Local Area

Ravenstonedale

Ravenstonedale is our local village, just a few minutes by car or a very pleasant two-mile walk through English country meadows. The village is very pretty and well worth a visit and includes two great pubs, (The Black Swan & The Kings Head), public tennis court, a fabulous, yet tricky, par 3 golf course which is open to non-members at a very reasonable rate of £6 (18 holes) or £4 (9 holes).

Kirkby Stephen

Kirkby Stephen is a bustling market town, full of charm and character, where you will find a large supermarket and many of the traditional grocers' shops. The town is the halfway point for the Coast to Coast national trail and therefore has a good selection of cafes and outdoor clothing shops. The town also has a famous chip shop, an Indian restaurant, a Chinese restaurant and several pubs. Kirkby Stephen market day is Monday.

Sedbergh

Sedbergh is an attractive, old market town. It has a narrow main street lined with shops and is well worth a visit. It is also home to Sedbergh School, a boarding school founded in the 16th Century, whose buildings provide a dramatic backdrop to the town. Sedbergh has a great selection of cafes and real ale pubs. Sedbergh is also famous for being at the foot of the impressive Howgill Fells, which offer some of the best walking opportunities in the district. In fact, The Calf, the highest top in the Howgill Fells was re-classified in 2016 as a mountain at just over 2000ft. Sedbergh market day is Wednesday.

Dent 

Dentdale, south of Sedbergh, is one of the finest Cumbrian Dales, a valley full of beauty and historic interest. The Dales Way long-distance path runs along the valley along with the River Dee. Dent, with its delightful cobbled streets, is the only village in Dentdale. There are two pubs, cafes, a small art gallery and a few local craft shops.

Kirkby Lonsdale

South of Sedbergh is renowned for its 17th & 18th century architecture, picturesque scenery, upmarket shopping, lovely pubs and trendy eating places.

Orton Village

Lovely 13th century historic village famous for its Chocolate Factory and its monthly farmers market (second Saturday of each month) with over 40 local farmers, growers and artisan craftsmen offering a variety of high quality produce.

Kendal

Kendal is a large market town with plenty of shopping, eating and drinking options and home to the famous mint cake. There is a large cinema / live entertainment centre (Brewery Arts) and a leisure centre.

Hawes

This magical little market town is England's highest, set 850 feet above sea level. Hawes was first recorded as a market place in 1307 and the lively Tuesday market still entices shoppers in. Home to the world-famous Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese and set amidst breath-taking scenery it's no surprise Hawes is one of the honeypot tourist attractions of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The name Hawes means a 'pass between mountains' and it stands between the stunning Buttertubs and Fleet Moss. You can also discover the 18th Century water-powered cotton spinning Gayle Mill. Converted to sawmill and electricity generation with original working Victorian turbines, lineshafting and woodworking machinery.

Appleby-in-Westmorland

Another historic gem in the area. Appleby is a beautiful town, set within a loop of the River Eden and overlooked by Appleby Castle. It is also famous for the Appleby Horse Fair which is held in the first week of June each year.