Dent, Yorkshire Dales National Park
Dent is a picture postcard village in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park yet geographically in Cumbria. It feels like you are going back in time as you stroll along the cobbled streets with quaint stone cottages and a fountain. There are two pubs in the village of Dent, the Sun Inn and the George and Dragon. We preferred the Sun Inn, which has a beer garden out the back and it was heaving both in the day and the evening. There is a third pub, the Sportsman's Inn, but this one is not in the village of Dent itself but along the dale in Cowdub, adjacent to the river.
Dentdale has an interesting history with farmsteads remaining from Norse settlers and evidence of the Normans in Dent village. There is evidence of former industries such as mining and quarrying as well as religious connections including Quakerism and Methodism.
The landscape of Dentdale is a curious blend of Lakeland Fells and rolling hills. There are pleasant walks along the river or if you climb up higher onto the hills there are fantastic far-reaching views on a clear day. The Settle-Carlisle railway (72 miles long) adds interest to the area and it's worth taking a look at the impressive viaducts and tunnels. Dent station itself is the highest station in England and sits majestically overlooking the valley.
It is easy to overlook Dentdale as it is en route to the Lakes but it is certainly worth a visit or considering as a base for a holiday as there is plenty to do in the area. Dent makes an ideal base for walking with numerous walks of various levels possible starting from Dent.
This entry was posted on Thursday May 28th, 2009 at 6:00 PM and is filed under Places to Visit, Places to Walk. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response.
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