Where to Stay in the Yorkshire Dales for a Christmas Break: Inns, Cottages and Log Fires

Settle, Hawes, Reeth or Grassington? A practical guide to Dales Christmas stays, with real villages, road times and what to skip.

Settle and the Three Peaks: best for station access

Settle, on the Leeds–Carlisle line, is the only Dales market town with its own railway station, and that matters in December when the A65 can be slow and the Kirkby Stephen road closes in snow. Trains from Leeds take about 1 hour 20 minutes, and the town's hotels and inns cluster within a 10-minute walk of the platform. The Victoria Cave and Scaleber Force walks start from town, and the Settle–Carlisle line often runs steam specials in the run-up to Christmas. Book a room with a real fire here if you want to arrive without driving.

For a classic inn with rooms, expect £110–£160 a night for a double in December, with Christmas packages (two nights, dinner, breakfast) typically £280–£420 per couple. The Golden Lion and the Royal Oak sit on or just off the marketplace. Skip the chain lodges on the A65 bypass if you want atmosphere. If you are booking for a group, the converted stationmaster's house at Ribblehead is a quirky option but isolated: 6 miles from Hawes and 8 from Settle, so you will need a car.

Hawes and Wensleydale: cheese, waterfalls and high moorland

Hawes, at the head of Wensleydale, is the highest market town in England and the most reliable bet for a white Christmas feel. The Wensleydale Creamery is a five-minute walk from the marketplace, and Hardraw Force, England's highest single-drop waterfall, is a 20-minute walk via the Green Dragon Inn. From Hawes, the drive to Aysgarth Falls takes 15 minutes, to Leyburn 25, and to Richmond 45. In heavy snow, the Buttertubs Pass to Swaledale closes, so plan loops via the A684.

Cottages in and around Hawes start at around £400–£650 per week for a two-bedroom stone cottage with a wood burner, or £80–£120 per night for shorter Christmas lets. Inns such as the Crown and the Board Inn offer doubles from £95–£140, often with dinner included on Christmas packages. I would book a cottage here rather than an inn if you are staying three nights or more: you get the log fire, a kitchen for Christmas lunch, and parking. Skip Hawes on market day (Tuesday) if you want quiet streets.

Reeth, Gunnerside and Swaledale: the quietest option

Swaledale is the Dales at their most empty in winter, and Reeth is its hub: a Georgian village green ringed by the King's Head, the Black Bull and the Buck Inn. From Reeth, Richmond is 12 miles (about 25 minutes), Leyburn 10 miles, and the Tan Hill Inn, Britain's highest pub, is 18 miles over the moor via Arkengarthdale — a drive to attempt only in clear weather. The Swale Trail, a 12-mile walking and cycling route to Keld, runs right past the village.

Swaledale cottages with log burners list at £350–£600 per week for two bedrooms in December, and many owners offer a three-night Christmas break for £250–£400. Inns here are smaller and book up earliest; the King's Head has perhaps 10 rooms. Skip Reeth if you want shops and a station — the nearest is Northallerton, 25 miles east. Book Swaledale for silence, dark skies and walks straight from the door.

Grassington and Wharfedale: closest to Leeds and Harrogate

Grassington, 30 minutes from Skipton and 45 from Leeds, is the most accessible Dales base if you are arriving from West Yorkshire. The village's cobbled square has the Devonshire Arms and the Black Horse, and the Grassington Dickensian Festival, held over two weekends in early December, fills every room within 10 miles — book by September if you want that weekend. Bolton Abbey is 8 miles away, and the Burnsall river walk is 4 miles up the B6160.

Expect £120–£180 for a double in a Grassington inn during December, and £500–£800 per week for a two-bedroom cottage. Kettlewell, 6 miles north, is cheaper and quieter, with the Racehorses Hotel and a handful of cottages. Skip Grassington if you want total solitude — the Dickensian weekends are busy and parking is restricted. I would book Kettlewell for a peaceful Christmas and Grassington only if the festival is the point of the trip.

Questions, answered

Do I need a car for a Christmas break in the Yorkshire Dales?

Almost always, yes. Only Settle has a railway station, and buses on Dales routes run a Sunday-like timetable over Christmas. If you stay in Hawes, Reeth or Kettlewell, a car is essential for reaching pubs, walks and shops, and for diverting around closed moorland passes.

Which Dales village is best for a log fire and a Christmas lunch?

Hawes or Reeth. Both have inns serving Christmas dinner and cottages with wood burners. Hawes has more shops and the creamery; Reeth is quieter. Book cottages three to four months ahead, and confirm the fire is a real stove, not decorative.

What should I book first for a Dales Christmas?

Book accommodation before travel. Grassington's Dickensian weekends and Hawes' Christmas package inns sell out by October. Secure a refundable room or cottage, then book train tickets to Settle or Northallerton, and reserve Christmas lunch separately.

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