Dates: September 10–19, 2027
Three of England’s most beautiful landscapes.
One fabulous adventure.
We’ll journey through the Yorkshire Dales, Lake District and Peak District, experiencing three very different corners of England on foot.
We’ll walk through the limestone landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales, beside the lakes and among the fells of the Lake District, and along the gritstone Edges of the Peak District with their wide-open views across the surrounding countryside.
But there’s much more to this adventure than walking.
Along the way, we’ll explore centuries of English history at places such as Fountains Abbey, Bolton Castle and Chatsworth House.
We’ll spend time in villages and market towns, discover the literary landscapes connected to William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter and, naturally, sample a few local treats along the way.
And while these three national parks share some similarities, each has a character and landscape all its own.
That’s one of the things I love most about this adventure — the incredible variety.
I’ve spent time walking and exploring in all three regions, and I’m excited to share some of the places I love while experiencing a few new ones right alongside you.
Over the course of ten days, we’ll move from limestone cliffs and quiet valleys to lakes and fells, heather-covered moorland and gritstone Edges.
Along the way, we’ll mix our time outdoors with castles and country estates, literary history and local food.
It’s a wonderful blend of nature, history, culture and soft adventure — exactly the kind of England I love.
If you enjoy beautiful landscapes, rewarding walks, fascinating history and experiencing a destination at a slower pace, this adventure is a wonderful way to discover three distinctive corners of northern England.
Important to know:
Other things to know:
Our adventure begins in York, where we’ll meet our fellow travelers before making our way into the Yorkshire countryside.
Our first stop is Fountains Abbey, where the impressive ruins of one of England’s great Cistercian monasteries sit within the wider Studley Royal landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We’ll explore the abbey ruins and wander through the surrounding grounds, where landscaped gardens, ornamental lakes, canals and temples create a striking contrast with the medieval monastery.
It’s a wonderful introduction to the history and landscapes we’ll experience over the days ahead.
Later in the afternoon, we’ll continue into the Yorkshire Dales and make our way to our hotel in the countryside outside Skipton.
Surrounded by the rolling landscape of North Yorkshire, it will be our base for the next few nights and a lovely place to settle in after our first day together.
We’ll gather for dinner this evening and look ahead to our journey through the Dales, Lakes and Peaks.
Overnight: Near Skipton — The Coniston Hotel Country Estate
Meals Included: Lunch and Dinner
Walk Details: 3 miles / 5km, 165 ft / 50m elevation gain, apprx 2 hours
Please note: Pre-night(s) in York available upon request. I highly recommend time in this city. It’s a favorite of mine!
Today we’ll set out on foot to explore one of my favorite walks in the Yorkshire Dales.
Beginning in the wee village of Malham (a charmer), we’ll make our way through the countryside toward Janet’s Foss, a lovely waterfall tucked into the woods.
Local legend says the pool beneath the falls was once home to Jennet, queen of the fairies — because apparently even the Yorkshire Dales need a fairy queen or two. (I love these stories!)
From here, we’ll continue to Gordale Scar, a dramatic limestone ravine carved deep into the landscape.
I’ve walked this route before, and Gordale Scar is one of those places that becomes even more impressive once you’re standing inside it, surrounded by towering walls of limestone.
Our walk then takes us toward Malham Cove, one of the most recognizable landscapes in the Yorkshire Dales.
The huge curved limestone cliff was shaped by glacial meltwater at the end of the last Ice Age.
We’ll make our way to the top, where the limestone pavement creates an unusual landscape beneath our feet and the views stretch across the surrounding Yorkshire countryside.
And those views are pretty fabulous.
Malham Cove is also an important habitat for birds, including peregrine falcons, which have nested here over the years, so we’ll keep an eye on the cliffs and skies as we walk.
After completing our loop, we’ll return through Malham before making our way back to our hotel for the evening.
Overnight: Near Skipton — The Coniston Hotel Country Estate
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Walk Details: 5 miles / 8km, 655 ft / 200m elevation gain, apprx 4 hours
Today we’ll combine some Yorkshire history with another walk through the beautiful landscapes of the Dales.
We’ll begin at Bolton Castle, an impressive 14th-century fortress overlooking Wensleydale.
