We had a proper dump of snow last weekend – just to remind us that winter’s not quite finished yet! After waking up to a good foot of snow on Friday morning, most of it had melted away by the end of the day, but we knew that heading into the Dales there would probably still be plenty of the white stuff hanging around. I’m not a huge fan of driving when it’s icy, so we agreed to go for a walk that we could get to using good roads, which would definitely have been gritted and driven over.
We ultimately settled on a short circular walk from the village of Harmby, close to Leyburn, which is easily accessible from the A684. We found the route on the OS maps app, and seeing that it was a short circular which we could do in a morning and be home in time for lunch, we set off bright and early on Saturday morning. The route in OS starts from a caravan park but there is no parking here, so you’re better off parking on the roadside in Harmby just after turning off the A684. From here, we walked straight to the star feature of the walk: the waterfall.
Wensleydale is choc full of waterfalls, and while Harmby isn’t quite as impressive as Hardraw Force or Mill Gill, the falls here are still very respectable and likely to be much quieter than the other tourist hotspots. Walking through a narrow snicket (it took me a long time to inch my way down the steps, which were coated in ice, as Merry was trying to drag me down as fast as possible). In next to no time you reach the waterfall – pass through a small gate to get a closer look.
Leaving the falls, we followed the footpath across a field to return to the village. Heading this way meant that I got to see a wall Sam had built a few months ago (if anyone’s looking for a dry stone waller let me know!), and we crossed through the village to start the longer leg of the walk passing through fields.
Most of this walk was spent crossing through fields, and the views of the surrounding countryside were beautiful – although I think the snow makes everything extra pretty! In normal weather it might not be quite as exciting, but the views across to Pen Hill and Addlebrough are still lovely. The walk is mostly flat, although there is a short uphill stretch at the very end as you make your way back to Harmby.
Dog friendly rating – 2.5/5. While all of the fields we passed through were empty at the moment, there were signs up asking for dogs to be kept on leads, and it’s important to respect the wishes of the landowner so leads stayed on. There are lots of stiles to navigate, including a fair few where dogs might need assistance, and two sections of walking along a busy road to join up footpaths.
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