Between Blackpool And Newcastle Upon Tyne Is A Village With Nearby National Parks, Fishing, And Waterfalls

Britain is dotted with many a charming, rustic village which preserves the nation's cultural and historical qualities far more than London's busy streets. Some of these classic villages even sit within national parks. Ingleton is a perfect example of a timeless blend of British rural culture and natural beauty. Set within the county of North Yorkshire, Ingleton is about 50 miles northeast of Blackpool and 90 miles southwest of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Though remote, it can be reached by car or from the nearby Ribblehead Trail Station. But Ingleton's best qualities are not its quiet countryside atmosphere or classic stone houses, but rather its setting within one of the U.K.'s most beautiful national parks. 

Ingleton has breathtaking vistas of the lovely Yorkshire Dales National Park, which serves as the basis for many attractions and activities. As an authentic national park village, Ingleton provides the same outdoor access as American national park communities such as Grand Canyon Historic Village or Yosemite's Wawona. In contrast to the monumental landscapes of the American West, Ingleton presides over a peaceful stretch of rivers, peaks, and waterfalls. 

Ingleton takes advantage of this location with premier walking trails, including arguably the U.K.'s single best waterfall-viewing route. The sheer number of fish-heavy rivers running on and near its borders create world-class opportunities for river fishing in a magical national park setting. Plus, Ingleton's human-made features include some impressive historic feats and marvels of Victorian engineering, all on view via its many scenic walking routes. 

Ingleton has a more dramatic backdrop than most English villages can boast. After all, the Yorkshire Dales have long been acclaimed for their alluring hills, mountains, and river valleys spread across the Yorkshire countryside — the Yorkshire Dales National Park was a beloved escape for the late Sir Patrick Stewart, among other admirers. Though it's on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, Ingleton doesn't skimp on national park scenery, sitting amid the foothills of the 2,372-foot Ingleborough, one of Yorkshire's famous "Three Peaks."

Ingleborough's verdant summit provides an eye-catching backdrop to Ingleton's humble streets, but it's far from the only incredible natural feature reachable from Ingleton. The village's surrounding landscape is defined by complex limestone formations in and around the Yorkshire Dales' Edenic Ingleton Glen and its haunting collection of woodland, forest streams, and caves. As if those weren't sufficient national park attractions, Ingleton is also a mere 18 miles from Lake District National Park and its iconic water features such as Windermere, England's largest lake. 

Ingleton's Yorkshire Dales landscape is a land of rivers and waterfalls, culminating in the unmissable Ingleton Waterfalls Trail. With so many rivers coursing across steep limestone terrain, Ingleton has been a popular waterfall-viewing location since at least the 19th century. The 4.3-mile Waterfalls Trail covers a rugged area where the Twiss and Doe rivers course through gorges in the Yorkshire Dales in a series of six major waterfalls. This moderately challenging hike passes majestic cascades such as Hollybush Spout, Pecca Falls, and the spectacular Thornton Force. The hike is also superb for seeing deep gorges and more tranquil woodlands.

Ingleton's ecologically rich network of rivers offers more than waterfall hikes. Thanks to the dedicated preservation work of the Ingleton Angling Association, Ingleton is a top basecamp for river fishing. The Twiss and Doe rivers are notable for their large populations of brown trout, with sea trout and salmon commonly caught as well. The Yorkshire Dales' landscape around Ingleton provides a picturesque backdrop to a day of fly fishing in a river. Many fishing areas in the Yorkshire Dales near Ingleton feature large, open fells and rural valleys that are nearly as much of an attraction for anglers as the fish themselves. 

This river system provides more challenging fishing opportunities as well, including the rare chance to fish near a waterfall. Several miles of rivers in the Yorkshire Dales rage down steep gorges to several waterfall-adjacent pools where brown trout may be hiding. Even if you don't catch anything on your Ingleton fishing trip, you'll still have the one-of-a-kind memory of fishing in one of Britain's wildest landscapes. 

In between a waterfall hike or river fishing expedition, you can explore Ingleton's remarkable blend of nature and history on a self-guided walking tour. While natural attractions such as the White Scar Cave are worth visiting, Ingleton also protects a millennia-old history that includes the Anglo-Saxons, early British Christians, ancient Celts, and prehistoric peoples. Local attractions include the Victorian-era Ribblehead Viaduct; St. Mary's Church, a 19th-century place of worship on a religious site dating back to the 12th century; and Wensleydale Creamery, Dales Countryside Museum, and pub inns that are cozy even in the rain.