Yorkshire Dales Preview

Originally founded by the Romans as Eboracum in 71 AD, it later became the Viking capital of Jorvik, and its multifaceted heritage is still etched into the streets today. King George VI famously remarked that "the history of York is the history of England,". The city is famously home to York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, which houses the world's largest expanse of medieval stained glass in its Great East Window. York’s medieval character is preserved within its City Walls, the longest and most complete in England, stretching 2.1 miles around the historic core. Tucked within these fortifications is The Shambles, often cited as the best-preserved medieval street in Europe. Its timber-framed buildings lean so far over the narrow cobbles they almost touch at the top, a design that served as the primary inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films. For those with a taste for the unusual, York is officially the most haunted city in Europe, with over 500 recorded sightings. York has a surprisingly "sweet" industrial past. Known as the UK’s City of Chocolate, it was the birthplace of iconic treats like the KitKat and Terry’s Chocolate Orange. Even today, you can sometimes catch the scent of cocoa drifting from the local factories on a warm breeze.

We are now leaving the city of York, once the most important city in Northern England. Founded by the Romans in 79AD initially as a military base where two rivers meet and named Eboracum, the name meaning a clearing in the Yew trees, the city grew quickly thanks to the flat fertile farmland surrounding the city facilitating an abundance of food. In 306AD, whilst visiting the city, Constantine the Great became the Roman Emperor and established a Catholic Church on the site where York Minster now stands. A few hundred years later, raiders from Scandinavia known as the Vikings would take the city by force and rename it Jorvik. They continued the farmland creation, deforesting the land to creating fields and grazing land you can now see.
York continued to be a powerful city in England, particularly within the Christian world, but didn't grow as much as other cities, and has a population of around 200,000 people.
Today the city has a number of key industries including chocolate manufacture, education and research and of course, tourism. York is the home of the KitKat and the Yorkie, the Terry's Chocolate Orange and many more sweet treats. The city centre provides an amazing backdrop for urban wanderings with the city walls offering great views, the famous Shambles which inspired Harry Potter as Diagon Alley, and of course, the magnificent York Minster.

Our story begins between 100,000 and 12,000 years ago when this area was covered in ice and glaciers which carved their way through the rock that created this land and left behind the hills and valleys that we have today. Over the next few centuries, most of Britain become covered in a thick deciduous forest. At the time, Britain was physically attached to Europe and humans and animals travelled here and started to call Britain home. These early humans were the Mesolithic or early Stone Age people, living off the land by foraging and hunting for animals. Around 5000 years ago, people travelled from mainland Europe will knowledge of farming and agriculture - how to plant seeds and rear animals. These skills were taught to the people of Britain. Great calendars were built to help people understand when they should plant and harvest their crops; these calendars, made from stone, were dotted all over Britain; the most famous is of course Stone Henge. Here in Yorkshire, many were built. This time led to the creation of communities and the birth of our civilisation here in Britain and is known as the Neolithic period. Technology advanced, travel became more frequent and new skills were learnt. The mining and use of metal began with Bronze Age around 3,500 years ago, and developed further with the Iron Age around 2,700 years ago. But it wasn't until the Roman's arrived that things started to change

The Roman's brought with them new technology, language and governance, and perhaps most significantly, Christianity, something we'll learn more about later.
The Romans were around for about 400 years, but left in the mid-fifth century, leaving England without any central leadership. For centuries, rival kings and local leaders fought over power and control and foreign invaders saw England as an easy target for expanding their territories. The Angles and the Saxons from Europe travelled over in their thousands, fighting with the native English. bringing them their own languages and customs. And then, in the 8th century, the Vikings arrived.

War continued. These times are officially known as the early middle ages but are more commonly referred as the Dark Ages as, quite simply, they were indeed dark times due to continuous warring taking place. Sadly, few records were kept and little advanced in the way of society and technology. It was simply centuries of survival. However, 927AD, King Athelston was able to unite all of the areas of England and create one country under one ruler. Finally, there was peace.

The time of peace under King Athelston and his descendants was sadly short-lived. In 1066, King Edward [the Confessor] died leaving no obvious heir. Several people came forward with a claim and built armies with the intention of fighting for their right to be King of England. Harold Godwinson was the immediate successor, but three key rivals would not let that happen. His own brother Tostig, the Norwegian King Harold Hardrada and William, Duke of Normandy all had their eye on the throne.

Tostig formed an alliance with Norwegian Harold Hardrada who sailed to England and met Godwinson in battle at nearby Stamford Bridge. Whilst Harold was successful in the battle defeating the invading Harold Hardrada, his forces were weakened. Another rival, also with Viking DNA, was William of Normandy. He saw that England was vulnerable, so gathered as many men and ships as he could and sailed to meet Godwinson in battle. They met on the south coast of England just outside of Hastings. An enormous battle ensued an thousands died. Legend has it that Harold Godwinson was shot in the eye with an arrow and killed; William of Normandy was victorious. He became known as William the Conqueror.

Covering 2,178 square kilometres of northern England, the Yorkshire Dales National Park is a breathtaking tapestry of deep glacial valleys, rugged limestone crags, and iconic pastoral beauty. Established in 1954, the park is defined by its "Dales"- valleys largely named after the rivers that carved them, such as Swaledale and Wharfedale. This landscape is a living monument to centuries of hill farming, most visible in the staggering 5,000 miles of dry-stone walls that crisscross the hills. These hand-built structures, many dating back to the Enclosures of the 18th century, are crafted without a single drop of mortar; if laid end-to-end, they would stretch nearly halfway around the world. The Dales have served as the backdrop for everything from Harry Potter to Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

Bolton Castle is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in the country, dominating Wensleydale with its powerful and commanding presence. It was built in the late 14th century by Sir Richard le Scrope, Lord Chancellor of England under Richard II, and remarkably, it remains in the hands of his direct descendants today.

