Railway Tracks & Walking in the Yorkshire Dales

Make your own way to our hotel in Skipton, where you will meet our experienced Tour Manager. Enjoy a relaxing evening with dinner in the hotel.

This morning, we step back in time with a journey along the award-winning Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway. Once part of the former Midland Railway route connecting Skipton and Ilkley, sit back and admire the views of Yorkshire’s stunning countryside from one of the beautifully restored Edwardian and Victorian carriages. Our ride ends at Bolton Abbey Station, which is the start of today’s walk.

Our walk beings on the Bolton Abbey River Loop, a segment of the Dales Way, and follows the River Wharf to Barden Bridge. Winding our way through breathtaking landscapes, be sure to keep a lookout for the remarkable variety of birds and flowers. During the walk, the river snakes through a small gorge, and we’ll also have the chance to explore the Abbey ruins.

This is an easy 7-mile walk along mostly flat and well-marked paths, lasting approximately 3.5 hours. There is an option to shorten this – your Tour Manager and local guides will provide details if required.

We return to our hotel by coach and enjoy dinner this evening.

This morning, we step aboard the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, enjoying a unique experience on a 5-mile branch designed in the 19th century to cater for the flourishing mill industries. Beginning our journey in Keighley, nestled at the base of the picturesque Worth Valley, we’ll see a total of six stations. This includes the quaint Damens station, originally built to serve a neighbouring mill, and the charming station at Oakworth which featured in the film ‘The Railway Children’. We alight in Oxenhope, a quintessential Pennine village framed by undulating hills and expansive moorland.

Our day continues with a walk starting from the Lower Laithe Reservoir, embarking on the Brontë Moor Walk. Along the way, we'll encounter landmarks like the Brontë bridge and its accompanying waterfall, leading us to Top Withens before returning via the Pennine Way to the reservoir. Surrounded by landscapes that inspired ‘Wuthering Heights’, our walk comes to an end in Haworth – the home of the Brontë sisters. We’ll have time to explore this delightful town before returning to Skipton, where dinner will be served in our hotel.

This is a moderate 5.5-mile walk along country roads and well-marked paths with some hills, lasting approximately 3.5 hours. There is an option to shorten this – your Tour Manager and local guides will provide details if required.

Included Highlights

Brontë Moor Walk Haworth Keighley & Worth Valley Railway

After breakfast, we’ll enjoy a peaceful walk along the Leeds and Liverpool canal path, a tranquil waterway that winds its way through the Yorkshire countryside, leading us directly to Skipton Railway Station. Here, we board the train and travel on a section of the Settle-Carlisle railway line.

Once our train ride is over, we will walk up onto the Pennine Bridleway. Along the route, we'll be rewarded with stunning views of the Dales with its green fields, stone walls, and quaint villages. We’ll also see a series of unique caves that are carved from limestone. One such cave is the famous Victoria Cave, which was stumbled upon in 1837 – the same year that of Queen Victoria’s coronation. Excavations of the cave have unveiled bones of prehistoric animals that roamed the area over 130,000 years ago.

At the end of our walk, there is time to stop for coffee in the market town of Settle before we take the train back to Skipton.

This is a moderate 6.5-mile walk along well-marked paths, some hills and bridleways, lasting approximately 3.5 hours. There is an option to shorten this – your Tour Manager and local guides will provide details if required.

There are also 1.5-mile walks each way between the hotel and Skipton Railway Station.

Included Highlights

Pennine Bridleway Walk

After a leisurely breakfast, it is time to make your own way home.