Here are some of our top tips for a great holiday at Strands. They are all based upon personal experience or Dales chat. See where they are on the interactive map below.
Best TEa shops
Muker tea shop up the dale in Muker is a stunning example with the food, service and tea being as close to perfect as you can get. Great stop on a long walk. It is closed in winter, except for a short period over Christmas, so another good one is Reeth Bike Centre which has an amazing “cakery” and is open year round 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm. Sometimes there is a Friday “show stopper” which as the name suggests certainly impresses.
Don’t forget Mrs Pumphreys at Ellerton Abbey which not only has excellent cakes and tea, but also antiques! Opening times are currently only Thursday, Friday & Saturday in season from 10am to 4pm. Great views too across the ruins of the Priory – once the home of Cistercian nuns.
Friendly Local Pub
Now owned by the village of Gunnerside for the community. Great beer and food in an informal, local pub.
Great pub on the way to Richmond with fantastic views and stunning food. Recommended.
The George and Dragon, Hudswell
Real ale, home made proper pies – short crust pastry, not puff, multi-award winning and great views. What is not to like? Go!
All pubs in Yorkshire are friendly. The Farmers Arms in Muker is an outstanding example of great food, beer and people. It serves hearty home made meals and is within easy drive of Strands. They can get busy in summer at weekends, but we find 8pm is usually ok.
We always recommend that you call ahead to avoid disappointment.
A posh nosh restaurant
The nearest restaurant to StrandsView. Beautiful views across the valley and food to match. Log fire in winter!
High cuisine by a skilled chef in modern but traditional surroundings. Definitely the place for a special night.
In a different dale, the CB is fantastic as well as being the shortest named pub in the UK! Very busy, so book.
The best walk or Hike
Swaledale and the surrounding Dales are excellent walking and hiking country. You can see a lot of varied countryside in one walk: from industrial hertitage to flowering summer meadows, the Dales have it. Check out our hiking page based on walks we have done. We will continue to update it and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for all the latest news too. @StrandsView.
The Best ROAD and mountain biking
There is a wide variety of road and mountain biking in the Dales. You can even follow the route of the Tour de France from when it came to Yorkshire. Check out our cycling pages based on cycling we have done in the Dales. Remember to follow us on Facebook for all the latest routes and ideas. @StrandsView.
A great day out
It really depends upon what you like! There is hiking, walking, visiting attractions, road cycling and mountain biking. You can then mix those with tea shops and pubs. Our Things to do page gives you the links to the attractions around the area as well as detailed walks, hikes and cycle routes. Enjoy!
family activities
Locally, there is the Wensleydale railway, The Forbidden Corner and The Swale Trail family friendly off-road cycle route. Don’t have bikes? You can hire them from the Dales Bike Centre in Reeth.
Family activities: Check out our family activity page for trains, castles and other magical places
Dales Bike Centre: Everything bike. Hire them, get routes and the cafe with the weekly Friday show stopper cake! Great place to hire bikes for
the Swale Trail.
Swale Trail: An off road trail up the dale for family and adventurers! See our
Swale Trail Top Tips page to have a great day out.