James Herriot Way Walking Tour
Looking down to Keld (c)John Millen

James Herriot Way Walking Tour

6 days

Addlebrough Fell above Askrigg (c)John MillenAscending Great Shunner Fell (c)John MillenDescending to Thwaite (c)John MillenGayle Beck Hawes (c)John MillenGreat Shunner Summit (c)John MillenGrinton Church (c)John MillenKeld Farms (c)John MillenLooking down to Keld (c)John MillenPicnic in Apedale (c)John MillenStepping stones over the Ure (c)John MillenWalking to Hardraw (c)John Millen

Walk through the beautiful countryside of the Yorkshire Dales

This beautiful 80 km / 50-mile circular walk in the Yorkshire Dales threads its way around the valleys of Wensleydale and Swaledale and over the mountains and moorlands between these two emerald dales. A walk designed to take in some of the countryside beloved by James Alfred Wight, the vet who wrote about his experiences in the Yorkshire Dales as James Herriot. These books became popular in the 1970s and 80s and spawned a film and a very popular television series ‘All Creatures Great and Small’.

Besides walking through the Yorkshire countryside, the attractiveness and variety of the route is such that it could be easily classed the best short walk in England. The Yorkshire Dales have often been coined as ‘Gods Own Country’ and with good reason, with a little bit of luck with the weather, you are treated to a beautiful landscape bursting with colour and light. The land encompasses the sleepy rivers punctuated by cascading water off of the limestone escarpments, the fields stocked with multiple sheep, the high moors, bristling with sedge, bracken and bilberry.

Then of course there are the attractive local villages, small but bustling with farm and estate workers, walkers and tourists. Firstly there is Aysgarth a village by the cascading Aysgarth Falls, Hawes the main town in Wensleydale which has a market and is a centre for rope and cheese making. When walking into Keld you’ll find it is the quietest place, tucked into a hilly fold in remote upper Swaledale. Reeth, a village edged with tea shops and pubs, reflects the time when lead mining was the economic key to the area.

Most of the trails are easily followed and follow parts of both the Pennine Way and The Coast to Coast. The James Herriot Way is an excellent introduction to long distance walking on these longer trails.

Highlights of the James Herriot Way Walking Tour

Observe the beauty and contrasting Yorkshire Dales: Wensleydale, Swaledale and Apedale
Walk through the beautiful rivers, waterfalls, and villages in the Yorkshire Dales National Park
Walk on your own pace, with all the logistics being taken care for you
Learn about the agricultural and industrial heritage as you walk from village to village

Prices

From $695USD
6 days
Difficulty
Self-Guided
Hotels
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James Herriot Way Walking Tour

James Herriot Way Walking Tour Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival in Aysgarth

Make your own way to Aysgarth in beautiful Wensleydale, the quintessential Yorkshire Dale. You may have time to visit the National Trust Centre and visit the famous stepped Aysgarth Falls - a series of cascades on the River Ure. Although you will be coming this way on your last day, if the weather is gorgeous you may want to spend some time now before you depart. The village church is also very attractive, bustling with daffodils in spring and bluebells in April-May.
Overnight Location: Hotel/BB in Aysgarth
Distance: None
Meals: None

Day 2 Aysgarth to Hawes

The first day is the easiest walk of the James Herriot Way, a jaunt down from Aysgarth passing the ‘Edwardian Rock Garden’ to join the sleepy River Ure which meanders around in its grassy dale, some little bridges and stepping stones aid progress before crossing the route of the defunct railway line and into Askrigg for lunch. This is a really pretty village which was used for some of the filming on the James Herriot series. There are a couple of pubs for lunch or teashops if you want something lighter. It is the only day where a village lunch is possible.

From Askrigg the walk gets a bit hillier as you climb through the woods to examine the beautiful Mill Beck Falls, which may appear like a milk chocolate fountain due to the tannins in the peat off the moorlands. From here the walking route climbs through the fields of Helm, before gradually descending to the hamlet of Litherskew and village of Sedbusk before dropping steeply down to rejoin and cross the River Ure and past the National Park Centre and into the small town of Hawes, which has a series of fine shops as well as an equally fine selection of pubs.
Overnight Location: Hotel/BB in Hawes
Distance: 16km, 400m of ascent
Meals: Breakfast

Day 3 Hawes to Keld via Great Shunner Fell

Possibly the hardest day on this Yorkshire Dales walking holiday. Leaving Hawes, the trail climbs up the side of Great Shunner Fell following the famous Pennine Way. At 716 metres it is the third highest mountain in Yorkshire. The dominating rock type in the area is limestone, but there are millstone grit outcrops and coal seams have also been worked on its slopes. In clear weather the summit affords spectacular views of Wensleydale to the south, Ribblesdale to the south west and Swaledale to the north, as well as views into Cumbria and County Durham beyond the A66. The once boggy walk has been much improved with the laying of flagstones along the trail in 1996.

