The Yorkshire Dales - Wensleydale and Swaledale

Well I'm back from the Dales and a week of superb weather showing off Wensleydale and Swaledale at their superb best - on the bird front it was great to see at least 4 Spotted Flycatchers even one in our cottage garden but interestingly Aysgarth had no Nuthatches - I'll leave the images and little video to speak for themselves.

Buttercup Meadow nr Reeth

Looking back to Carperby

Early Purple Orchid

Aysgarth Falls as featured in 'Robin Hood Prince of Thieves'

Bolton Castle

Morris Dancers at West Burton's village fete

The River Swale at Reeth

A typical Dales pub - the sheep get everywhere

Gunnerside

The Yorkshire Dales

I have travelled around the world a fair bit but for me no where equals the outstanding natural beauty of the Yorkshire Dales.  The limestone hills and pastoral valleys are sandwiched between the Lake District to the west and the North York Moors to the east.  We have just spent a couple of days in my favourite of all the dales Swaledale but also ventured in to Wensleydale and the beautiful Mallerstang valley.Wensleydale is probably best known these days for its cheese and in particular for its connection with Wallace and Gromit - it is the largest and most serene of the dales whilst Swaledale to me is more dramatic and more remote with picturesque little villages linked by footpaths all the way down the valley to Reeth.
Mallerstang
Catrake Force
The Butter Tubs - deeply eroded natural wells
Swaledale with its profusion of field barns for which the dale is renowned



Hardraw Force - the highest above ground waterfall in England


Gayle