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Yorkshire Dales Walking Weekend - Buckden Pike

A brilliantly sociable walking weekend around the Wharfedale valley in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales

Experience Type: Multi-Day Experience
Duration: 2 nights
Accommodation: Bunkhouse
Group Size: Maximum 13
Level: Active
Age: 18+
Dogs: No dogs, except trained assistance dogs

In a Nutshell:

  • Explore breathtaking Yorkshire Dales scenery over two days of guided walking over fells, moors, and riversides.

  • Enjoy fabulous hospitality put on by your Large Outdoors host, including all meals.

  • Stay in an excellent National Trust-owned converted barn - a proper rural retreat that doesn’t scrimp on home comforts.

  • Sample some of the area’s excellent pubs and tearooms during your walks.

 

We are not currently offering this walk.

If you would like to organise your own private walk we can arrange this via our Hire a Guide service. Details can be found here…

How do we grade our walks?

 

Enjoy two days of brilliant Yorkshire Dales walking!

The village of Buckden can be found in the tranquil valley of Wharfedale in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. A pretty retreat that’s popular with walkers, it’s surrounded by dry stone walls and impressive peaks. One of these peaks is Buckden Pike which, standing at 702 metres (2,303 ft), narrowly misses scooping the title of the highest peak in the area (this goes to Whernside - one of the peaks of the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge). It’s a fantastic, often overlooked, and not-too-challenging climb that we’ll guide you up over the weekend!

Your accommodation this weekend is a fantastic, National Trust-owned bunkhouse. An historic converted barn, it’s a cosy rural retreat with great social areas for evenings in front of the open fire - with a glass of wine or two, we’re sure!

We’ll embark on two walks this weekend: one longer, which includes a bit of ascent to the summit of Buckden Pike, and the other, on the Sunday, at a more leisurely pace. You’ll enjoy the company of a small group of friendly outdoors lovers over the weekend, and your Large Outdoors host, who’ll take care of everything on the trip.

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

You are welcome to arrive at the hostel from 5pm, where your Large Outdoors host will be ready to greet you and help you settle in. This evening is all about getting to know your fellow walkers, unloading from the stress of the week, and chatting about the weekend ahead. Dinner will be served at 8pm.

Day 2

After breakfast, we’ll head straight out of the accommodation door for a fantastic circular route. We’d say this walk is Active level - it’s got a good amount of up-and-down, but it’s manageable for anyone with a good level of walking fitness. As with all our walking weekends, we’ll take things at a sociable pace as a group.

Heading north, we’ll join a track that skirts around and gradually ascends towards Buckden Pike. You’ll enjoy stunning views of the surrounding dales and the blissful quiet of the Wharfedale valley. Buckden Pike makes for a great walk - a good leg-stretcher with just the right amount of challenge - and with a rewarding view from the summit. Marked by a trig point, you’ll enjoy panoramic views over North Yorkshire and the Yorkshire Dales. You’ll be able to pick out several other peaks, including those taken on by Yorkshire Three Peaks challengers, in the distance.

Heading south from the summit, we’ll pass disused lead mines from the area’s industrial heritage, and a memorial cross dedicated to the memory of five Polish airmen who lost their lives on the Pike in the Second World War. We’ll follow the path downhill, levelling out somewhat along Starbotton Out Moor, crossing pretty streams and passing (and definitely not stepping in!) ‘shakes holes’ - geological formations unique to limestone areas.

Following the moor gradually downhill to the village of Starbotton, we’ll duck into a great family run pub serving real ales for refreshments, if the group feels like it. Once we reach Starbotton, the rest of the route follows the valley bottom, which we’ll take at a leisurely pace. Joining the Dales Way for a stretch along the River Wharfe, you’ll enjoy more fantastic views of the sheep-grazed fells and the pretty, winding river itself.

Arriving back in our accommodation in Buckden, there’ll be plenty of time to relax and enjoy a cup of tea or glass of wine after a day’s good walking done. Tonight, we’ll head out as a group to the local pub for our dinner (not included in the cost of the trip).

Day 3

After breakfast and packing up, we’ll check out of our accommodation before embarking on a lovely circular walk taking in several charming villages. Starting along Buckden Rake, the trail at the start of yesterday’s route, we’ll soon turn left into the hamlet of Cray. Famous for a collection of pretty waterfalls, we’ll find a good viewpoint and enjoy our surroundings for a while.

Pressing on, we’ll skirt the bottom of Chapel Moor along leisurely trails and through small areas of woodland, until we reach the village of Yockenthwaite, home to a famous limestone cave and Bronze Age stone circle. Our walk will take us west along the River Wharfe, to the village of Hubberholme, once described by author and playwright J.B. Priestley as the “smallest, pleasantest place in the world”. If the group wants to, we could stop at a pub here for a bite to eat.

Rejoining the Dales Way along the River Wharfe, we’ll soon finish the walk. Then it’s time to say our farewells. A fantastic weekend of walking done!

Good to Know

  • Meeting Time: from 5pm
    You can arrive any time from 5pm - the Large Outdoors host will be at the accommodation to welcome you. Dinner will be served around 8pm so if you intend to arrive later than this, please ensure you have something to eat on the way.

    Meeting Location:
    Town Head Barn
    Buckden
    Skipton
    BD23 5JA

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    Parking: There is parking available at the main village car park: Yorkshire Dales National Park Car Park, Buckden, Skipton, BD23 5JA. This car park is adjacent to the accommodation, just 100m walk away. £8 per vehicle charge for 48hr stay, pay by card or cash.

    Public Transport: Buckden is located 19 miles from Skipton Train Station, with services to/from Leeds and Bradford. Bus services are available to/from Skipton, but Sunday services are limited.

