Join us for our Yorkshire Dales Walking Weekend in beautiful Wharfedale, and enjoy a wonderful weekend of adventures, shared experiences and new friendships.

Kettlewell lies in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales in wonderful Upper Wharfedale, an area of gleaming limestone escarpments, beautiful sweeping green valleys, quaint stone-built villages and rolling moorland, with the high fells of Great Whernside and Buckden Pike rising high above. This is a beautiful and fascinating part of the Yorkshire Dales.

The Racehorses Hotel is a lovely country inn situated beside the River Wharfe in the heart of the village, with its narrow lanes and old stone cottages huddled alongside Cam Gill Beck (this is Old Norse for ‘cam’ means ridge of land, ‘gill’ means ravine and ‘beck’ means stream). Indeed, the place names all around go back to the Vikings, as this was originally Ketel’s spring. The walking around Kettlewell is superb, with a range of routes from riverside walks to challenging fell walks.

Mark Reid has written a number of walking guidebooks about the Yorkshire Dales including The Inn Way… to the Yorkshire Dales; he has walked extensively throughout the Yorkshire Dales and knows the footpaths, hills and fells intimately.

Walking Weekend based from: Racehorses Hotel, Kettlewell

Weekend Walks

There will be a choice of two guided walks on Saturday and Sunday, with Mark Reid and his colleague (Mountain Leaders who have exceptional local knowledge). The precise routes will be determined just before the weekend, taking into consideration weather conditions etc. You will be able to sign up for your chosen walk at the Friday evening ‘icebreaker’, where you will also be able to discuss the walks with Mark.

Friday evening (8pm) – Meet at the Racehorses Hotel for our ‘icebreaker’ pub evening, where you can meet your fellow walkers and choose your walk for Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday (9:30am) – choice of adventurous or leisurely walks, with routes across the dales, hills and fells of the Yorkshire Dales, including Great Whernside, Buckden Pike, Old Cote Moor, Top Mere Road and Capplestone Gate, with superlative views, amazing history and geology. Return back to the pub late afternoon to recount your day’s adventures.

Sunday (10am) – choice of adventurous or leisurely walks. Return back to the pub mid afternoon for a final drink before bidding fond farewells… until the next Walking Weekend!

Choice of walks: We usually offer a choice of adventurous or leisurely walks on both days. Saturday is a ‘full day’ from 9:30am until 5pm, whilst Sunday is a ‘half day’ from 10am until around 3pm. We will either split into two groups from the start, or we may walk as a larger group during the morning and then offer ‘longer’ or ‘shorter’ routes after lunch.

Evening entertainment

Friday evening (8pm) – Meet at the Racehorses Hotel for our ‘icebreaker’ pub evening, where you can relax, socialise and meet your fellow walkers, choose your level of walk for Saturday and Sunday.

Arriving early on Friday? Your guides will be eating at the pub at 7:30pm on Friday evening – you are most welcome to join us for a meal; just let us know so we can add you to our table.

Saturday evening (7:30pm) – Meal at Racehorses Hotel (optional), followed by a fantastic Pub Quiz Night with Mark Reid as your quizmaster! Prizes for the winning team.

Kettlewell facilities & accommodation

How to get to Kettlewell
Kettlewell lies along the B6160 in the heart of Wharfedale in North Yorkshire. The nearest train station is Skipton, from where there are regular bus services to Kettlewell.

Facilities
Kettlewell offers a range of facilities including the three pubs, B&Bs, Youth Hostel, campsite, cafes and a traditional village shop.

Accommodation
Kettlewell offers a range of accommodation, including:
Racehorses Hotel, Kettlewell
Blue Bell Inn, Kettlewell
King’s Head, Kettlewell
Kettlewell Youth Hostel
Kettlewell Camping

A quick ‘google’ will find many more places to stay…