Dales Way

The Dales Way runs for 80 miles (128 km) from Ilkley in the Yorkshire Dales to Bowness in the Lake District. The route heads north through Wharfedale, crisscrossing the river, and rises over high moorland to pick up River Dee through Dentdale. Briefly it joins River Lune before heading west across the Lake District to Bowness-on-Windermere.

Along the Way, you'll see impressive railway viaducts and fine stone bridges; Bolton Priory and many small churches; limestone scenery with stone walls, barns and kilns; and heritage centres and churches. Above all, the route is blessed with many small villages with a range of accommodation and welcoming pubs at strategic intervals. Gradients are modest and most people will complete it comfortably in 6 or 7 days.

This guidebook has all that a walker needs, and has been updated for 2026 with many route updates, full details of the Watershed Alternatives and new route mapping at 1:40,000. It features concise, up-to-date directions, background on geology, railway heritage, farming and wildlife, contacts for accommodation and transport and a feature on religion including Bolton Priory and Quakerism. The text is supported by 140 glorious colour photos, all packaged in a rainproof, rucksack-friendly format.