Official website of the Dales Way Association (DWA)

Dales Way Association

Welcome to the Dales Way Association

 
The Dales Way is a long distance footpath of about 80 miles (128 km) situated in the north of England and running from Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere.

Photo of Dales Way: Up Wharfedale from Conistone Pie

By following as far as possible riverside paths, it offers a scenically attractive route from urban West Yorkshire to the Lake District, which any reasonably fit family can undertake in a week's holiday. Although not always well served by public transport the Way, by following natural and sometimes ancient lines of communication, passes through many villages, and so accommodation is not a problem, although it is advisable to book in advance.

Walker on Dales Way

The Dales Way Association was established in 1991 to help support, maintain and promote the Dales Way Long Distance path.

FEATURE

Dales Way in top 25 Big Trails of British Isles

Big Trails - Great Britain and Ireland

The Dales Way is included in a stunning new book highlighting the best 25 long-distance trails in the British Isles.

Big Trails - Great Britain and Ireland is published this week by Sheffield based Vertebrate Publishing, who have been producing award-winning outdoor adventure and mountaineering guides since 2004.

The big glossy book "is an inspirational guide to the most iconic, spectacular and popular long-distance trails in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland and the Isle of Man." It is crammed with gorgeous pictures, informative overviews and detailed outlines of each of the 25 featured routes.

It features 4 big trails on the island of Ireland, including the "Best Off the Beaten Track Trail" - the Beara Way; 3 in Scotland, including "Britain's Friendliest Trail" - the West Highland Way; 3 in Wales, including the "Wildest Adventure" - the Cambrian Way; and the Isles of Man's Raad ny Foillan - "Perfect for All the Family".

Of the remaining 14 trails, 5 cross Yorkshire: The Pennine Way; Wainwright's Coast to Coast; The Cleveland Way; the Dales Way and A Dales High Way.

The Dales Way is described as "Great for novices - this is an easy route, taking a low line through many towns and villages. Volunteers work hard to maintain the trail and to ensure that it is well waymarked.

"The Dales Way celebrated its fiftieth birthday in 2019, and it's one of Britain's most beloved long-distance trails. The Way offers gentle days of grassy paths, with some of Britain's most spectacular scenery as the backdrop. You'll find yourselves with plenty of time to picnic by shaded rivers, to admire the hilly views, and to explore the pretty villages en route. Or warm yourself in another cosy tearoom, sharing trail tales with fellow walkers, as you wait for the rains to pass."

The book is designed to inspire big adventures rather than be carried as a guide and provides everything needed to plan and explore further.

Big Trails - Great Britain and Ireland, edited by Kathy Rogers and Stephen Ross, (Vertebrate Publishing, ISBN 9781839810008) £17.99.

See the Big Trails at Vertebrate Publishing here.

19 Oct 2020

 

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In Brief

 
 
 
The Dales Way Association;