Dales Way

Cumbria, N Yorkshire, W Yorkshire

The Way mainly follows attractive dales through the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Howgill Fells and the south-eastern part of the Lake District. From Ilkley it heads along Wharfedale passing Bolton Abbey, the Strid, Grassington and Buckden before crossing Cam Fell and the Pennine Way National Trail to descend to Dentdale. From here, the River Dee is followed to Sedbergh, then the Lune to the Crook of Lune. The Way crosses farmland to reach Burneside and the River Kent, which is traced for several miles before the path branches off to the finish.

There are three Dales Way Link routes from cities nearby: from Leeds (Leeds - Dales Way, 19 miles, on OS maps) and Bradford/Shipley (Shipley - Dales Way, 8 miles, on OS maps) each described in the Gemmell-Speakman publication, also now with a Bradford - Shipley link, 3 miles, with an online description, and from Harrogate (Harrogate - Dales Way, 16 miles) for which a publication is listed. The Saltaire Village World Heritage Site is at Shipley, a complete and well-preserved industrial village of the second half of the 19th century.

Strider News - August 2026 (Publication Update)

New guidebook and map booklet from Rucksack Readers

Strider News - December 2025 (Publication Update)

New guidebook by Colin Speakman

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Details:

Path Type:	Paths Marked on OS mapping
Waymark:	Orange/green named discs/signposts with green hill graphic
Attributes:	Average Gradients Moorland River World Heritage Site
Start:	SE112481 - Old Bridge, Ilkley, W Yorkshire
Finish:	SD402968 - Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria
User Group:	Dales Way Association Dales Way Association
Web Sites:	Dales Way Association Saltaire Village WHS Yorkshire Dales National Park - Dales Way Skyware - Dales Way Route in Detail Moorland Challenge - Dales Way Dales Way Link - (Leeds to Ilkley) Pete's Walks Blog - Dales Way [blog] Visit Cumbria - Dales Way British Walks - Dales Way [blog] Independent Hostels UK - Dales Way Accommodation Rambling Man - Planning your Dales Way Walk Charles Hawes - The Dales Way [blog] Dales Way [YouTube video] A walker's journal - The Dales Way [blog] Dales Way Walk [YouTube video] Escape Matters - Dales Way [blog] Waypoint51 - Dales Way

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Publications, Badges and Certificates:

Guidebook	Dales Way  (Rucksack Readers  - 2026 )
Guidebook	Dales Way  (Skyware  - 2024 )
Guidebook	Dales Way : Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere  (Trailblazer  - 2022 )
Guidebook	Dales Way: Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere through the Yorkshire Dales  (Cicerone Press  - 2024 reprint )
Guidebook	Dales Way: 80 Miles Through the Yorkshire Dales  (Cordee Ltd  - 2012 )
Guidebook	Walkers' Britain  (Awesome Books  - 2011 )
External download	Dalesway Link (Bradford to Ilkley)  (City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council  - 2009 )
Leaflet	Harrogate link : a walk from Harrogate to join the Dales Way at Ilkley  (Harrogate Group Ramblers  - 2013 )
External download	Dales Way Watershed Alternatives  (Skyware )
External download	Harrogate Link: a walk from Harrogate to join the Dales Way at Ilkley  (Harrogate Group Ramblers  - 2013 )
External download	Dales Way Train & Bus Links  (Dales Way Association  - 2019 )
Other	BBC Radio 4 : Ramblings : The Dales Way, part one  (BBC )
Other	BBC Radio 4 : Ramblings : The Dales Way, part two  (BBC )
Other	BBC Radio 4 : Ramblings : The Dales Way, part three  (BBC )
Other	BBC Radio 4 : Ramblings : The Dales Way, part four  (BBC )
Other	BBC Radio 4 : Ramblings : The Dales Way, part five  (BBC )
Other	BBC Radio 4 : Ramblings : The Dales Way, part six  (BBC )
Other	BBC Radio 4 : Ramblings : Listeners' walks : The Dales Way  (BBC )
General Interest Book	Big Trails: Great Britain & Ireland  (Vertebrate Publishing  - 2020 )

Click to showhide 15 more Publications, Badges and Certificates

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