Explore the Hidden Village of Askrigg, Yorkshire Dales

Hi! I’m Abbey, and I recently started my own travel and lifestyle blog called Abbey Writes.

I am from the north-east of England, and for the past few years I have often paid visits to the quaint little village of Askrigg which is located in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. I have visited the village every year for the past three years and felt it deserved some recognition because it never fails to disappoint with some fantastic walks and places to eat. I have gained so many positive memories from my visits to Askrigg, so why not give it a try for yourself and spend a day there, or even stay overnight? (when lockdown restrictions are lifted). 

The picturesque village which is located in Wensleydale has some lovely walks which offer some great views of the surrounding countryside, and it also hosts some cosy little independent pubs and restaurants. There is plenty to do when you visit and if you also want to explore the surrounding areas of Aysgarth, Bainbridge and Hawes then there are a selection of wonderful places to stay, so you don’t have to cram it all in to one day.

Places to Stay

I remember walking around the village and thinking to myself, wouldn’t it be great to live here? After all, it’s so calm, quiet and peaceful. The only thing that bothers me about the area is poor signal, but then again it is the dales, and sometimes it’s nice to take some time away from your phone to experience your surroundings. 

If you take a stroll down the village and look at the magnificent little cottages it has to offer, like me, you may end up wishing that you could stay. Well, you can (at least temporarily!). If you take a look here, then you will see there are a variety of places you can stay once lockdown restrictions are fully lifted.

You can either choose to experience the cottage life for yourself, stay at a b&b, or more traditionally, you can look at the hotels on offer which are mentioned and linked later in this post. Judging from the website, it seems that most cottages and b&bs in Askrigg come with wi-fi but more importantly, some appear to offer fantastic views of the countryside to wake up to or to gaze out on during a calm evening in the summer. 

Parking

There are a number of places in the village where you can park to enjoy your day out. The place where we usually park is outside of St Oswald’s Church, which is a fabulous grade I listed building. Grade I means that it is a building of ‘special architectural/historic interest’ and has very high significance as outlined by Historic England. 

This parking area is right in the middle of the village which makes everything easily accessible. There is also limited parking at The Crown Inn, which is a pub located in the village that I will talk more about later in the post. There is also parking available on Leyburn Road as if you are heading towards The Crown Inn (you will see the Inn if you go left down the road from the car park on google maps, towards a building with scaffolding on it). 

Walking

There are a few main walks around Askrigg that you can explore. The first walk that I would definitely recommend has a footpath which takes you right across the mountain tops. We usually drive uphill from Askrigg to the tops where we park on the grass verges at the side of the road. Then, from there you can experience the jaw-dropping views of the surrounding mountains. The walk will allow you to appreciate the stunning landscapes that the Yorkshire Dales has to offer, while taking a nice stroll either by yourself, with friends or with your loved ones. Make sure you wrap up warm in the winter and wear thick trousers though, because it can get pretty chilly!

The second walk that you should take leads you to Mill Gill Force, which is a magnificent hidden gem situated just outside of Askrigg and is definitely worth the visit. The walk leads you out of the village, where you can appreciate the picture-perfect cottages on your way out. It will then bring you through a field and once you get to the end, beautiful views of the mountains and surrounding farmland awaits. 

Once you have reached this point there will be a woodland area from where you can still appreciate the lovely views on offer. There will then be about a 10-minute walk through the woodland along a footpath, until you reach the stunningly powerful waterfall. 

A piece of advice for this walk is to make sure you bring walking boots, particularly if it has been raining as it can get pretty muddy. Nevertheless, it’s worth getting a little muddy for this lovely walk.
Alternatively, if you’re feeling more adventurous then you can take a longer walk to both Mill Gill Force and Whitfield Gill Force.

Places to Eat and Drink

Once you have finished your walk for the day, why not treat yourself to a hearty meal? The main places to eat in Askrigg are The Kings Arms, The White Rose Hotel and The Crown Inn. 

They all seem like great places to eat but a personal favourite has to be The Crown Inn. It is a cosy little family run pub and is great to visit during the winter because it has two log burners. It is also child friendly and dog friendly, as it states on their website. They also serve a mouth-watering selection of traditional British pub food which you can see on their menus. 

Every time I have visited The Crown Inn it has never failed to impress. From my experience, the staff are very accommodating and friendly, and there is always a great atmosphere. The pub does get busy, which is why they have advised booking for groups of over 10. Nevertheless, when I visit, I am usually with a group of around 5-8 people (which includes myself) and I still have an absolutely fantastic time.

Related: Best things to do in the Yorkshire Dales