Construction is said to have taken 18 years and cost around 12,000 marks—an enormous sum at the time—reflecting both the wealth and influence of the Scrope family. Unlike many castles that have fallen into ruin, Bolton’s four great towers still stand at their original height, creating a striking silhouette that has remained largely unchanged for over 600 years.

The castle has witnessed dramatic moments in British history. Its most famous resident was Mary, Queen of Scots, who was held here for six months after her defeat at the Battle of Langside. Although she was a prisoner, she lived in relative comfort, accompanied by a household of 51 people, and it was during her stay that she is said to have learned to speak English.

During the English Civil War, the castle was besieged and partially slighted, leaving sections damaged. However, parts of the building were later restored, helping preserve its impressive structure. Today, the terraced gardens surrounding the castle add to its charm, offering beautiful views across the dale and a sense of how the estate once functioned.

Bolton Castle’s authenticity has made it a popular filming location, appearing in productions such as Elizabeth and All Creatures Great and Small. With its blend of history, architecture, and storytelling, it remains one of the most atmospheric castles in England.

Stretching over a dramatic mile-long gorge on the River Ure, Aysgarth Falls is one of the most famous triple-flight waterfalls in England. Rather than a single vertical drop, the falls consist of three distinct stages—Upper, Middle, and Lower—where the river tumbles over broad, staircase-like layers of Carboniferous limestone. This "stepped" effect is a geological marvel known as the Yoredale Series, formed over 300 million years ago when the area lay beneath a shallow tropical sea. The current dramatic landscape was sculpted much more recently, during the last Ice Age, when surging glacial meltwater carved deep into the rock to create the valley we see today. While the falls have been a major tourist draw for over 200 years, they earned modern global fame as a filming location for the 1991 blockbuster Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The Upper Falls provided the backdrop for the iconic river duel. Long before Hollywood arrived, the falls inspired the romantic sensibilities of William Wordsworth, who honeymooned nearby.

In the heart of Hawes, the Wensleydale Creamery stands as an icon of British culinary heritage, attracting over 300,000 visitors per year. The story of its world-famous cheese began nearly 1,000 years ago in the 12th century, when Cistercian monks from Normandy settled at Jervaulx Abbey. In 2013, this legacy was legally protected when Yorkshire Wensleydale was granted Protected Geographical Indication status, ensuring that only cheese handcrafted in Wensleydale itself can bear the name. The Creamery’s survival is a tale of northern grit. During the 1930s, local businessman Kit Calvert rescued the factory from closure, and decades later, the staff staged a daring management buyout in 1992 to prevent production from moving out of the Dale. However, its most famous "saviours" are undoubtedly the animated duo Wallace and Gromit. After the inventor declared it his favourite cheese in the 1995 film A Close Shave, sales skyrocketed, forging a permanent cultural bond. At the Visitor Centre, you can still pose for a photo with life-sized figures of the characters.

Grassington is a charming market town in the Yorkshire Dales, known for its cobbled square, traditional stone buildings, independent shops, and vibrant community, serving as a hub for exploring the stunning Wharfedale valley. It's famous as the filming location for fictional "Darrowby" in All Creatures Great and Small, with many of the Grassington businesses having their shopfronts transformed into the late 1930s style during filming. The town hosts annual events including a 1940’s weekend and a popular Dickensian Festival.The Dales have been a farming landscape for thousands of years. As you look across the valley you will see the distinctive pattern of earthwork fields for growing crops – as well as a patchwork of drystone walls and nineteenth-century field barns.

Hubberholme is an old village in Upper Wharfedale in the Yorkshire Dales, at the point where Langstrothdale meets Wharfedale. St. Michael and Angels Church is a notable stop where the ashes of the well-known writer J. B. Priestley are buried. St Michael and All Angels, Hubberholme, is one of the most historic and picturesque of all churches in Wharfedale. The farthest church up the dale, it was originally a Forest Chapel of the Norman hunting forest of Langstrothdale Chase, and dates from the 12th century, with its oak roof not been completed until 1558. St Michael’s was originally dedicated to the Northumbrian St Oswald and was given to the monks of Coverham Abbey in 1241. It was the craftsman Robert Thompson, also known as “the Mouseman” of Kilburn”, who designed the oak church pews and left his trademark mouse in the woodwork.

Ripon Cathedral (officially the Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Wilfrid) stands as one of Northern England’s most architecturally diverse and historically significant sites. While the present structure was built largely between the 13th and 16th centuries, it sits atop a much deeper history. Visitors can descend a narrow stone staircase into the Anglo-Saxon Crypt, founded by St Wilfrid in 672. This tiny, barrel-vaulted chamber is the oldest built structure in any English cathedral still in use today—a silent, atmospheric space that has served as a site of pilgrimage for over 1,350 years. The Exterior West Front is a masterpiece of the Early English Gothic style, featuring three tiers of tall, slender lancet windows. In the nave, you can see a rare sight where a rounded Norman arch and a pointed Gothic arch sit side-by-side—a result of a 15th-century tower collapse and subsequent partial rebuild. In the mid-19th century, Lewis Carroll spent significant time here while his father served as a residentiary canon. Many believe the cathedral’s whimsical medieval woodcarvings inspired Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Pateley Bridge is a market town in Nidderdale. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it lies on the River Nidd, siting just outside the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The town has the oldest sweet shop in the world. Established in 1827, it is housed in one of the earliest buildings in Pateley Bridge, dating from 1661. For those with an appetite for history, the Nidderdale Museum, housed in a former Victorian workhouse, offers a fascinating glimpse into local lead mining, agricultural life, and folk traditions. Outdoor enthusiasts will find Pateley Bridge an unbeatable base camp; it marks the start and finish of the Nidderdale Way, a 53-mile circular walk that showcases the valley's dramatic landscapes.

