Tours from Grassington

Grassington is a small place, so I doubt it's the starting point for group trips

email the National Park Visitor Centre, and they may know more https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/places/grassington_national_park_centre/

In some ways the problem with Grassington (apart from it's small size, so just not a large enough base for tours) is also that any tours from Grassington would only be of filming locations, as Grassington and area is "only" the filming location for the most recent TV series.

That isn't to say that Grassington is not a great introduction to the scenic beauty of the Yorkshire Dales, because it is. It is a splendid area to visit.

"Helen's Farm" is one example of that- it is just make believe as Helen was a Solicitor's daughter from the Cotswolds- then an office worker in a mill in Thirsk when they met, courted and married. She had no connection to any farm. That was a deliberate work of fiction for the original books because there were strict rules "James" had to work around regarding a working vet writing about his life.
Yet the TV farm is as good an introduction as any to what a Dales farm is like. The location scouts did their job well in that regard.

I hope you have got The World of James Herriot at Thirsk on your itinerary (which was his authentic surgery)- train or bus from York.

But the "authentic" area "James" worked in was really Wensleydale and area- the original TV series and movie were much closer in their settings to his "real life". In fact like the modern surgery the area also included the Hambleton Hills to the east of Thirsk. That is why one of "James" favourite views was Sutton Bank (east of Thirsk towards Helmsley).

Even Skipton (the much larger market town for Grassington) doesn't have any tours of the area I am aware of.

On a Summer Saturday and Sunday there is a direct service bus from York to Grassington- the #74 on Saturday at 0823 from York Station, and on a Sunday the #822 at 0930, and the #875 at 0820.

Thanks for the great info…and the confirmation that if we want a good tour of the Dales we need to leave from York.

We do love All Creatures, but are most interested in the landscapes than the actual filming locations (although those are fun too.) Every time we watch we say breathlessly “that place really EXISTS!” And so it is a must do..and I said a good respite between big fast-paced cities. I’m actually looking forward to this more than the others!

I think the Yorkshire Dales will meet your expectations. They definitely exceeded ours!

Oh, I did not see this before I replied to your afternoon tea thread. DO see if you can work in Betty's for Afternoon tea in York. It is huge and afterward I felt like a python who'd consumed a goat. Yikes...still full the next AM. The Fat Rascal scones are delicious!

I was on a multi-day small group tour a few years ago and we were driving in the Dales. We came around a corner and I thought...that looks like the bridge to Helen's farm and yes!!! It was! Look to see if any of the day tours go to Yockenthwaite as that is where it's located.

IF you are given time, walk about 1/2 mile upstream and take a look at the probably Bronze Age remains of huts/stone circle?/sheep enclosure next to the river.

https://www.realyorkshireblog.com/post/yockenthwaite-stone-circle-ceremonial-site-burial-mound-or-medieval-sheep-pen

https://www.thenorthernantiquarian.org/2017/07/19/yockenthwaite/

Use the bus which goes from Grassington to Kettlewell and Buckden. Then do one of the following:
1) A circular walk from Buckden to Cray, along to Yockenthwaite, down past "Helen's farm" and back to Buckden, then bus back to Grassington.
2) A linear walk along the river from Buckden to Kettlewell, then bus back to Grassington.
3) A linear walk from Kettlewell to Grassington.
Any of those will give you the views you are looking for, and being in it is always better than seeing it from behind a window. Option 2 is flattest and easiest. Options 1 and 3 involve hills but are well worth the effort.

This is AMAZING! We want to do a whole day walk when we are staying in Grassington so thanks do much!

This is the current Dalesbus timetable book- https://www.dalesbus.org/uploads/1/1/3/9/113919127/dalesbus.pdf

A good place to pick up a paper copy is the booking office at Skipton Station- that is where I got mine last week, I deliberately built in to my schedule a quick change of trains there rather than just get the Leeds to Carlisle train at Leeds. They have a very useful shelf of local transport information- what I also got that day was the set of excellent station to station self guided walks on the Skipton to Lancaster/Morecambe line- 12 of them.

The other place in Skipton to get bus timetables is the Visitor Centre at The Craven Museum- it is a pretty good museum and has free entry- https://skiptontownhall.co.uk/craven-museum/

Weekday buses to Buckden are the 72B, supplemented with the 72A on a Monday to Friday.

Seasonal Sunday buses are the 874 to 876 which go a lot further afield.

