Our favourite cafes in the Yorkshire Dales and walks you can do nearby!

It’s hard to decide which you would rather stumble upon on a walk – a cosy country pub or fantastic village café with lots of homemade cakes. I’m inclined to think that the best walks have both!

We’ve already told you about some of our favourite pubs in the Yorkshire Dales (see our previous blog post here) so here are some of our top cafes, and walks you can do around them.

The Bake-Well, Askrigg

Anyone who follows our Instagram account will know that cakes and pies from the Bake-Well make a regular appearance on our walks! Even when we aren’t walking from Askrigg, we quite often take a trip there to stock up before heading out into the hills! They do an amazing array of homemade cakes, slices and scones, as well as pies, sausage rolls, salads and soups. All can be eaten in (currently only on outside tables, due to Covid restrictions) or taken away to enjoy later in your walk.

There are lots of great walks you can do from Askrigg but the most popular and probably the best is to head up Mill Gill and Whitfield Gill to see the impressive waterfalls tucked away in woodland, before circling back through farmland, with great views along Wensleydale, back to the village.

Askrigg is in the middle of one of the days walking on our ‘Wensleydale and its tributaries’ walking holiday, so the Bake-Well makes the perfect spot to stop for some lunch and pick up a treat for later in the walk!

The Two Dales Bakery, Reeth

First and foremost a high-end bakery, the café at Two Dales makes the most of its fantastic produce. Their sourdough is legendary in the northern Dales so stop for lunch to try it out, or try one of their equally good pies, tarts, cakes or pastries.

Reeth is a hub for walking so there are loads of great walks that can fit in a stop at the Two Dales. We like the high level route up Fremington Edge, that gives fabulous views over Swaledale and Arkengarthdale, and returns along Arkle Beck.

Our ‘Remote Swaledale and Arkengarthdale’ walking holiday passes through Reeth in the middle of a fabulous day from Low Row to Langthwaite, making the Two Dales a perfect stop for lunch!

the brownie barn, barden

A relatively new addition to the Dales café scene, the fantastic LOVE Brownies (that has a small chain of cafes as far flung as London, Swindon and Canterbury) has always made its Brownies in the Dales but last year opened the ‘Brownie Barn’ at its bakery site in an idyllic location between Bolton Abbey and Burnsall.

They serve the incredible brownies for which they are known as well as indulgent milkshakes, delicious smoothies and a selection of light meals at weekends, all in a fantastic setting with views over the surrounding countryside.

Parking is limited and needs pre-booking so walking is definitely the way to get there, and it is the perfect stop on a circuit of Trollers Gill from Burnsall. The route is part of our ‘Highlights of the Southern Dales’ walking holiday and, as the route isn’t too long, you get plenty of time to relax and enjoy a luxurious break!

The Mill Race, Aysgarth Falls

A lovely little café in part of the former mill building right on the bridge by the famous Aysgarth Falls. They do wonderful cakes and bakes as well as a good selection of lunches and their afternoon tea selection is an absolute bargain!

They also do mail-order tray bake selections so if you get a taste for their produce, you can always order some to have at home.

There is a great circular walk from Aysgarth Falls through some classic Wensleydale farmland to impressive Bolton Castle. Head back high up along the edge of the moor to get great views before dropping down through Carperby to return to Aysgarth Falls, where you can pick up something to reward your efforts from the Mill Race!

The route is one of the days on our ‘Wensleydale and its tributaries’ walking holiday, so remember to grab a treat before heading back to the hotel!

The Old School Tearoom, Hebden

A fantastic café in the little village of Hebden – a couple of miles from Grassington but a lot quieter! This café does a fantastic range of food with special mention to its amazing salads and excellent choices for vegetarian and vegan diets. They also do a lovely vintage afternoon tea (that needs pre-booking).

There is lots of indoor and outdoor seating, including garden huts for shelter! Note that they are currently running a slightly more limited menu and indoor seating needs booking, due to Covid restrictions.

A great circular walk can give you a tour of several of the villages of lower Wharfedale – Grassington, Linton, Hebden and Burnsall – and includes a lovely stretch of riverside walking along the Wharf. To visit on a Muddy Boots Walking Holiday, you can take a short detour off the route between Malham and Burnsall on our ‘Highlights of the Southern Dales’ route.

To find out more about any of these walks or if you are interested in a Muddy Boots Walking Holiday, please do get in touch.