Villages in Coverdale

There are four picturesque villages in Coverdale which are the focus of this walk. Coverdale is one of the dales which lead south from Wensleydale, quieter than the main valley and all the better for it.

The Walk

The best valley walking is away from the main Dales and Coverdale is no exception. It is a wide dale situated south of lower Wensleydale. Here the moors (click for a longer walk over the moors) are set back from the valley. It is also a quiet valley, longer than most, therefore making it a fascinating place to explore. This walk links a number of pretty villages (Horsehouse, West Scrafton, Carlton and Gammersgill) and in addition has the variety of using tracks on both sides of the valley. Further up the valley, the landscape becomes wilder but here it is a pleasant mix of farms and riverside.

The most interesting part of the walk are the villages. Horsehouse and Carlton were main coaching stops in the 18th and 19th century (the pubs are coaching inns). Coverdale was on one of the main thoroughfare’s heading north and in its day quite a popular dale. Have a look at a map of the Yorkshire Dales and it is easy to see why this dale was key. If there is a more immaculately kept village in England than West Scrafton I have yet to see it. It was also the birth place of Lord Darnley, father of James 1 (which was interesting as I I always thought he was true bred Scottish). It is thought that the dale itself is named after Miles Coverdale who was the first person to translate the bible in to English in the early 16th century.

There are no end of stories like this in the Yorkshire Dales, just search them out and it makes the walks so much more interesting.

Recommend

Guess the visitor, I spotted a private helicopter landing at Swineside, there are some rich people in Coverdale.

Navigation Tips in Coverdale

Any lowland walk such as the Villages of Coverdale mean there are plenty of stiles to cross. Each field will be bounded by one. The advantage is that even if the path on the ground is not obvious at least you can see where it exits the field as there will be a stile. Less enticing is the state of some of the stiles, rickety or what!