The 72B has it's own website- https://www.upperwharfedale.com/

We just got back from York and the Yorkshire Dales and just wanted to mention the Green Dragon Pub in Hardraw (near Hawes), it is the pub that stands in as the interior of "The Drovers Arms" on the show. So characterful! Also, we walked from Grassington to Appletreewick on the Dales Way, which is nearly 100% flat and it was full of ACGS scenery and another fine pub at the end too, in the Craven Arms.

Deb

Thanks for all of the great info! Much appreciated that you all take the time to help a girl out!
If I already asked this I am sorry...this trip is making me lose my marbles! Three countries has my head spinning, and I feel like this countryside "interlude" is what I know least about.

Has anyone taken the Mountain Goat tour of the Yorkshire Dales from York lately? If so, can you give me an idea of their "route?" Considering taking our luggage with us on the tour if they will allow it, and just dropping out in Grassington. But don't know what we would miss. Grassington seems to be near the end of the route (?) And then we will have a full day the following day to do some of the suggestions (above) which might be sufficient. (I have emailed the company for some details but haven't heard back yet, and there's nothing like a fellow traveler's opinion.) TIA!

Edited to add: Mountain Goat is the only one running a tour in the area that day (Wed). Would we be better off just getting to Grassington early and doing a few quick trips by bus or walking in the area on our own Wednesday and Thursday? We want to "see it all" but we need some down time too.

We haven't taken the Mountain Goat tour to Yorkshire Dales but we took 3 Mountain Goat Tours last month, 2 in the Lake District and one from York. For two of them we asked to be dropped off somewhere other than the pickup site and they were more than happy to do it. I can't answer about the luggage.

Well, if anyone is interested, I was able to contact Mountain Goat, and they would take the luggage if there was room...but it would be a very last minute thing. Also, the tour does not END near Grassington, but rather goes there in the AM, and the place they suggested exiting the tour was Bolton Castle. After consulting the experts (thank you isn31c) I discovered that the buses and taxis in the area are busy transporting school children at that time of day (love the rural quaintness of that!) So in the end, it will be just as easy to go back to York and continue from there. In fact, after timing everything out, we have sadly decided to cancel the Grassington leg of the trip. After planes, trains and automobiles, it just left us too little hours of daylight to make it worthwhile. We will stay and enjoy York for those two extra nights and then take the Settle-Carlisle journey to Edinburgh. This will give us time to take a day trip into the Moors and to the coast at Whitby, a very good consolation prize!

Well, you could still do the All Creatures Great and small tour from York for the day. And you will see Grassington, (it's very small).
We did the ACGS tour with English Lake tours from Windermere and we loved it! As we are ACGS fans. If Mountain Goat tours stops at the same places, it's worth the tour.

Oh yes, we will still do the tour of the Dales (including Grassington) so we will get to visit, it’s just that we will end in York and remain there. Very excited to see the beautiful places … we love ACG&S.

Hi jannypanny -

EDIT: Having properly read the thread I see that a days hike is not now on the agenda but I’ll leave this up in case anybody does decide to actually venture in this direction!

If you don’t mind a bit of uphill walking there’s a good variation of the Buckden to Kettlewell walk we did recently. From the bridge over the River Wharfe at Starbotton, instead of heading straight down the valley on the Dales Way, turn right up the hillside, bearing left on a path through trees next to a wall. Continue uphill into open country above the ‘intake wall’ to eventually reach the abandoned farm buildings at Moor End (visible in front and to the left on the final bit of the climb). Bear left again to follow the farm’s access track (road isn’t a good description) which descends down the same side of the hill you climbed up on, back towards the river, to wind down to Kettlewell. Kettlewell is visible ahead and to the left in the valley all the way down. That said, I’d not try to do this a) unless you are happy about and fit enough for the steepish climb required b) unless you have the recommended ‘stout footwear’ c) a map of the area (OS or the little Yellow Publications ones - they’re really handy) and d) waterprooofs no matter what the weather is doing, as it can change frighteningly quickly.

Even if you decide to stay on the flat and follow the Dales Way back into Kettlewell (and why not, it’s lovely!) I recommend detouring into Starbotton to visit the Fox and Hounds pub. It does good food - the ‘Fish Finger’ sandwich is a thing of wonder (it’s also not a fish finger, but a big chunk of battered fish in a bun!) and last time I was there they had beers from the Lamb Brewery on, brewed in a brewery the size of a small garage (an English one!) behind the Queens Arms in Littondale (the next valley over). The Queens Arms is also worth a visit if you can get there. It does good food but is small so while remote you’d need to book ahead if you wanted to eat there - people travel miles to go to it!

Feel free to give me a shout if you think I might be able to offer further advice. Have a great trip,

Ian

😞
So sad to miss this…one of the main reasons I wanted to visit.