    Finish Time: We aim to finish on the final day between 1pm and 3pm - the exact finish time may depend on the planned/chosen activity, group dynamic, weather conditions, whether the group chooses to grab a coffee or lunch together during/after, etc. If you’ve travelled via public transport, please ensure you book onward travel accordingly (i.e. an open return ticket), to allow for flexibility.

  • We’ll have exclusive use of the National Trust-owned Town Head Barn, a handsome converted barn that doesn’t scrimp on home comforts. The beautiful bunkhouse houses cosy rooms and great social areas with dining and lounge area around an open fire.

    No bedding or towels are provided. The beds will have a pillow only - please bring a pillowcase and bedding (sheet & duvet or sleeping bag) with you, as well as a towel and your own toiletries.

    Accommodation Address:
    Town Head Barn
    Buckden
    Skipton
    BD23 5JA

    Room Types:
    You can book one of the following options, subject to availability:
    Bed in a Shared Female Room
    Bed in a Shared Male Room

    All rooms at this accommodation are Shared Rooms, where you’ll be sharing a dorm room - usually with bunk beds - with other participants (room sizes vary and bathrooms are shared).

  • Included:

    • 2 nights’ accommodation at Town Head Barn - we have taken over exclusive use of the bunkhouse, so it will just be Large Outdoors participants staying.

    • A Large Outdoors host/guide to welcome you, deal with meal preparation and the logistics for your experience.

    • Guided walks on two days (Day 2 & Day 3).

    • Home-cooked set 2-course dinner at the accommodation on the first evening.

    • A DIY breakfast each morning (toast, cereals, fruit and yoghurt provided).

    • A DIY packed lunch (sandwich and snacks) for Day 2’s walk.

    • Tea (including decaf and herbal options), coffee (including decaf option), and squash at the accommodation.

    • The chance to make new friends and meet like-minded people - Large Outdoors is all about making outdoor adventures sociable.

    • Pre-event support from the Large Outdoors team - give us a shout if there’s any advice or information you need and check out our Blog for useful articles too.

    Not included:

    • Travel to and from the meeting location.

    • Travel from the accommodation to activity start points and back, where they don’t start from the door.

    • Dinner on the second evening - we’ll book a table at a local pub to enjoy dinner as a group and you can purchase whatever you fancy from the menu available.

    • No bedding or towels are provided. The beds will have a pillow only - please bring a pillowcase and bedding (sheet & duvet or sleeping bag) with you, as well as a towel and your own toiletries.

    • Any extra (i.e. not mentioned above in ‘Included’) excursions or activities that you may partake in which incur a cost.

    • Bottled water - tap water and squash are available at the accommodation, so please ensure you bring sufficient water bottles or carriers to fill up and take out with you.

    • Alcoholic drinks - please feel free to bring something with you to enjoy at the accommodation, or there’s a local pub nearby.

    • Any food, drinks or goods you choose to purchase at any shops, restaurant, pubs or cafés visited.

    • Travel/activity insurance - we recommend having insurance to cover, at a minimum: cancellation and curtailment; medical and emergency expenses (including repatriation); personal accident; injury and death.

  • Please see our Residential (Walking) Kit List.

    The compulsory items are selected for your safety, which is of paramount importance to us at Large Outdoors. Each participant should have the items listed.

    • What level of fitness is needed?
      This trip is graded as Active. Click here to see Large Outdoors’ Experience Levels. There’ll be a fairly steep ascent to the top of Buckden Pike on the Saturday, but this should be manageable for most. As with most of the walks we lead, everything will be done at a sociable pace, with the focus on a fun experience rather than speed. The Sunday walk is overall much more of a leisurely valley amble.

    • Can I attend on my own?
      Absolutely. The majority of our participants are solo travellers and adventurers. Plenty of fun, laughter and numerous long-term friendships (and a few marriages!) have begun on Large Outdoors experiences since 2008, so there’s no need to feel worried about your first experience, or indeed trying a new type of outdoor activity, with us.

    • I am currently on a specific diet / have an allergy - can you cater for me?
      Unfortunately, we are generally unable to cater for a wide variety of diets or food preferences due to the nature and cost of our catered trips and/or the use of shared kitchens. However, we can offer vegetarian meals, vegan meals, provide meals with gluten* free ingredients, and/or provide dairy* free meals - these options can be selected when booking. *Please see our general FAQs for more information about dietary options.

    • What transport is provided during this trip?
      We do not provide any transport for this experience. On some days there could be a short drive required to activity start points and back, where they don’t start from the accommodation - participants normally car share.

    • Can I bring my dog?
      Dogs are not allowed on this experience, except for trained assistance dogs. If you wish to bring your trained assistance dog, please let us know in advance of booking so we can discuss the itinerary and any activity/equipment/accommodation, and of course additional safety requirements or considerations that may be necessary.

  • Spanning a vast area of the Pennines and the rolling hills and dales of Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Dales National Park is a hugely popular destination for walkers and lovers of countryside.

    The dales are long valleys, often named after the rivers that run through them. They are dotted with the old stone houses and walls that give this part of England it’s timeless look, with stones often cut straight out of the limestone of the local hills. The peaks and rolling moors are accessible and grassy, with the famous limestone ‘scars’ running along their sides.

    As well as dozens of walking peaks, the Yorkshire Dales hosts several long-distance trails, including the famous Pennine Way, and it is easy for walkers here to link up hills and valleys for hundreds of great day walks.

    The Buckden Pike Walking Weekend takes place in the beautiful and tranquil Wharfedale valley, home to a number of beautiful villages, including Kettlewell, from where we run our Kettlewell Walking Weekend.