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| For more photos of Malham, visit my Tumblr http://amateurishtraveller.tumblr.com/ |
If you want to go somewhere in Britain for an activity break or for a relaxing countryside retreat, I would recommend, based as far as my experience goes, Yorkshire Dales and the small village of Malham any time. If you live in one of the more busier places in Northern England - say Manchester, York or Birmingham - it's a perfect getaway that will not cost you too much time or money and bring you some peace of mind, good beer in either one of the two village pubs and exhausted legs from a day's walking (unless you have not compensated by shoving tons of pub food down your throat).
What I love the most about this place is that it offers lots of walking opportunities and its well-designed for it: the area is clearly signed and have nice public footpaths. You can also decide on different route depending on your mood and fitness - the rewarding and not-too-hard walk up Malham Cove (popularly featured in the Harry Potter films), the gentle but longer walk to Gordale Scar or the incredibly long Pennine way who makes a visit in Malham (this is a 268-mile trail from Eadale in Peak District to just past the Scottish border). There are even more destinations for people who start to dribble every time they see a peace of lime stone or the glimmer of water, but I let you find out about them yourself by going there or google it.
Regarding sleep: The centre of the village is furnished with a YHA hostel which offers clean sheets and toilets and (from some rooms) views of a nearby goose pen. The local cockerel will wake you promptly at seven and if it's the season for it, you can enjoy a breakfast with 40-so professional cyclists in full uniform. Even though this village tends to be crowded during the summer months, you can still find some quiet and solitude by taking a stroll around the hills as soon as the sun starts to set.
When it comes to travelling, I rarely want to revisit a place since I always want to spend my money on a new experience. I think it's a testament to how special I found this Yorkshire village that I keep thinking about going back there.
