Campervanning in the Yorkshire Dales

The view from Brimham Rocks

Drink it in!

Combining spectacular landscapes, fascinating attractions and fine breweries, Jonathan Manning’s latest visit to the Yorkshire Dales is one to savour

An ancient stone arch over the B6160 is both a physical and symbolic gateway to Bolton Abbey and the Yorkshire Dales beyond. At 9ft 5in, the width of the arch prompts even the boldest caravanner or motorhomer to slow down and proceed gently, which seems an entirely appropriate frame of mind in which to explore this beautiful national park. If it’s any comfort for those of you with bigger outfits, a single-decker bus drives through the arch several times per day without scraping against the stone walls.

Bolton Priory

The 18th-century arch is a legacy of the Bolton Abbey Estate, home to a wealthy Augustinian priory until Henry VIII’s marriage difficulties led to the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. The ruins of the priory that tower over the River Wharfe are wonderfully photogenic, so these days pictures – rather than prayers – are more prevalent. A long line of stepping stones through the peaty water creates countless selfie opportunities for Instagram stories, and on a sweltering bank holiday gaggles of snap-happy, bare-footed children are followed across the river by reluctant parents, watched by a crowd wise enough to use the footbridge.

There’s a flat-rate £10 fee to park in Bolton Abbey, which seems steep until it becomes clear that the majority of visitors intend to have a full day out. Barbecues smoulder by the river, picnic blankets are cast across the meadow, and an impressive 80 miles of footpaths – including the popular ‘Welly Walk’ for children – meander through the 30,000-acre estate.

Members staying at Bolton Abbey Caravan and Motorhome Club Site can join the fun and avoid the parking fee with a stroll through Strid Wood and along the river (keep your eyes peeled for the felled tree trunks embedded with thousands of coins) into the village. The site itself is blissfully quiet, the resident ducks snoozing in dappled shade as campers bask in the sunshine.

Grassington

Grassington is something of a tourist hub, with cafés and pubs clustered around an achingly-pretty village centre, where the Folk Museum provides a glimpse into ordinary lives over the centuries.

Just a mile or two up the Wharfe, a long Grassington driveway leads to Wharfedale Club site, which is flanked by a drystone wall with hills beyond. It’s another peaceful site, with a choir of birdsong at daybreak and the haunting hoots of owls at night.

I leave the Wharfe behind for a short drive west to Malham Cove, where a vast curtain of limestone creates a spectacular natural amphitheatre. There’s a broad, easy track to the foot of the cliff, where a steep, stepped path leads to the most extraordinary landscape of limestone pavement, as wrinkled and pitted as elephant hide. Pressing on, the gentle ripples of Malham Tarn create a third eye-catching view in one fabulous walk.

A limestone pavement above Malham Cove

The following day I start a lumpy drive eastwards, rising and falling over the tightly-clustered contours. I whistle through a village called Glasshouses, where I’m pleased to report that no one is throwing stones, before pressing on to Firtree Certificated Location. It’s a small site that’s big on comfort, with fully serviced pitches, a toilet and even a holiday cottage.

The site has gorgeous views across the Vale of York to Sutton Bank and the Kilburn White Horse on the edge of the North York Moors National Park. Many visitors are happy to sit in peace with a book and a glass of wine, say site owners Val and Jim Bradley.

For campers who do want to explore, there are walks from the doorstep, including to the dramatic outcrops at Brimham Rocks, where wind-sculpted gritstone boulders appear to balance on top of each other. Many of the formations have names, such as ‘Cannon’, ‘Anvil’ and ‘Dancing Bear’. As the monikers suggest, it’s easy and fun to identify images in the rocks – Great Aunt Marge here, an old spaniel there – and a numbered trail leads past the most striking configurations.

A more cultured day out lies on the far side of Firtree, at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site owned by the National Trust. A spectacular set of ruins – closer in scale to a small village than a mere abbey – hunkers by the River Skell amid dense, ancient woodland.

Fountains Abbey at night

Even in its ruined state the architecture is exquisite, particularly the multi-arched ceiling of the cloisters. Beyond the masonry there are heavenly walks through the estate to the landscaped 18th-century water gardens of Studley. This is another destination that deserves a full day, with paths fanning out past statues and mini-waterfalls into the deer park. I’m so reluctant to leave that I end up having to race back to my car to beat the 6.30pm curfew.

An early rise the next day reveals the Dales in all their glory, drystone walls parcelling fields where barns appear to have been dropped like houses onto a Monopoly board. The Club site at Lower Wensleydale, within walking distance of the market town of Leyburn, is tucked into an old quarry, which gives it a deliciously quirky layout. The restored arches of former lime kilns can even be found on the lower level.

There appear to be few children staying during my visit, which is a surprise given the site’s proximity to The Forbidden Corner, a bizarre and rather magical theme park. It’s a folly on a massive scale, with a maze of tunnels, secret doors and walk-in sculptures. Frankly, The Forbidden Corner is brilliant and to say any more would require spoiler alerts.

A map of Jonathan's tour route

For a calmer time I follow the River Ure to Hawes, stopping off to admire the series of three thunderous waterfalls at Aysgarth, before continuing to the Wensleydale Creamery, the source of Gromit-owning Wallace’s favourite cheese.

As well as having a Club site of its own, Hawes is also the start point for a magnificent (and tough) walk over the top of Great Shunner Fell, one of the highest peaks in the Dales. The route follows the Pennine Way, and on a clear day the summit views stretch to the Lake District and Isle of Man, although the robust stone shelter at the top suggests there’s no guarantee of a clear day.

Next stop is the characterful Fearby Grange CL, a paddock with divine views over the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A group of friends is staying for a long weekend, and there’s a happy festival vibe.

Nearby Masham is a handsome stone market town with an appealing array of art shops in which to potter until the pubs and breweries open. I opt for the Black Sheep visitor centre, intrigued by the story of how a member of the Theakston clan became the ‘black sheep’ by setting up his own brewery.

The Black Sheep Brewery in Masham

The next day, with the smell of malt in my nostrils, I point the bonnet north to Richmond Hargill House Club site, located less than five minutes from Scotch Corner on the A1(M). Three tiers of the immaculately-kept site deliver captivating views to the south, albeit with a slight rumble of traffic from the A66.

Durham and Newcastle are less than an hour’s drive, but I head to Richmond, just a couple of miles away, which turns out to be gorgeous. Its Castle Walk carries the ghosts of Georgian promenades, with captivating views down to the Swale and up to the ruined battlements.

Leaving Richmond behind, my tour crosses to the east of the A1(M), where Spring Thyme CL has five flat pitches, all with electric hook-ups.

It would be hard to fall out of love with the open road here, though. The Yorkshire Dales really does have it all – stunning landscapes, fabulous attractions, and even its own fine beers. I fill a glass and salute a wonderful tour.