Built by the Scrope family, the castle has witnessed more than six centuries of English history and famously held Mary, Queen of Scots for six months in 1568–69.
I’ve visited Bolton Castle before, and it’s a fascinating place to explore.
We’ll have time to wander through the castle’s rooms and towers as well as its beautiful gardens, with wonderful views across the surrounding countryside.
The castle is also known for its birds of prey, and we’ll have an opportunity to see one of its falconry displays during our visit.
Later, we’ll set out on foot through the Yorkshire Dales countryside.
Our walk takes us through farmland and meadows, past the dry stone walls that are such a distinctive part of this landscape and along quiet country lanes.
We’ll also spend some time in Askrigg, a lovely wee village of stone cottages and narrow streets surrounded by the hills of Wensleydale.
After our day exploring this part of the Yorkshire Dales, we’ll return to our hotel for our final evening here.
Overnight: Near Skipton — The Coniston Hotel Country Estate
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Walk Details: 6–7 miles / 9.6-11.2km, apprx 3–4 hours
Today we’ll say goodbye to the Yorkshire Dales — but not before one final walk.
We’ll begin in the village of Clapham and set out through the surrounding countryside, walking among fields, dry stone walls and the limestone landscape of this part of the Dales.
Our destination is the Norber Erratics, a collection of enormous boulders scattered across the hillside.
Carried here by glaciers during the last Ice Age, these rocks are made from a different type of stone than the limestone beneath them.
Over thousands of years, the surrounding limestone has slowly eroded, leaving some of the boulders balanced rather improbably on limestone pedestals.
It’s one of the more unusual landscapes we’ll encounter on this adventure.
After our walk and lunch, we’ll leave the Yorkshire Dales behind and continue northwest into the Lake District National Park.
The landscape begins to change as we make our way toward Lake Windermere, with the rolling countryside of the Dales giving way to the lakes and fells of our next national park.
We’ll settle into our hotel near Bowness-on-Windermere, where we’ll spend the next few nights, with time to relax before dinner.
Overnight: Bowness-on-Windermere — Lindeth Howe
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Walk Details: 6 miles / 10km, 984 ft / 300m elevation gain, apprx 4 hours
Today we’ll explore some of my favorite places in the Lake District, combining a bit of literary history with a beautiful walk through the surrounding landscape.
We’ll begin in Grasmere, a lovely village surrounded by the fells of the Lake District.
Here we’ll visit Dove Cottage, where poet William Wordsworth lived with his sister Dorothy from 1799 to 1808.
We’ll explore the cottage and learn more about their lives here and the landscape that inspired so much of Wordsworth’s writing.
After lunch, we’ll set out on foot through a part of the Lake District that I absolutely love.
Our walk takes us alongside Rydal Water and up to Rydal Cave, a large man-made cavern tucked into the hillside.
I’ve walked these trails several times, and the views around Rydal and above Grasmere are fabulous — lakes, fells and quintessential Lake District scenery in every direction.
From here, we’ll continue toward Ambleside, a town I know especially well after spending five weeks here in late 2023.
Ambleside is a charmer, with stone buildings, independent shops and plenty of places to stop for a drink or a bite to eat.
But what I love most is its setting, surrounded by some of the most beautiful walking country in the Lake District.
After some time in Ambleside, we’ll make the short journey back to our hotel for the evening.
Overnight: Bowness-on-Windermere — Lindeth Howe
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Walk Details: 4 miles / 7km, 656 ft / 200m elevation gain, apprx 3 hours
Today we’ll explore another side of the Lake District’s literary heritage, beginning with one of its most famous residents — Beatrix Potter.
We’ll visit Hill Top, the 17th-century farmhouse that Beatrix purchased in 1905 and where she wrote and illustrated many of her much-loved stories.
Inside, we’ll see the rooms and belongings that inspired many of Beatrix’s stories and illustrations.
We’ll also have time to wander through the cottage garden.
Fans of her stories may even recognize places and objects that found their way into the illustrations of books such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit and The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck.
After lunch, we’ll leave the literary history behind — or perhaps simply walk into the landscape that inspired it.
We’ll head into the Lake District fells for a six-mile walk through hills and valleys, surrounded by the landscapes that have inspired writers, artists and travelers for generations.
