The latest edition of our 'Dog Friendly Faves' series, where we will cover different cities and towns we visit to showcase our favourite places to eat, drink, play, and stay!
Up in northern England, the Yorkshire Dales encompasses a broad swath of land characterised by rolling hills, limestone formations, sprawling farms, and quaint towns. When my dad came to visit this August, we decided to take him glamping in the Dales--it's close to where we live and the scenery is just beautiful.
STAY
The Wensleydale Experience, Swinithwaite, Leyburn DL8 4UH
Nestled in the middle of a working farm, the Wensleydale Experience comprises six yurts that each have their own toilet, shower, BBQ, and wood-fired hot tub. Please note that only one of their yurts (Hazel) is dog-friendly, so you'll need to be careful when booking. Hazel is fully enclosed, which made it easier to keep an eye on the dogs. My dad stayed in the Rowan yurt, which had a sweeping view of the Dales and Bolton Castle (it's also tucked away toward the end of the yurts for a bit of added privacy). If you stay here, be sure to bring basic cooking ingredients like salt, pepper, butter, and oil. The pre-arrival guidebook you receive via email advises that you bring an extra towel and warm blanket: we agree! There's a wood-burning stove in the yurt, but it can get pretty chilly at night. Bonus points for the USB charging ports that meant we didn't have to rely on external batteries to keep our phones charged!
View of the Hazel Yurt, looking out from the hot tub/shower/toilet area
Ms Clem admires herself inside of the Hazel Yurt
Mr Win eagerly awaits his BBQ dinner
"Please, Mum, may we join you in the hot tub?"
Nice and cosy in bed!
EAT
The Wheatsheaf, Main Street, Carperby, Leyburn DL8 4DF
On the recommendation of our fantastic host at the Wensleydale Experience, Tim, we headed to The Wheatsheaf for dinner. Delicious classic pub fare in a warm and cosy environment. Their soup of the day, carrot and coriander, was superb. Dogs are very welcome, but we recommend calling to book a table as the pub area is quite small.
PLAY
Aysgarth Falls, Yorkshire Dales National Park Car Park - Aysgarth Falls, Church Bank, Aysgarth, Leyburn, DL8 3TH
Either take on a 4.5 mile pub walk that ends at the dog-friendly Aysgarth Falls Hotel Pub, or head straight to the National Park Visitor Centre to begin a short walk down to the falls. It's a beautiful place to take in the landscape of the Dales and enjoy the roaring waterfall!
The water looks more brown than you may expect--it's from the peaty soil.
Where should we head next? Drop ideas in the comments below. Thanks for reading.
Aysgarth Falls is on our list so we can't wait to follow your recommendation! Can you write about the Lake District soon? 🤗