Towns and villages - Yorkshire Dales National Park : Yorkshire Dales National Park

Ravenstonedale and the neighbouring village of Newbiggin-on-Lune nestle at the foot of the northern Howgills and are a short distance from Kirkby Stephen. These villages are well worth a visit and there is a good collection of places to stay including a campsite, B&Bs, quality pubs and self-catering cottages.In Ravenstonedale the Black Swan and Kings Head pubs both have a good reputation, as does the Fat Lamb Inn which is a short distance away. The Scar Art Gallery is well worth a visit in the centre of the village and there is also the quirky Riverside Golf Course which has 18 holes but only 9 greens.You can go fishing at Bessy Becks Trout Fishery in Newbiggin-on-Lune or visit the Lune Spring Garden Centre and café. For many people, though, the highlight of this area is the walking that it provides. There are beautiful walks around the villages, up on to the Howgills or circular walks taking in Smardale viaduct and the National Nature Reserve.

Ravenstonedale

Ravenstonedale and the neighbouring village of Newbiggin-on-Lune nestle at the foot of the northern Howgills and are a short distance from Kirkby Stephen. These villages are well worth a visit and there is a good collection of places to stay including a campsite, B&Bs, quality pubs and self-catering cottages.In Ravenstonedale the Black Swan and Kings Head pubs both have a good reputation, as does the Fat Lamb Inn which is a short distance away.

Crosby Ravensworth

The village of Crosby Ravensworth clusters around its church - St Lawrence's. Although most of the church is Victorian there are parts which date back to the 13th Century. The other hub of activity in the village is the Butchers Arms pub which was bought by the community in 2011, refurbished and now offers a warm welcome and good food.The village lies close to the source of the River Lyvennet which flows north to join the River Eden.

Malham

One of the most spectacular and most popular villages in the Dales is Malham. With dramatic limestone scenery just a stone's throw from the village centre, Malham has few equals anywhere in the UK. A gentle stroll of about half an hour from the village will bring you to Malham Cove. The Cove is a massive natural limestone crescent-shaped cliff visible for miles. A stiff climb up the steps beside it brings you to a remarkable area of limestone pavement that has featured in many movies.

Burnsall

One of the most beautiful villages in Wharfedale, Burnsall lies on a bend of the River Wharfe surrounded by a spectacular circle of fells. The village was originally an Anglo-Viking settlement and the parish church still contains rare Viking and Anglo-Saxon carved stones which are well-worth a visit. A small exhibition tells their story inside the church.

Horton-in-Ribblesdale

Horton-in-Ribblesdale lies below the huge sphinx-like form of Pen-y-ghent, one of the iconic Yorkshire Three Peaks. It is the preferred starting point for the Three Peaks Walk, a challenge walk requiring the combined ascent of some 7,000 feet (2,000 metres) onto the summits of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough within 12 hours. It's also on the Pennine Way and is easily accessible via the famous Settle-Carlisle Railway.

Dent

With its narrow, cobbled main street, white-walled cottages and ancient village church, set in a deep, narrow valley, Dent, in Cumbria, is one of the loveliest of Dales villages. Walking through the cobbled streets of Dent - still known by its old name of Dent Town - you will find an art gallery, blacksmith's shop and a memorial fountain to its most famous son, geologist Professor Adam Sedgwick, 1785-1874.

Orton

The picturesque village of Orton is a popular spot with a pub, café and Kennedy’s Chocolate Factory. The village has the distinctive white towered All Saints Church, and bridges cross the two becks which enclose a central green surrounded by cottages. It is a unique, peaceful and unspoilt village. Above the village is Great Asby Scar, an open, exposed area of hills with stunning areas of limestone pavement and Sunbiggin Tarn - an unusual small lake, important for the birds and other animals.

Grassington

With its stone cottages, rather grand town hall (the former Mechanics Institute) and busy cobbled square, this former leadmining village is a focal point for local and visitor activity. The village hosts a splendid music and arts event, the Grassington Festival, each June, and the celebrated Dickensian Festival each December. A new addition to the calendar is a 1940s weekend in September, which goes from strength to strength.

Clapham

Clapham is a pretty linear village set alongside both sides of the village stream and once lay on the main route between Kendal and Skipton. The village now has a bypass and is a peaceful and atmospheric place to visit and stay in. The New Inn was once an eighteenth century coaching inn but now welcomes travellers coming in by both car, train and bike. The tiny Croft Café is also popular with cyclists on the Way of the Roses and Yorkshire Dales Cycle Way.

Kettlewell

This attractive grey stone village is in a steep, narrow part of the dale, where the old coach road over Park Rash Pass from Middleham and Coverdale joins the main road up Wharfedale. Three inns in the village bear witness to the village's former importance as a transport hub.

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