Between Middlesbrough And Lancaster Is A Village Inside A National Park With Historic Charm, Beer, And Hiking

There are many reasons national parks can have a different feel in England versus the U.S. One element is that there are more communities and people living within the boundaries of English parks. With more than 840 square miles of dramatic rolling hills, river valleys, and limestone cliffs, Yorkshire Dales National Park is home to over 22,700 people according to the Office for National Statistics, scattered throughout towns, villages, and farmsteads. Tucked in the green slopes of the Wensleydale valley, Askrigg is one of those villages.

With only a couple of country lanes and a few hundred inhabitants, Askrigg is lined with centuries-old stone buildings that are home to cozy pubs and small hotels. It's so quaint and well-preserved that it's the filming location for the BBC television series "All Creatures Great And Small," which is based on books by James Herriot that follow veterinarians in rural England during the 1930s and beyond. The original series aired in the late 1970s, while a Bafta-nominated remake was launched in 2020. Visitors can stay at a fictional vet's home by booking a room at Skeldale House on Main Street and have a pint from bar stools in a pub that features in the series.

Outside the historic village, hiking trails crisscross the Yorkshire Dales, taking walkers along streams to cascading waterfalls and up towering crags with sweeping countryside vistas. Askrigg makes an ideal, quiet home base from which to explore all that the sprawling national park has to offer. The village is 1 hour 20 minutes' drive from Middlesbrough to the northeast and Lancaster to the southwest. The 156 bus connects Askrigg to neighboring towns and beyond, but being a rural community in the vast Yorkshire Dales, the best way to get around is by car.

If you're looking to fuel up before a hike into the dales or relax at a table on the street with a flat white, The Bake-Well is an ideal place to start the day. It has homemade cakes in cases on the counter, an assortment of sweets, bread, sausage rolls, and sarnies (one of the many informal British words for sandwiches). From there, pop down the block to admire St. Oswald's Church and cemetery, which dates back to the 15th century – it's one of the most beautiful churches in Wensleydale.

Askrigg has three classic pubs tucked in historic Main Street buildings. All of them have a traditional vibe, but each has its own charm. The Middle House is in a hotel with a little garden at the back with picnic tables. It serves Yorkshire cuisine using locally sourced ingredients. The Crown Inn, at the end of the village, has two cozy fireplaces and a special Sunday lunch menu. The Kings Arms, meanwhile, featured in the BBC series and exists as "The Drovers Arms" in the television universe. The walls are full of behind-the-scenes photos, while the menu has typical pub dishes like pies and battered haddock.

Whichever one you choose, remember the ​​​​unwritten rules for visiting a British pub. It's also a good idea to ask for local beers, because The King's Arms has a selection from the Yorkshire Dales Brewing Co. Less than a half mile from Askrigg proper, the brewery has been making lagers, stouts, and IPAs for over 20 years which are available in pubs and retailers across the Yorkshire Dales. During the warmer months, its taproom and beer garden are open on Fridays and Saturdays.

Nestled in the valley of Wensleydale, Askrigg is surrounded by hedge-lined slopes and peaks in Yorkshire Dales National Park. There are a number of trails leading out of the village, but a decent first move might be 15 minutes' drive west to the National Park Visitor Center in Hawes, a scenic town with tasty eats and shops. There, you can get a deeper understanding of the nearby hikes and their difficulty. The center also houses the Dales Countryside Museum, where visitors can learn about Askrigg's watchmaking heritage.

Once you've brushed up on ranger tips for staying safe while hiking, it's time to tackle Askrigg's vast trails, although which ones you choose depend on what you'd like to see and how hearty your legs are. The park has a walking app to help you find the right hike, but a great hour-long starter is Mill Gill. It's just under 2 miles out-and-back, heading west from Askrigg along the Paddock Beck river and past little waterfalls. That stroll can also be turned into a 3.5-mile Three Waterfalls Circular loop.

The tiered Aysgarth Falls are also within hiking distance of Askrigg. The trail passes a river before going through deep green meadows and is more challenging at 11 miles, taking around 4.5 hours. Malham Cove, a striking 230-foot cliff featured in the Harry Potter movie series, is an hour south of Askrigg by car and can be hiked in conjunction with the Gordale Scar gorge and Janet's Foss waterfall, one of the national park's more popular routes. The Yorkshire Dale's hundreds of square miles under open skies are also great for mountain biking, while all its limestone cliffs and outcroppings offer world-class rock climbing.