July 18, 2020

Hotels in Leyburn Yorkshire

Situated in a market town on the northern bank of the River Ure, Leyburn Hotels are a fantastic base for exploring the area of Wensleydale, surrounded by beautiful countryside and picturesque villages.

Market Town

Leyburn itself is a cosy market town on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. There’s everything you could need here for a holiday into the country, from welcoming pubs and antique shops to tearooms and market stalls selling fresh fruit and vegetables.

The railway station in the town connects to the Wensleydale Railway, a great way to see the local countryside and the quickest way to get to Redmire. From there it’s only a short stroll to Bolton Castle. The Grade I listed castle dates from the 14th century when it was built by Richard Scrope, the First Baron of Bolton.

Leyburn is also close to the Leyburn Shawl, a beautiful escarpment that offers stunning views of the Yorkshire Dales. Legend tells that Mary Queen of Scots dropped her shawl in this location after she escaped from imprisonment in Bolton Castle, leading to her eventual recapture.

Yorkshire Dales

Leyburn is popular in the summer with visitors to the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Encompassing a vast land of rivers, hills and caves, the Yorkshire Dales are a stunning area to behold with enough different routes to keep hikers or all ages and abilities busy. Close to the village of Clapham is Ingleborough Cave – a spacious cave with impressive stalagmitic formations. The cave is also where the water remerges that flows into the dramatic Gaping Gill pothole.

Also worth planning a walk around are Cautley Spout – England’s highest cascading waterfall, Gayle Mill – an old cotton mill dating from about 1784 and Hardraw Force – a rocky overhang in a wooded ravine close to the hamlet of Hardraw.

Art and chocolate

After trekking across the Yorkshire Dales, return to Leyburn for a warm cup of tea and some comfort food. The Little Chocolate Shop is a cosy little shop in the town with a temping selection of treats on display, and the Wensleydale Galleries are a charming place to spend an hour looking through the colourful work of local artists.