Stump Cross Caverns is a show cave which lies alongside the road between Grassington and Pateley Bridge. The caves at Stumps Cross were discovered in 1860 by miners who looking for lead seams in the Yorkshire Dales. Although they didn’t find any lead, they did find the natural caverns which you can see today. The formation of Stump Cross Caverns began millions of years ago, when the area which is now the Yorkshire Dales was covered by oceans. Sediment from the ocean floor would eventually form limestone, the caves themselves began to form as the limestone was eroded by weak acid rain. Underground streams then found their way into the cracks and began to expand the cave system as more rock was worn away.

Sitting at an elevation of 850 feet, Hawes holds the distinction of being the highest market town in England. Its name, derived from the Old Norse word hals, meaning a “pass between mountains,” perfectly reflects its dramatic setting between the peaks of Fleet Moss and Buttertubs. This location also made Hawes a natural hub for transport and trade, with routes converging here from across the Dales. As a result, the town became known for its many inns and pubs—many originally coaching inns—serving stagecoaches, drovers, and travellers crossing the fells. These provided rest, food, and fresh horses, making Hawes a lively stopping point on long journeys.

Though small, Hawes has been a centre of commerce since it was first recorded as a marketplace in 1307. This tradition continues today, with a bustling Tuesday market granted a royal charter by King William III in 1699. Alongside trade, traditional industries flourished here, including rope making—an essential craft for farming and transport—once carried out in long ropewalk buildings.

Hawes sits in the heart of “Herriot Country,” the landscape that inspired Alf Wight, better known as James Herriot. The town reflects the close-knit, hardworking rural life captured in his stories and seen in All Creatures Great and Small, both the original series and its modern adaptation. Today, Hawes remains a vibrant and characterful town, where history, industry, and storytelling all meet.

William had an uphill struggle against him; he had taken power by force and had to integrate himself as the ruler of the country. To understand the country better and so that he could tax people correctly, he ordered the Doomsday Book, a record of all landownership in England. This proved unpopular as people didn't want to share their personal information with the new government. People refused to respect and accept the king. Angered, William sent soldiers to enforce his rule and slay any who didn't conform.

The people of Yorkshire, who only a few generations ago had fought for their freedom, were fiercely independent and suffered badly during this time. It is expected that around 100,000 people, or 75% of the population were killed or fled in the years following the Battle of Hastings here in the north of England. This devastation became known as the Harrying of the North.

William could see that ruling solely by force would forever be difficult; he would need help. So he turned to a very trusted ally - god. A Christian man, William brought over monks from France who were given land to establish places of worship, education, healing and study. Their lands, now empty thanks to the tragedies in previous years popped up all over England and particularly here in Yorkshire thanks to York being a very important place for the Catholic church dating back to 700 years prior and Constantine the Great.

The started to build grand abbeys and Cathedrals. York Minster's origins can be traced back to this time, as can Ripon Cathedral where we will be seeing soon.

We are just passing one of the most stately and luxurious hotels in Yorkshire, Grantley Hall. Originally built as a stately home in the 17th century, the site was opened as a luxury hotel and wellness retreat in 2019. In 2023, the hotel won the award for "Best Countryside Hotel in the UK" in 2023, and in 2026 was featured in the Chanel 5 Television series "Yorkshire's Poshest Hotel".

Other five star hotels in Yorkshire include the Grand in York, only a hundred metres from where we met this morning, and Swinton Park Hotel in Masham. In fact, visitors have been coming to Yorkshire for over two hundred years - during the Victorian times, the upper classes were starting to travel, and with the invention of the railway, the middle-classes could join them in this new hobby. Destinations like Whitby, Scarbrough and of course York became popular places to visit, and tourism as an industry was born. Today, tourism is one of the world's largest economies with about 10% of all the jobs in the world supporting the travel industry. Here in the National Parks, day trips and holidays account for even more than that, especially as farming is automated and manufacturing jobs are very scarce. How tourism is managed is very important and here at Mountain Goat, we make real efforts to be as responsible as possible, supporting communities and local people and having a minimal impact on the environment.

York lies almost exactly half way between Edinburgh and London and built a reputation for being a key place for travel over the centuries. People would stop over for a night to two, rest and reshoe their horses, or even swap them for fresh ones.

With the invention of the railway, York became a key location on the east coast main line and has a rich railway heritage making it the perfect place for the National Railway Museum.

Today, this amazing museum is home to some of the greatest locomotives ever created such as a replica of the world's oldest train, Stephenson's Rocket, the Mallard, the fastest steam locomotive every built, a Japanese Bullet Train and the world famous Flying Scotsman. Dozens of interactive exhibitions and galleries add to the experience, as do the cafe and the shop.

Having just undergone a huge refurbishment, the museum is now one of the best transport museums in Britain and has some world-class exhibitions and attractions.

Open daily from 10:00 - 17:00, visit early to avoid the crowds. Best of all? The museum is suitable for all ages, is very accessible and is free to enter. You don't have to be a train enthusiast to have an amazing time visiting the National Railway Museum.

It may not feel like it but we are actually already in a valley. This is the Vale of York, a broad flat low lying plain in North Yorkshire forming a central part of the larger north south Lowland corridor running from the River Tees to the Humber estuary. It surrounds the city of York which sits roughly at its centre. To the North we have the North York Moors and Howardian Hills, The Yorkshire Wolds tot he east and to the west the magnificent Yorkshire Dales.

The limestone rock has made fantastic fertile, well drained soil and makes this area on of England's major agricultural regions. The main crops include wheat, barley, oilseed rape or canola and vegetables. Around 73% of the land in the Vale of York is cultivated with over 1,000 farms, whilst only 3% is wooded, a contrast to its natural state of think deciduous woodland with animals roaming freely. Historically, this intensive agriculture developed over centuries of drainage, enclosure, and land improvement, with origins stretching back to medieval and even prehistoric periods.

The cool summers and mild winters help to support the agricultural industries - it is relatively sunny thanks to the Pennine rain shadow, something we'll explain later. The vale is fed by a number of rivers - the Ure, Foss and Nidd and drained by the Ouse.

