English life in the slow lane: Kettlewell in the Yorkshire Dales

Upper Wharfedale, Yorkshire Dales

Mention the north of England to many people (especially those who live in or around London) and the most likely first impression you’ll get is one of grim cities, long silent coal mines and the dark satanic mills immortalised in William Blake’s Jerusalem. ‘The North’ is a scary place, inhabited by primitive and savage people who spend their life scrounging off the state and imposing occasional Labour governments on the overwhelmingly Conservative and more civilised south. There are very few reasons for a southern person to risk their sanity and health in venturing north.

Ok, I’m exaggerating a little, but there is certainly a common ignorance of the natural beauty with which the northern half of our country is blessed. Half of the population of England is located within the bottom right hand corner, and much of the rest is concentrated in the major industrial cities. This leaves large swathes of the country where sheep and cattle outnumber people and where green fields stretch as far as the eye can see.

For some of the most beautiful landscapes it’s hard to beat England’s largest county, North Yorkshire. The area is home to two national parks: The North York Moors, bleak, isolated and boasting a dramatic coastline with charming fishing towns and villages; and the Yorkshire Dales, where rolling hills and gentle rivers form a picture-book landscape that has inspired many authors, poets and artists over the centuries. The Dales are dotted with small villages where life has long been centred around farming the surrounding land, and while tourism is now a major factor in the local economies, for many Dales folk life has changed little over the decades.

Kettlewell, Yorkshire Dales

A typical example of a typical Dales village is Kettlewell. We stopped here on a recent family trip to Yorkshire, and had a wonderful time hiking and admiring the local scenery. Sitting on the upper reaches of the river Wharfe, Kettlewell offers fantastic walking opportunities in every direction, with the high sides of the valley allowing a brisk climb on either side to enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. The village itself is home to a hotel and a couple of pubs, and you can’t beat a traditional cream tea on a warm sunny afternoon, surrounded by the Yorkshire landscapes.

One of the most striking features for visitors to the Dales is the sight of so many dry stone walls. These carefully constructed and preserved stone boundaries divide each field and create a very distinctive landscape. Creating these walls has become something of a dying art and the few dry stone wallers are finding an increasing demand for their skills.

Dry stone walls, Kettlewell

The vilage of Kettlewell is around an hour by car or bus from Leeds and makes a great day trip from the city. So if you’re in the UK and want to see more than just the ‘A list’ sites, a day in the Dales will certainly give you a glimpse of another side of England.