Pubs in the Yorkshire Dales: Where to Eat, Drink and Sleep

A practical guide to Dales pubs worth planning a day around, from Masham breweries to Swaledale inns, plus where to base yourself.

Lower Wensleydale and Masham: the brewery end

Start in Masham, a small market town on the River Ure about 40 minutes' drive north-west of Ripon and 30 minutes from the A1 at Leeming Bar. Two independents sit within a few hundred metres of the square: Theakston's and Black Sheep, and both run visitor tours most weekdays, though it is worth checking times before you set off because they change seasonally. The pubs around the square — the White Bear on Silver Street, the King's Head on the corner — are solid rather than spectacular, serving Yorkshire bitter at around £4.50–£5.50 a pint. Come here for the brewery side of the trip, not for a destination dinner.

Push west along the A684 through Leyburn, where the Saturday market fills the square, and on to West Witton and Aysgarth. The Wensleydale Heifer in West Witton is the smartest dining pub in this stretch and you should book weeks ahead for a weekend table. For something plainer and cheaper, the Palmer Flatt Hotel at Aysgarth Falls serves straightforward bar food a short walk from the falls themselves — handy if you want lunch between the upper and lower falls. Best months here are May, June and September; July and August bring queues at Aysgarth and the car park off the A684 fills by 10.30am.

Swaledale and Arkengarthdale: the quietest stretch

Swaledale is where the Dales get genuinely empty. From Richmond, the A6108 runs west through Marske and down into Reeth, roughly 25 minutes. Reeth's two pubs face each other across the green: the Black Bull and the Buck Hotel. The Buck does better food in my view; the Black Bull has the better beer garden on a sunny afternoon. Neither is a gastropub and neither pretends to be. Expect £14–£20 for a main course, less at lunch.

Further up the valley, the Tan Hill Inn sits at 528 metres on the road between Keld and Kirkby Stephen — the highest pub in Britain and about 50 minutes from Reeth on a single-track road that is not fun in fog. It is worth one visit for the landscape, not the cooking. Better: the Farmers Arms at Muker, small, flagstone-floored, serving Swaledale lamb and local cheese, with Muker's hay meadows a ten-minute walk away. Meadows peak in late June. If you are booking a hotel for this end of the Dales, base in Richmond rather than Reeth — you get more rooms, more restaurants and a 25-minute run up the valley.

Wharfedale, Malhamdale and the southern approach

Wharfedale is the busiest and easiest Dales valley from Leeds and Bradford — Skipton is 45 minutes from Leeds on the A65, and trains from Leeds to Skipton run hourly and take about 45 minutes. Skipton itself has the Narrow Boat on Victoria Street and the Woolly Sheep on Sheep Street, both reliable, neither special. The reason to come is the run up the B6265 to Grassington, where the Foresters Arms and the Devonshire Hotel both do good pub food, and then on to Kettlewell and Buckden along the B6160.

For Malham, the Lister Arms and the Buck Inn sit either side of the village, five minutes from Malham Cove. This is honeypot territory: on a summer weekend the village car park is full by 10am and the path to the cove is a procession. Go in April or October and it is a different place. The Lister Arms takes bookings for food and I would take that over turning up. If you want the Yorkshire Three Peaks, base in Horton-in-Ribblesdale — the Crown Hotel there is basic and cheap, and you can walk from the door at 7am.

Practicalities: getting around, booking and what to skip

You need a car for anything west of Skipton. Buses exist — the 72 from Skipton to Grassington, the DalesBus summer services on Sundays — but they are slow and thin, and a missed connection can cost you two hours. Drive times between valleys are longer than the map suggests: Reeth to Hawes is 50 minutes, Hawes to Settle is 45, Grassington to Masham is an hour. Do not try to cover Wensleydale and Wharfedale in one day.

I would skip the Tan Hill unless you specifically want the altitude, skip Hawes' creamery café queues in August (go at 3pm), and skip anywhere in Malham on a bank holiday. Book accommodation in Richmond, Skipton, Leyburn or Hawes — all have enough rooms to absorb a late booking, and all sit within 30 minutes of several good pubs. Autumn half-term and the weeks either side of Christmas fill up first; the last week of September is the sweet spot for weather, crowds and availability. Register with the site before you go so you can hold a room while you check the pub's opening hours.

Questions, answered

Do Yorkshire Dales pubs take food bookings?

Most dining pubs do — the Wensleydale Heifer, Lister Arms and Farmers Arms at Muker all take reservations and you should use them for Friday and Saturday. Village locals such as the Black Bull in Reeth often keep part of the room walk-in only.

What is the best month for a Dales pub stay?

Late May, June and September. The hay meadows at Muker peak in late June, crowds are manageable, and you can still get a table at short notice. Avoid bank holidays in Malham and Aysgarth, when car parks fill before 10.30am.

Can I visit the Dales without a car?

Skipton and Settle have railway stations on the Leeds–Carlisle line, and summer DalesBus services reach Grassington and Malham. Beyond that, buses are infrequent. Base in Skipton or Richmond and use taxis for the last few miles.

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