Due to the major rivers flowing through the area, and the highlands that feed these rivers, it is not uncommon for these rivers to burst their banks and cause flooding. In fact, it is thought that York could be the most flooded city in England due to this fact. The Ouse has a huge catchment including the Swale, the Nidd and the Wharfe, three rivers that we may see on our adventure today. The Ouse basin can receive sustained rainfall from slow-moving Atlantic weather systems; sometimes rainfall can last weeks. This is combined with steep runoffs from the hills in the Yorkshire Dales, impermeable clays meaning less filtration into the ground, farming practices and irrigation and urban development such as roads causing water to not be absorbed.

In recent years, there have been several major flooding events in York. The worst on record was in the year 2000 when the Ouse reached 5.4 metres above normal level, the highest since records began. Its estimated that 500 properties were flooded and there was major disruption across the city with evacuations. The problems lasted for weeks. More recently on Boxing Day of 2015, heavy rains and snow melt caused both the Ouse and Foss, York's two major rivers, to rise rapidly. The Foss barrier, designed to prevent flooding, malfunctioned and caused widespread flooding resulting in city-wide evacuations and severe property damage.

The event prompted a £45million upgrade to the barrier and associated flood defences. Today, the fields within the city's boundaries and surrounding areas have been designed to flood on purpose, removing much of the water from the river. Often, after periods of heavy rainfall, you will see the land upstream of York completely flooded - this is intentional and stops the city and its inhabitants being displaces because of it.

Work in constantly being done to prevent widescale flooding in York from happen again. As the climate changes and rain becomes more intense, it is up to us, humans, to adapt and react to this changing world.

The A1, also known as the Great North road, is a major highway here in the UK. Connecting the capital cities of England and Scotland, London and Edinburgh, it has been an important thoroughfare for centuries. It stretches 410 miles or 660 km, and key cities along the route include Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Peterborough, Durham and Doncaster. Much of the road was established and mapped by the Romans as a way for them to navigate the country easily, particularly the sections from London to York and subsequently York to Hadrian's Wall.

In the Medieval to early modern period, it evolved into being known as the Great North Road, and in 1921 was eventually given the name the A1 recognising it as the most important road in the UK. Over the years it has been upgraded with more lanes added to ease congestion and improve both journey times and safety.

In the 1700s, the road gained a grizzly reputation thanks to an infamous highwayman known as Dick Turpin. Born in Essex, Dick led a gang of thieves who would rob travellers and stagecoaches travelling along this stretch of road and surrounding areas. Known for violence, Turpin accidently shot and killed his accomplice Tom King in 1735 and remained on the run avoiding the law for several years living under an alias. Eventually, the truth caught up with him and on the 7th April 1939, Turpin was hanged in York for this crimes.

We will soon be arriving at Boroughbridge, the exact half way point between Edinburgh and London. This town grew in significance due to primarily that fact; a stopover, a rest point, a notable place. Nowadays, the 400 miles journey from London to Edinburgh in a typical car would take around eight hours - a long, tiring day. Want to take a guess how long it would take on a horse? A couple of weeks. Due to the long and tiring nature of the trip, people would stay in Boroughbridge resting their own bodies and of course their hard workings. The town had a cobbled square - imagine the horses tied up, farriers fitting new shoes to their weary hooves. Traders selling wares from England and Scotland; it would have been a real melting pot of cultures and produce. More evidence of the transient nature of the town is unusually large hotel which was in the large white building at the end of town.

There's a real mixture of architecture here in Boroughbridge dating all they way from six hundred years to ago to the modern age. You can usually date a building by it's height - people were shorter and didn't need such high ceilings, so typically the shorter it is, the older it is.

The outskirts of Boroughbridge is home to some amazing Neolithic standing stones - the Devil's Arrows. Some of the tallest Neolithic Standing Stones in Britain with the tallest of these standing at 22.5 feet or 6.85 metres. They are made from millstone grit and were likely quarried around 9 miles away and their alignment is believed to mark the southernmost summer moonrise. It's likely the people of nearly 5,000 years age understood these rock and how to use them better than we ever will - quite amazing, really. Originally four, one has fallen in recent decades and became used as the base for a nearby bridge.

And why the name? A 17th‑century legend claims the Devil, standing on Howe Hill, hurled the stones toward Aldborough in anger, shouting:
“Borobrigg keep out o’ way, for Aldborough town I will ding down!”

But his aim was poor, and the “arrows” fell short—landing in the neat alignment seen today.

The truth is that they remain mysterious—no one knows with certainty who erected them, why, or how the builders transported such enormous stones over miles of land.

Although the rivers did not shaped the wide valley basis - that was the work of the glaciers as discussed earlier, they have shaped the human history of the area, providing transportation, geographical locations, water for farming and in more recent years, a scenic backdrop to minibus tours.

The Pennines are a large group of hills than run down the centre of England, starting in Staffordshire and finishing just before the Scottish border and effectively form a spine of England. These hills cause the warm, moist air from the gulf stream to rise, condense and fall as rain. That's why the west of Britain is almost always rainier than the east. Much of this rain falls in the Yorkshire Dales and find its way into the streams and rivers that cover our landscape. Being East of the Pennines, most of these rivers work their way to the east side of the country, and in the case of most of the river we will encounter today, into the Ouse.

The Ouse is one of the major rivers of this part of England; it is so wide and deep that small ships can navigate their way from the coast into York which is one of the reasons the Roman's chose it as their main base in the North. Smaller boats could continue west along either the Ouse or the Foss (which joins the Ouse in York) and further up tributaries. Even navigating on land, using the rivers as navigational aids was a very useful tool.

Many centuries later, the Angles, Saxons, Vikings and Normans would all use the Ouse to meet their strategic goals.

