure before becoming part of the larger Ouse, that runs through York. In its upper stretches, Swaledale is dotted with pretty, traditional stone villages, of which Gunnerside is one.
Read MoreIt will come as no surprise that we have a large collection of books about the Dales. Here we share some of our favourites, both those that provide great walking routes and others that offer fantastic insight into the area, its history and geology.
Read MoreThere’s something about having to cross a river by stepping stone that makes a walk feel a little bit more adventurous! For me, I think it is the mixture of the sense that you are following an ancient route, used for centuries by people travelling the land on foot, combined with the slight risk that you are going to end up drenched in freezing cold water.
Around the Yorkshire Dales there are many sets of stepping stones to be braved, from well-known, popular crossings to and little-used and little-heard of ancient routes, and from huge, easy stone slabs, to small, uneven and often underwater challenges!
Here are just a few of the options and suggestions for walks that will take you over them.
Read MoreA collection of charming stone cottages set around an enormous village green that remains the heart of the village, West Burton is undoubtedly a beautiful place and a lovely spot to find yourself in during a walk through the Dales countryside.
Read MoreA traditional village pub is always a welcome sight at the end (or in the middle!) of a good walk and we are lucky in the Dales that almost every village has managed to retain at least one thriving pub, ready to welcome locals and visitors alike. Here we have listed some of our favourite pubs in the area, along with suggestions of walks that you can do from them, but there are many more so if you would like any other recommendations, please do ask. Many of these pubs can be visited on a Muddy Boots walking holiday and several of them even provide our overnight accommodation!
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