What to See in Nidderdale

The attractive market town of Pateley Bridge, with its colourful floral displays and friendly people, is the self-styled capital of Nidderdale. Set against a steep hillside, the town offers a wide variety of speciality shops, cosy tearooms and welcoming public houses.

Explore a little further and you will discover its hidden treasures

Visit the award-winning Nidderdale Museum, the Pateley Playhouse 'Little Theatre of the Dales' and the creative talents of a potter, jeweller and glassblower hard at work in their craft workshops. Traditions are also enthusiastically preserved with annual events such as the Nidderdale Festival and the Agricultural Show, one of the country's finest.

Little wonder then that Nidderdale is increasingly becoming more peoples' chosen destination and a mecca for walkers, mountain bikers and horseriders. A wide variety of additional leisure pursuits are also catered for including watersports, fishing, pot-holing and rock climbing. Its numerous caravan sites can also accommodate those who enjoy camping.

There are many places to visit during your stay. At the upper end of the Dale lies How Stean Gorge, an amazing limestone cleft, known locally as 'Little Switzerland'. Mid-dale, near Summerbridge, gaze upon the country's most awe-inspiring rock formation at Brimham Rocks.

Standing sentinel at the lower end of the Dale is Ripley Castle, home to the Ingilby family since the 1320's.

Enjoy the riverside walk to Glasshouses Mill and Yorkshire Country Wines to sample the delightful range of fruit wines produced in their vaulted cellars.

A little further afield, no visit would be complete without seeing the World Heritage site of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, widely regarded as the finest Cistercian monastic ruin in Europe.

Other favourites easily accessible from Nidderdale are the abbeys of Bolton and Jervaulx, the Bronte Parsonage at Haworth, Lightwater Valley Theme Park, and Masham's old established breweries.

How Stean Gorge is an outstanding limestone gorge, hidden in Nidderdale's lush green pastures.

The steep sided ravine can be 80 feet deep at places. The Beautiful feature situated at Lofthouse, Pateley Bridge, attracts both professional and amateur cavers from all around the country.

The Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
See also the maps of Nidderdale

Nidderdale - naturally a better place!

© Nidderdale Business Association, 2004 This web site has been developed under the auspices of Nidderdale Business Association.