Looking ahead you maybe able to spot the Ripon Cathedral rising in the distance, and we'll shortly be driving through Ripon, England's third smallest and the oldest city in England. In fact, whilst it is technically a city as it has a cathedral, it feels much more like a small town. Known for it's dominant cathedral, atmospheric market square and traditions, Ripon features one of England's oldest traditions.

Known as the Wakeman ceremony, at nine pm every night, a horn is blown at the market square, a ritual that has reported been unbroken for 1,1000 years and originally servicing as a watch setting practice for the city's protection.

Over time, Ripon transform from a monastic centre into a thriving market and wool town, later noted for it's production of spurs in the 16th and 17th centuries. Although not heavily involved in the industrial revolution, the economy adapted through trade and eventually tourism. Neighbouring Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal provided interest for people staying in the town.

Today, Ripon retains its historic charm with Georgian and Victorian buildings lining narrow streets and snickets. The centuries old market still operates every Thursday and Saturday int he market square and sell fresh fish, meat, cheese, clothing, plants, homewares and more.

Horse breeding and racing has been a huge part of Yorkshire culture for centuries. Of course, in the days before minibuses, horses were the main mode of transport, and how do you prove that you sell the best horses? By racing them, of course. As a result, horse racing became a staple of mediaeval life, and North Yorkshire became one of the most well-known places for this.
Racing at Ripon dates back to 1664, but Ripon really hit the history books in 1723 when the first race was organised exclusively for female riders, a landmark moment in racing history.

Keep an eye out for the current racecourse which has been open since 1900 establishing Ripon as a key horse racing destination. During World War I, a part of the racecourse was used as an airfield for the No. 76 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps, later the RAF. Today, the racecourse is known as "Yorkshire's Garden Racecourse" for it's attractive landscaped surroundings.

Also in this area is the Ripon Canal. Horses were always used for transport, but sometimes, under very heavy loads, horses would struggle to cope with the weight. To combat this, canals were built - by providing still, horizontal waterways, horses would pull much heavier loads over longer distances without being loaded or pulling a heavy cart. This meant higher yields and more profit for the owner. This section of canal was opened in 1773 allowing navigation from Ripon down the Ouse and on to York and transported coal, lead, butter, cheese and agricultural produce. Sadly for the canal and it's investors, the dominance of the canals was short-lived as soon as the must faster railways were opened in 1847. By 1906 it was barely used and in 1956, abandoned completely. It wasn't until the 1980s that restorations efforts began, this time for leisure use, and it was reopened in 1996, mainly used for boating, walking, fishing, cycling and wildlife watching.

Can you see the giant golf-ball shaped buildings? They're not a tribute to Britain's golfing heritage, but instead a highly secure RAF communications and intelligence gathering station. A Joint effort between the UK and US governments, it has been described as the largest electronic monitoring station in the world and is critical in the global Five Eyes intelligence network.

Covering 605 acres, the site was built int he 1950s by the American military and transferred to the National Security Agency in 1966 with the purpose of monitoring shortwave communications from Eastern Europe during the Cold War. Over the decades, it's mission has expanded enormously with upgraded technology and satellite interception capabilities. The site is able to communicate with satellites and can provide early warning missile threats both to the UK and US.

The site is a major employer in the area with an estimated 1,200 personnel being based there full-time, a mixture of US and UK military.

Whilst offering employment and no doubt helping to support our safety, the site is not without controversy. The agreement between the two governments is not public knowledge, and in 2013, Menwith Hill was mentioned in the leaked Snowden files for possible surveillance, data collection and targeting drone operations. Regular demonstrations occur at the gates of the site, protesting mass surveillance, US military operations being conducted in the UK and a lack of UK parliamentary oversight.

Lead mining has shaped the landscape, communities and economy of the Yorkshire Dales for nearly 2,000 years. The area contains numerous veins of lead ore, and the remains of this industry - mins, spoil heaps, smelt mills, peat stores and ruined workshops - still dominate areas such as Swaledale, Wensleydale and Wharfedale.

Lead forms where the layers of rock meet - the limestone and the sandstone.

Evidence shows that lead mining began shortly after the Roman arrival, who used it in water systems, roofing, utensils and paint. In fact, lead is still used today for roofing. Once the monasteries were established, they were granted mining rights and that formed a strand of their income. Records show that Jervaulx, Fountains, Rievaulx and Bolton Abbeys all profited from mining during the middle ages.

After the dissolution of the monasteries, mining rights were leased to private individuals and companies. By the 18th and 19th centuries, the Dales had become the epicentre of Britain's lead industry at a time when Britain was the world's leading producer. Mining and smelting operations expanded throughout the region and it became the largest employer. However, conditions were tough. Long hours underground and damp, poorly ventilated tunnels, meant illness was common. Mix this with very low pay, no rights and common child labour, it wasn't the idyllic Yorkshire Dales life most of us dream of. Whilst the men were underground, women would be above ground crushing and washing the ore.

By the late 1800s, the industry was in decline. Many families emigrated whilst others moved to the expanding cities. Today, no lead mining exists in Yorkshire, only the remnants of this former massive industry.

Grassington lies in the valley of Wharfedale taking its name form the River Wharfe that we will be following. The river, 65 miles or 104 km long, it becomes the River Wharfe further up this valley at the confluence of Greenfield Beck and Oughtershaw Beck and is one of the more scenic rivers in Yorkshire. It passes through the villages of Hubberholme, Buckden, Starbotton and Kettlewell before travelling past Bolton Abbey and eventually joining the River Ouse just outside of York.

Duck races take place on the river at Kettlewell; each year, locals and visitors alike put numbered rubber ducks upstream which then "race" downstream and are caught by nets. The winner gets a prize! It is a traditional that dates back decades and bring joy to all who take part. The Wharfe provides a fertile breeding grounds for Trout, Grayling, Pike and many other fish species. You can often spot a Grey Heron, White Egrits and Kingfishers hunting these fish along the banks of the Wharfe. Although you need to be eagle eyed to spot the blue flash of a Kingfisher. The river Wharfe has powered farming and industry for thousands of year with Romans, Vikings and Saxons all establishing settlements along it banks taking advantage of natural resources.

