Short autumn walk from Hawes to Burtesett in Wensleydale

From Hawes walk through the town and turn south (left towards the hills) along a road which passes the Wensleydale Creamery centre. Carry on past Gayle Mill and into Gayle itself. The mill, which is not presently open to the public, generated electricity for a small corner of Hawes 100 years ago. It was driven by the powerful water descending from the slopes of Wether Fell.

The village of Hawes in the autumn (Image: Jonathan Smith)

Where the road meets a T junction, turn left over the bridge and then immediately right, over a stile and on to a sloping field. Aim for the far corner of the field where there is another stile leading in to a further field, climbing gradually.

The path continues south east, crossing two more stiles before turning more in an easterly direction and contouring the hillside (this Wether Hill, climbable if you take the path heading directly uphill).

A leisurely walk through the fields gives ample opportunity to enjoy the lovely views ahead and down Wensleydale. The winter light accentuates the soft valley sides, isolated farm buildings, barns and intermittent copses of woodland. They combine to give Wensleydale the gentler image than that of its neighbours (Swaledale and Wharfedale) but it is none the worse for it.

Soon the paths turn in to a lane, Shaws Lane, on the approach to the lovely village of Burtersett. The village has a long and distinguished history (initially through farming but with some mining during the 19th century) going back to the Norman Conquest. However I was most interested to find that the first man up Everest (along with Sherpa Tenzing), St Edmund Hillary, had descendants from nearby Hillary Hall! It is still an attractive village with lovely stone buildings and well worth closer exploration.

Return via the fields directly west of Burtersett. You will find the first stile next to a signpost in the centre of the village and from there the path goes initially down hill before joining a path from the right and heading due west. A number of fields are crossed but the views ahead over Hawes and in to Upper Wensleydale are once again excellent.

After crossing through a small campsite (and country park) at Bainbridge Ings the path meets a quiet road which leads back in to Gayle. After the bridge turn right past the mill and back to the Wensleydale Creamery.

Cheese making here actually dates back to 1150 when Cistercian Monks first settled the area. It makes an interesting end to a fine, but short, walk.

* Fact Box:

Distance: Roughly 4.5 miles

Height to Climb: 100m (320 feet)

Start: SD 875899. There is a public car park at the Countryside Museum in Hawes.

Difficulty: Easy. Mainly paths in fields with stiles.

Refreshments: The Wensleydale Creamery is good but there is a choice of cafes and pubs in Hawes.

Be Prepared: The route description and sketch map only provide a guide to the walk. You must take out and be able to read a map (O/S Explorer OL30) and in cloudy/misty conditions a compass. You must also wear the correct clothing and footwear for the outdoors. Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers head out at their own risk.

* Jonathan is the owner of Where2walk, a walking company based in the Yorkshire Dales:

He has written three books on walking in the Dales; ‘The Yorkshire 3 Peaks’, ‘The Dales 30’ mountains and the ‘Walks without Stiles’ book. All these books (and more) are available direct from the Where2walk website making an excellent Christmas gift.

Jonathan also runs Navigation Courses (for Beginners and more Advanced) and a series of Guided days in the Dales including the popular ‘Dales 30’ Weekenders. The 2025 dates are now available on the website.

Where2walk.co.uk features hundreds of walks with descriptions across Yorkshire and beyond, from easy strolls to harder climbs. Visit the website for details of all these walks, guiding days and navigation courses.