View over Hawes and Dales from the top of the road behind the villages
If you love walking across the rolling hills and mountains, you'll love the Yorkshire Dales. If you're like me, and not much of a walker, there is still so much you can see without breaking a sweat.
Aysgarth Falls
This is an excellent spot for waterfalls as it has three to see, getting you right beside the River Ure.
Parking is pay and display and can either be at the Visitor Centre which has 80 carparks or behind the village of Aysgarth.
The walk doing all three waterfalls takes only about an hour depending on how long you spend at each waterfall. The track is an easy walk on a good path, with only stairs to negotiate at times.
The Track at Aysgarth Falls
The falls along the River Ure are named Upper, Middle and Lower Aysgarth Falls. If you start from the Visitor Centre, you could do the Upper Falls first by walking back down toward the bridge.
Upper Aysgarth Falls
You can get very close to the top tier of the cascade at this point of the Upper Falls
I parked in the village and walked down the road to the falls, which only took 5-10 minutes, but there is a part of the road that is steep. If you park in the Visitor Centre, you can take the path back to the bridge. Once you get to the bridge, you have your first sight of the Upper Aysgarth Falls.
There is a track that takes you up the right side of the Falls. From here you are up close to the top cascade.
You can walk back to the Visitor Centre and on the other side is the path that takes you to the Middle and Lower Falls.
Middle Aysgarth Falls
Only a few hundred metres from the Visitor Centre is the Middle Falls.
About 20-30 steps will take you down to the viewing platform where you can see the power of these falls, especially after some rain.
An impressive fall with trees on both sides of the river
The platform gives a good vista, although the trees and bushes are growing up fast, and if not kept in check may not leave much of a view.
Lower Aysgarth Falls
Only 10-minutes down the track you'll find the Lower Falls. There is a track down before you get to the falls that you can loop back up on your way back to the Visitor Centre.
Lower Falls is where the real power is as the falls drop to the lowest part of the river.
Once again, you can get very close to the River Ure, so be careful as there is no barrier. You can walk back up the river to see a small cascade before turning back to take the loop walk back up to the main path.
The Cascade a hundred metres or so from the Lower Falls
West Burton And Cauldron Falls
Right behind the houses in the village of West Burton is Cauldron Falls. There is a small carpark (5 spaces at the most) next to the river although you can also park on Main Street making it a highly accessible waterfall for all in the Yorkshire Dales.
The Village of West Burton with parking on the left
As you enter the village, you'll pass downstream of the falls. This little cascade falls into a tranquil part of the river.
The river next to the road as you drive into the village.
The falls are impressive, especially in the late afternoon with no sun reaching back here.
Cauldron Falls in the late afternoon. You wouldn't think the village is metres away
You can walk on the right side where I am or cross the bridge to the left-hand side where the rocky ledge is on the background of the photograph for a closer view.
Aysgill Force
I stayed at the YHA in Hawes. It was here that I learnt about this waterfall, Aysgill Force, which is about a 30-minute walk behind the village of Gayle which was behind Hawes.
You can walk up the road, and as you get to the farm, you should hear the falls. Walk a bit further until you get to the stile then walk down to the river where there is a bridge to the path on the other side.
A hundred metres or so further back you'll find these surprising falls with a massive drop of 40 feet.
The impressive drop of Aysgill Force
The falls are getting harder to see as the trees grow taller. This point of the path is the only clear view of the falls I could get. If there has been a bit of rain, the trail can get very muddy.
You can follow the path back as it opens into sheep grazing fields, then crossing the stiles until you're back in Gayle.
More To Do In The Yorkshire Dales
If you are a real hiker, then there is the Three Peaks walk which is something you can really challenge yourself with at 24 miles in 12 hours. You can join an organised group to complete this epic walk via the website here.
I only spent one day in the Yorkshire Dales, but there is so much more for me to see and do. There are more waterfalls, walks and even Bolton Castle to visit next time.