Separating the fields, you will notice these little stone walls. Sitting around one metre high and made from locally sourced stone, they are a surprising marvel of engineering. Look closer. There is no mortar or cement holding these walls together - they're simply rocks on top of rocks on top of rocks.

They started to be formed when the ancient people were clearing the land to make way for agriculture. Often, rocks would lie in the way and they would be moved to edge - in fact, the shape and size of the fields was often dictated by how far they wanted do carry the rocks. As the stones gathered, a wall began to form, and care was put into creating a formal field boundary, separating the land due to ownership and for field management - keeping the animals in place.

Today, it is rare that new dry stone walls are built. They are extremely time consuming to build, and therefore very expensive. A professional dry-stone waller can build around two meters of dry stone wall per day, meaning it would take about a week to get all around this minibus, and cost over one thousand pounds. Typically, drystone wallers are only employed when a tourist accidentally knocks one over with a rental car - luckily for us, our drivers are professionals and no walls need to fear for their safety today.

The techniques used to make the walls are complicated. Some have different layers throughout, and nearly all have a row of coping stones which all lines up diagonally along the top helping to balance the pressure and weight of the wall and adding to the overall strength. Sometimes, bee hives are built into the walls to help pollinate the plants.

It's estimated that there are around 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of drystone wall in the Yorkshire Dales, enough to stretch from York to central India or Kansas and would take one person 456 years non-stop to build!

Kilnsey Crag is a huge overhanging limestone crag rising dramatically above Wharfedale. Made of carboniferous limestone, it was formed around 320 million years ago under warm tropical seas. Over millions of years, marine organisms compressed to form the rock. The, during the ice age, the rock was cut to reveal the cliff edge that we see today, and as its highest point sits 52 metres, 170 feet above the valley floor.

This cliff is very popular within the climbing community, being considered one of Yorkshire's "Big three" limestone climbing venues. The extreme overhang makes for an extreme challenge and certain routes are real hotspots for climbers seeking the hardest routes in Britain. The rock face features pre-set bolts that climbers can clip into as they climb, providing protection and allowing them to focus on the physical aspect of climbing. On a dry day, it is very common to see climbers here.

The crag is also home to the Kilnsey Crag Race, a short but brutally steep 16km (one mile) scramble up the nearby slope beside the crag. The race dates back to 1897 and is held during the annual Kilnsey Show.

The Kilnsey Show is one of Yorkshire's largest agricultural events taking place in August for one day. Organised by the Upper Wharfedale Agricultural Society, the show features Livestock competitions, Sheepdog tirls, craft and produce competitions, traditional rural demonstrations, food stands and live music. It has grown to become of the largest one-day agricultural events in England attracting over 10,000 visitors from across Yorkshire and beyond.

The village of Kettlewell here in Upper Wharfedale is a picturesque village dating back over a thousand years. Known for it's stone cottages, scenic bridges and winding beck, and surrounded by hills like Great Whernside and Buckden Pike, it is a favourite spot for walkers and visitors.

Historically, the village produced textiles and lead, with lead mines being found nearby and a smelting mill built above the village that was used in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Kettlewell is known for it's Scarecrow Festival which began in 1994 and has become widely known. Each August, residents create imaginative scarecrows, often themed, humerous or referencing pop-culture and local stories. They're then displayed around the village. The fesitval attracts thousands annual and raises money for local causes.

The village made international fame in 2004 when the film Calendar Girls was filmed here. Starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters, the film focussed on the true story of the Rylstone Women's Institute whos members created a nude charity calendar to raise money for leukemia research. Famous locations include the Village Hall and bridge in the middle of town. The 1991 series Chimera filmed scenes here, as did the 2010 film The Trip starring Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan.

Throughout the day, we will see lots of small stone barns known as field barns, laithes or cow'ouses. They are icons of the Dales and are featured prominently on postcards and merchandise of the area. These isolated structures sit scattered through hay meadows and pastures, often far from farmsteads, creating the patchwork landscape that the Dales are famous for. They form one of the most distinctive agricultural landscapes in Western Europe.

Most of the stone barns that we will see today were built in the 18th century, a period of agricultural improvement when farmers increasingly enclosed fields and intensified haymaking, and they served two main purposes- to store cattle on the ground floor and hey in the loft. The design allowed farmers to keep cattle on the hay-meadow fields all winter; their droppings fertilised the meadow and that would produce next years hay, keeping the ground rich in nutrients.

Historic surveys show that at it's peak, there were at least 6,000 field barns in the Yorkshire Dales. They were always made form the local stone that was available, and unlike the dry stone walls, the barns did utilise cement to keep them up.

Towards the top of the barns, you will see small holes; these are for owls! Owls make their nests here in the hay lofts; this keeps mice populations low and protected the hay and grain from being eaten by the robbing rodents!

Today, these small barns are seldom used and many are falling into disrepair. Conversation work is being done to support them, however, with local initiatives put in place to save them - one barn at a time.

As we venture deeper into the Yorkshire Dales, the landscape becomes more remote and rugged, and places like Oughtershaw and Beggarman’s Pass really capture that sense of wild isolation. Oughtershaw is less a village in the traditional sense and more a scattering of farmsteads set within Langstrothdale, one of the most secluded and unspoilt parts of the Dales. This is where the River Wharfe begins its journey, starting as a small beck before growing into the river we see further downstream.

You need to be a tough sole to want to live out here. There are no pubs, no shops and no churches, check you phones and there will likely be no signal. Life here has always been shaped by the environment. The terrain is challenging, the weather can change quickly, and communities have historically been small and spread out. Farming remains the main activity, particularly sheep farming, and the rhythm of life is still closely tied to the seasons. Climbing up from Oughtershaw, the road takes you over Beggarman’s Pass, the highest and most atmospheric routes in the Dales.