From the cross walled summit wind break there is a steep walk down into the sleepy village of Thwaite. This is a good place to have a cream tea before continuing across Kisdon hillside. You can also visit the very pretty little village of Muker with its traditional pub and wool knit centre. After the long ascent and descent from Hawes, one cannot rest on ones laurels, the path is steep and rocky, but gets you high above the deep ‘u’ shaped valley of Swaledale, one of the most picturesque sights in England. The path skirts the lower slopes of Kisdon Hill and then drops down again into the tiny settlement of Keld, sitting in a fold of Upper Swaledale and is the smallest and remotest place that we stay in during this circular walking trip.
Overnight Location: Hotel/BB in Keld
Distance: 20.6km, 869m of ascent
Meals: Breakfast

Day 4 Keld to Reeth

After leaving Keld, the path drops steeply to cross the footbridge over the River Swale and then leaves the Pennine Way to join the Coast to Coast for the day. From the old mining house at Crackpot Hall overlooking the wide ‘u’ valley of Swaledale, the path passes the waterfalls of Swinner Gill Lead Mines, before steeply ascending to cross the Lownathwaite and Gunnerside Moors, then a steep descent through the ‘hushings’ (water scoured slopes where minerals were collected) to the ex lead mine workings at Gunnerside Gill.

A steep climb up through Buntons Hush, brings you over the top of Melbecks Moor full of mining reminders with giggling grouse fluttering away from you into the heather. The track improves and you pass the Old Gang Smelting Mines, where the best preserved relics of the lead mining industry are preserved. This leads down past ‘Surrender Bridge’ where the opening sequence of the first couple of series of ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ were filmed. Finally the trail heads up into the countryside above Healaugh and then Reeth with gorgeous potential views across the ever-widening Swaledale. Finally a nice easy descent off the moors into Reeth for some well earned refreshment.
Overnight Location: Hotel/BB in Reeth
Distance: 17.5km, 607m of ascent
Meals: Breakfast

Day 5 Reeth to Aysgarth

The longest day of this circular walking trip in Yorkshire, but the beauty doesn’t let up. Passing out of Reeth, the way crosses the Arkle Beck before crossing fields of happy sheep to the old stone Grinton Bridge and finally leaving the River Swale. The church here was the ‘Cathedral of the Dales’ and people had to carry their dead miles across the moorlands to have them buried in the consecrated ground. A steep climb out of Grinton is followed by a good bridleway trail up and over High Harker Hill (466m) offering fantastic views across Swaledale. The trail winds around grouse shooting estates and moors changing direction as you drop into remote Apedale, passing Dent’s House, a shooting estate lodge which is a particularly welcoming spot if the weather is poor. A final climb out of Apedale and then a descent back again into Wensleydale, hitting the well preserved bastions of Bolton Castle - cafe in the castle. The final section of the walk connects farm trails to the mixed woodland, festooned with bluebells in late spring, before finally hitting the Aysgarth Waterfalls then returning to Aysgarth to complete the circuit.
Overnight Location: Hotel/BB in Aysgarth
Distance: 22.3km, 739m of ascent
Meals: Breakfast

Day 6 Trip concludes after breakfast

Depart Aysgarth after breakfast.
Overnight Location: None
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast

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This self-guided tour is always run as a private tour for your group only.

2024 Departures
The departures are available daily, from April 1st to October 20th. All the prices below are per person.

  • Single room: $950 USD
  • Sharing a double room: $695 USD
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Accommodation on James Herriot Way Walking Tour

There is a variety of accommodation along the route ranging from bed and breakfasts, country inns and small hotels. They are run by walker friendly hosts offering rooms and a tasty breakfast to get you ready for the walk ahead. Further facilities such as washing and drying facilities, packed lunches and packed lunches are available in some accommodations, you will be advised on your listing of what is available.

In some cases, the accommodation listed below may need to be substituted for other comparable accommodations.

Single Rooms and Solo Travellers
Rooms are double occupancy. You can pay a supplement to have a private room in a hotel where possible. Solo travellers may be required to pay a supplement.

Hotels on Standard Tour

Night 1-5

Hotel/BBs in Yorkshire dales

Stay in cozy family run accommodation along the James Herriot Way trail.

What’s Included in the James Herriot Way Walking Tour?

Meals

5 breakfasts are included. Packed lunches can be booked and paid for on arrival at your accommodation.

Accommodations

Accommodations for 5 nights are included.

Transportation during the Tour

This tour includes luggage transfers for your luggage; however, you are in charge of any personal transfers needed.

Also Included

  • Detailed documents, guides, route maps, and GPX tracks
  • Emergency telephone support hotline for the duration of the tour
  • Pre-planned route
  • Luggage storage (if needed)

Not included

  • Flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Visas if required
  • Meals, drinks, or snacks not previously mentioned
  • Guide services
  • Tourist hotel tax, payable each night at hotel
  • Airport transfers
  • Gratuities for drivers, servers, or other staff if desired

Optional Extras

  • Single occupancy upgrades

Frequently Asked Questions about James Herriot Way Walking Tour

Is this tour for me?

We rate this tour as a 3 / 5. The walks are mostly unsurfaced tracks and footpaths across fields.

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