Wensleydale

From Middleham the road continues via Wensley, with its very fine church (Flemish brass of ca. 1360 by Simon de Wenslaw) to the well-preserved Castle Bolton (1379-1397), opulent home of the Scrope family until 1630. Mary Stuart was held captive here for six months in 1568.

A medieval garden has been redeveloped on the site of the original gardens.

Jervaulx Abbey (14mi/22km northwest of Ripon) is an impressive ruined abbey, in a beautiful riverside setting. It dates from the late 12th and the early 13th century. Little is left of the church, but the extensive monastic buildings of the former Cistercian house can be seen.

Grassington is a small town that is popular with tourists for the shops, restaurants and cafes. The information center for Yorkshire Dales National Park is in Grassington and it provides maps, guides and local information.

At Hawes (32mi/51.2km from Ripon) a cheese factory making the famous Wensleydale cheese can be visited. The town's new Dales Countryside Museum depicts life in the Dales in earlier times.

Visit the viewing galleries and museum for the Wensleydale Cheese Experience. This working dairy also offers cheese tasting, a food hall and cheese shop.

Horton-in-Ribblesdale is a good place from which to hike and as a base for climbing Pen-y-Ghent. It is located north of Settle on the A682.

Ingleton is an attractive small town on the A65 between Skipton and Kendal. The area surrounding the town of Ingleton is popular with visitors looking to explore the caves, waterfalls, and mountains as well as the geological and archaeological sites.

From Hawes a winding hill road leads to Muker in Swaledale, passing after 2mi/3.2km Hardraw Force waterfall, and going over the Buttertubs Pass, named after five deep holes in the rock between 50ft/15m-100ft/30m.

Pateley Bridge (pop. 1,900) is a lovely little town located on the B265 southwest of Ripon. The town is the ideal starting and stopping point for walkers on the circular Nidderdale Way. High Street in Pateley Bridge has many specialty shops, craft centres and tea rooms.

The Nidderdale Museum is located in an original Victorian workhouse that displays the life and history of the Dalesfolk.

Stump Cross Caverns was discovered by lead miners in the 19th C. It is a natural dry stream passage formed some 500,000 years ago with stalactite and stalagmite formations.

Behind the pretty little village of West Witton rises Penhill Beacon (1,792ft/546m). West Witton holds a well-known "Burning of Bartle" ceremony every year on August 24th with villagers carrying an effigy of St Bartholomew and then burning it on a bonfire. Beyond Aysgarth, 23mi/37km from Ripon, are three waterfalls, the finest of which is Aysgarth Force, half a mile beyond the bridge.

The National Park Center displays the history and natural history of the area.