The name itself sparks curiosity. There are a few stories behind it, but one suggestion is that travellers crossing this high, exposed route might have found themselves in such difficult conditions that they arrived at the other side in a rather desperate state, like beggars. At the top, the views are expansive and dramatic. You’re surrounded by open moorland, with very little to interrupt the horizon. It’s a place where you become more aware of the elements, the wind, the changing light, and the sheer scale of the landscape. Historically, routes like this were vital links between valleys, used by farmers, traders, and travellers long before modern roads made movement easier. Crossing them would have required effort and resilience, especially in poor weather.

Towering above other hills in the Yorkshire Dales stand the iconic Yorkshire Three Peaks - Peny-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, all contained within the Ribble Valley to the west of Wensleydale. Well known to walkers, they attracted thousands of visitors each year who try to complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge - a circular route including each hill within twelve hours. Pen-y-Ghent is the shorted of the three, standing at 694 metres, but the steep sides provide a challenge for hikers. The name derives from of Cumbric language meaning "Head of the Winds".

Whernside is the tallest and is actually the highest point in all of Yorkshire. A gradual ascent and decent, this hill offered amazing views for miles and miles. Ingleborough is many people's favourite, however, with a stepped, table-top summit created by alternating layers of limestone, mudstone and gritstone. The 24 mile, 38 km hike is a challenge for even seasoned hikers and typically goes anti-clockwise. It is a popular challenge for charity events, outdoor clubs and runners and hikers seeking a personal milestone. Estimates suggest around 200,000 people attempt the challenge each year. The challenge offers tremendous views, particularly of Ribblehead Viaduct, a famous railway bridge passing through the Ribble valley.

Most valleys in Yorkshire take their name from the river that flows through them; Swaledale or Ryedale, for example. Wensleydale is a little different taking it's name from the ancient main settlement of Wensley. Today, Wensley is a much smaller village that others in the valley, largely due to something that happened in the 1600s.

The black death ripped it's way through London where it was mostly confined to. However, it did find it's way to Wensley, this tiny town in Yorkshire. The diseased devasted the population, forcing people to flee or sadly taking their lives. Leyburn became the new administrative capital, but to show honour to the people of Wensley who sacrificed themselves to avoid spreading the disease, the name Wensleydale remained.

It is one of the most well-known valleys thanks to it's most popular export, Wensleydale cheese. It is also one of the widest valleys in the Yorkshire Dales - the wide U-shaped valley quite clear to see. Enjoy the patchwork pattern of the dry-stone walls cross-crossing, and the gentle undulations of the rolling hills.

The river Yore flows through the valley and is one of the main tributaries of the River Ouse that flows through York. Perhaps you can count how many times we cross the River Yore whilst driving through Wensleydale.

The Dales is known for it's dairy farming; after all, who hasn’t heard of Wensleydale cheese?

For centuries, dairy farming has shaped the landscape, economy and culture of the Yorkshire Dales. From mediaeval monastic cheesemaking to modern family-run dairies, the Dales has developed a distinct dairy heritage.

Cheese making began in the Dales when monks travelling to Jervaulx brought over from France and began cheese production at the abbey using firstly sheep milk. Cheese lasts much longer than milk, so as a product for sale, can prove to be more profitable and versatile to produce. The methods and land-management in the dale created the foundations for a culture that persisted long after the abbeys were monasteries dissolved.

Society adapted with farm wives producing milk from sheep or cows milk, whatever was available, and produced different cheese depending on grasses and terrains. Cow's milk overtook sheep's milk, particularly with the introduction of Shorthorn cattle which were well-adapted to the Dales' uplands. Throughout the mid-1800s, Leyburn and Wensley introduced competitions to in order to increase the quality and standards.

Into the 1900s, cheese making and dairy farming become more industrial with more cows, mechanisation and management. Amazingly, most of the farms are still family owned and the industry supports hundreds of jobs within the area.

Sheep roam the dales both in fields and freely, often in the roads and streets of towns. Not wild animals, they are in fact farm animals owned and managed by shepherd and farmers who pay a small amount each year to the land owner for grazing rights. Sheep are one of the most important animals to humanity, used over centuries for their wool which allowed humans to survive in colder climates. This wool industry was mostly what made the abbeys rich and powerful in the middle ages. Nowadays, the labour intensive process of turning wool into clothing is expensive, certainty in the UK, and most of the wool from the sheep is discarded; most clothing is now cotton or synthetic material as it is much cheaper and easier to produce. However, a few Yorkshire-based weavers are still going - Moon on Stonegate in York is a great place to buy local woollen products and Harris Tweed is a famous British wool manufacture.

The most common and iconic breed of sheep in the Yorkshire Dales is the Swaledale - so iconic that the head of a Swaledale is in fact the National Park logo. Instantly recognisable thanks to it's black face, while nose and curly horns, they are native to Swaledale valley to the north. Today found throughout the Dales, the Pennines and County Durham. These hardy sheep live out on the hills of Yorkshire all year round, only coming into the fields in the valley bottoms for breeding, shearing and ultimately taking to market for slaughter.

We will soon be passing through Carperby, a pretty, linear village stretching for over half a mile. The village sits beneath the scars of Great Wegber and Weyber and enjoys south facing views across Wensleydale to Penhill and the branching valleys of Walden and Bishopdale. The name derives from the Naorse "Cairpes Settlement, Cairpe being an old Irirsh peronal name showing a blench of Norse (Viking) and Galeic influence. Records date the name back to the 10th centuries, though it wasn't until 1305 a market charter was granted and a permanent settlement can be confirmed.
A stone cross dated 1674 stands prominently on the green and celebrates its long-established trading role.

In the 17th century, Carperby became the centre of Quakerism in Wensleydale. Built in 1864, the Carperby Quaker Meeting House is the largest building in the village and the striking classic structure reflects the movement's importance here.