This afternoon is really about experiencing the Lake District the way I love most — on foot, with time to take in the views and simply enjoy being out in the landscape.
After our walk, we’ll return to Lindeth Howe for our final evening in the Lake District.
And there’s one more Beatrix Potter connection here — she once owned Lindeth Howe, purchasing it for her mother in 1915.
A fitting place to finish our day — and our time in the Lakes.
Overnight: Bowness-on-Windermere — Lindeth Howe
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Walk Details: 6 miles / 10km, apprx 3–4 hours
Today we’ll say goodbye to the Lake District and journey south to the third and final national park of our adventure — the Peak District.
And we won’t waste much time before getting out on foot.
Our first walk takes us up onto Bamford Edge, one of the gritstone Edges that are such a distinctive feature of the Peak District landscape.
I’ve walked Bamford Edge before, and the views are fabulous.
From the Edge, we’ll look out across the Hope Valley, surrounding moorland and Ladybower Reservoir below.
And since we’ll be here in September, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that some of the purple heather is still in bloom!
It’s a wonderful introduction to a very different English landscape from the limestone valleys of the Yorkshire Dales and the lakes and fells we’ve just left behind.
After our walk, we’ll continue to Rowsley and settle into our hotel, our base for the final few nights of the adventure.
Overnight: Rowsley — The Peacock at Rowsley
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Walk Details: 3 miles / 4.6 km, 899 ft / 274m elevation gain, apprx 2.5 hours
Transfer Time: Apprx 3 hours
Today we’ll slow the pace a bit and spend the day at Chatsworth House, one of England’s great country estates.
And yes, Chatsworth is popular.
But it’s also magnificent.
I’ve visited before and absolutely loved it.
The house itself is impressive, filled with centuries of history, art and family stories.
But the gardens and surrounding estate are every bit as much a part of the experience.
We’ll have plenty of time to explore at our own pace, wandering through the grand rooms of the house before heading outside to discover the gardens, fountains and expansive grounds.
This is a day without a big walk or a packed schedule.
Take your time in the house, linger in the gardens, stop for lunch or simply enjoy having the freedom to explore Chatsworth in whatever way appeals to you.
After our day at Chatsworth, we’ll return to Rowsley for the evening and gather for dinner.
Overnight: Rowsley — The Peacock at Rowsley
Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner
Walk Details: Optional
For our final full day together, we’ll combine one of the Peak District’s best-known towns with one last fabulous walk.
We’ll begin in Bakewell, a lovely market town on the River Wye that I’ve enjoyed wandering around on a couple of previous visits.
We’ll have some time to explore the town, browse the independent shops and enjoy the riverside setting at our own pace.
And, of course, there are the famous Bakewell puddings and tarts.
We may just have to try both to decide which one is better. 😉
After lunch, we’ll head back into the Peak District landscape for our final walk — Stanage Edge.
I’ve walked Stanage before, and it’s a spectacular stretch of the Peak District.
The gritstone Edge rises above the surrounding moorland, with fabulous views stretching across the countryside as we make our way along it.
This is one of our longer walks of the adventure, giving us plenty of time to experience those wide-open Peak District landscapes on foot — and work off those Bakewell desserts.
And just as we did at Bamford Edge, we’ll keep our fingers crossed for some lingering purple heather.
I was lucky enough to see plenty of it when I walked here.
And it makes an already beautiful landscape even more special.
After our walk, we’ll return to Rowsley for our final evening together.
Tonight, as we gather for dinner, we can raise a glass and celebrate our journey through three very different English landscapes — from the limestone countryside of the Yorkshire Dales to the lakes and fells of the Lake District and, finally, the gritstone Edges of the Peak District.
Overnight: Rowsley — The Peacock at Rowsley
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Walk Details: 8 miles / 13km, 1837ft / 56 m elevation gain, apprx 4.5 hours
After one last breakfast together, it’s time to say goodbye and begin the journey home — or perhaps continue on to another part of England!
We’ll leave Rowsley and make our way back to York, where we’ll say our farewells at the railway station.
From here, you can continue by train to London, Edinburgh or wherever your travels take you next.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Transfer Time: Approx. 1 hour 45 minutes