The local pub in the centre of the village is called The Wheatsheaf and hints at the history of the industry in the village. This is where the real-life James Herriot, Alf Wright, and his wife spent their honeymoon in 1941. Actor Greta Garbo also once stayed here during a retreat to the Yorkshire Dales.

This lovely village we're about the drive through is Redmire, named after reed-lined ponds found nearby. Settlement in this area goes way back to the iron age, but it was the building of Bolton Castle that secured the future of the village.

There has of course been All Creatures Great and Small filming here; the bus stop has stoo in for Darrowby and the Bolton Arms appeared in several episodes.
More recently, Redmire was used as the main set for the films 28 Years Later and its sequel Bone Temple. The eponymous Bone Temple was actually constructed here in Redmire, down close to the river, and filming took place over several months. Aysgarth Falls and Bolton Abbey railway were also used in the films.

We'll soon be arriving into Middleham. This small market town is known for is horse racing heritage and it's castle. Middleham Castle dates back to the 12th century when it was built to enforce Normal rule here in the north of England. It's large keep is one of the largest in England, though of course now is a ruin.

One of England's most famous kings Richard III was raised here after his father's death, and would always consider it home, hence the nickname Windsor in the North.
Middleham is also widely known for its horse racing heritage with a history stretching back 300 years when Isaac Cape because the first specialised trainer here in 1733. Today, the town is home to around 13 trainers, 16 yards and more than 1,000 racehorses. Middleham's stables have gone on to produce winners of major British races including The Derby, The Yorkshire Cup and the legendary Grand National.

The town has also featured regularly in both the classic and current versions of All Creatures Great and Small.

Nearby in 1985, a metal detectorist discovered one of the finest examples of English Gothic jewellery. Known as the Middleham Jewel, it featured a gold pendant with a 10-carat sapphire engraved with a depiction of the trinity. It weighs 68 grams and sold for £2.5million. It is now on display at the Yorkshire Museum in York.

Jervaulx Abbey is one of the Abbeys built after the Battle of Hastings in order to restore rule and manage the large areas of empty land following the Harrying of the North. The name Jervaulx comes from a French stylisation of the word Yoredale, one of the names of the valley of Wensleydale where it is located.

Jervaulx Abbey is actually responsible for one of the most important exports from the area, Wensleydale Cheese as it was the French Monks living here that started the cheese making, initially using sheep milk and eventually cows milk.

Jervaulx would have been the centre of the community in this area, owning much of the surrounding land and making it's money from wool, cheese, honey and of course typical church practices. There was an infirmary, a school and of course a church for services, though the monks and the common folk would rarely interact, instead communicating through a friar.

Jervaulx is fairly unique as it is actually now privately owned. In fact, it is the largest privately owned abbey in England - most others are owned by conservation charities such as English Heritage or the National Trust, but this one is owned by a local family who preserve the abbey.

So why is the abbey now a ruin?

For around four hundred years, the crown and the church had been ruling England together and it was going well. The country was growing richer, technology, language, science and art were all advancing and England was becoming more powerful.

At the turn of the 16th century, after the turbulent War of the Roses, Henry VII was the ruler of England and had two sons Arthur and Henry. Arthur, the eldest, was married to a Spanish princess named Catherine of Aragon in a political union, while Henry was given a good education for a role within the church. Sadly, in 1502, Arthur got sick and died leaving the young prince Henry next in line to the throne. As a sign of good faith to the powerful Spanish royals, he married his brother's widow Catherine and in 1509 upon his father's death, he was crowned King Henry VIII.

For the next twenty years, they tried desperately to have a son and heir, however they were unsuccessful. Only one child from their marriage would grow into adulthood, the future Queen Mary I. Henry , a deeply holy man, believed god was punishing him for marrying his brother's wife, and decided that he must annul this marriage and find a new wife in order to have a son. In ancient Catholic England, permission was needed from the Catholic Church, so Henry sent word to the Pope in Rome seeking permission for the annulment. But what did the Pope say? He said no.

Furious, the king decided that the Catholic church had become corrupt and had too much power in England and that is was no longer working in the best interests of the country or its people. He looked to reform the church in a much more England-centric, modern vision. He took inspiration from a different type of Protestant Christianity that were sweeping its way though Europe, he kept the same bible, teachings and god but changed the rules and specifics. Services would now be held in English rather than Latin, for example. He placed himself at the head of the new church and named it the Church of England. He dissolved his marriage with Catherine and married a young lady of the court, Anne Boleyn.

So, what of the Abbeys? Henry couldn't see a place for them in his new, modern church, what's more, he saw an opportunity to fill his diminishing coffers with the wealth the Church had accumulated. The monks had a reputation for debauchery and mistrust, so Henry saw fit to close them all down. He sent his soldiers throughout the country who forced the monks to leave, sent any riches back to the King and handed over control of the lands to Henry's friends and supporters, many of who's descendants still own it today. The stone from the buildings was repurposed into towns and villages surrounding the abbeys, and the local people went into managing the land and trading goods and produce.

We really hope that you have enjoyed your day with us today. We have travelled through thousands of years of English history, all the way from ice ages through the stone, bronze and iron ages into the realm of the Romans. Then things went dark for a while before England united, some hiccups, many abbeys, six wives and one angry pope, millions of sheep and billions of plants, animals and one amazing county of Yorkshire.

We thank you for joining us today. If you had a great time, please show your thanks and appreciation to your driver guide. We would also really love it if you could write us a review. The best way is to go to TripAdvisor, search for Mountain Goat Tours and let others know about how your experience was today. It's a great resource for learning more about tours, attractions and destinations. Please put your driver's name so that we know they're doing a great job.

Please check out the Mountain Goat website for our miniguides and recommendations of further things to do, places to eat and sights to see whilst visiting York.

Enjoy the rest of your time here in York, travel safe and thanks again for joining us.