It’s high time the Yorkshire Dales made a return to the big screen. Although painted as a barren, bleak place in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights (and Emerald Fennell’s new cinematic adaptation) the real Dales are much more appealing – dramatic, yes, with their wide, windblown valleys scattered with sheep and ancient boulders, but also as warm and welcoming as a mug of Yorkshire tea. Here are six stays to set your sights on.
The Angel at Hetton, Skipton
After ambling through the Rylestone Fell – all heather-coated hills and boulder-strewn valleys – little beats retreating to a wood-beamed, 15th-century inn with rooms. Especially when said inn is Michelin-starred The Angel at Hetton. Stays start softly here: perhaps a soak in your suite’s free-standing bath, before reclining in a fluffy white robe to watch the sun dappling the Dales – framed like frescoes through every window.
Then, it’s just a short flop downstairs – or over the road, if you’re staying in one of the Fell View Barn rooms – for chef Michael Wignall’s creative cooking. Don’t expect hearty Yorkshire grub here; even breakfast is a full five-course fine-dining feast, while dinner sees you presented with 10 faultless plates that mingle intriguing flavours – like smoked eel with white chocolate, and duck with Lancashire pak choi.
Back Lane, Hetton, Skipton BD23 6LT; angelhetton.co.uk
The Lister Arms, Malham
Malham unfolds like a fairy-tale map. A babbling, sunlit waterfall hidden in a twisting hazel wood; a deep gorge slashed through mossy hills; an amphitheatre of a limestone cliff topped with an ancient, cracked shelf (incidentally, where a scene from the final Harry Potter was filmed). The Lister Arms, too, seems to have magical qualities – your pulse palpably slows as you plop down in front of the log fire with a steaming mug of tea.
There are 23 bedrooms to choose between, all of which blend supreme comfort – enormous beds; soft, sinkable pillows; cosy throws – with chic ceramics and rustic details: the kind of interiors you’ll want to snap for your Pinterest board. The restaurant, meanwhile, is known for its pies and award-winning ales, and you can try both with The Lister’s take on afternoon tea – which comes with a bat of Thwaites beer.
Lister Arms, Malham, Skipton BD23 4DB; listerarms.co.uk
The Devonshire Arms, Skipton
The Bolton Abbey estate is romantic with a capital R – after all, Romantic poet William Wordsworth set The White Doe of Rylstone here after visiting 1807. Nowadays, its 30,000 acres of landscape still have poetic allure: ancient woodlands, wind-flattened moors, the crumpled ruins of a 14th-century abbey… and a honey-hued hotel on the banks of the River Wharfe, surrounded by landscaped gardens.
The latter is The Devonshire Arms, a spa hotel owned and furnished by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire (who also own Chatsworth, so it’s safe to say their collection is grand). There are two wings: the older has period features and frilled four-poster beds, while the newer has a more contemporary style – and views over the rambling estate. You’ll find stresses quickly trickle away here – helped on their way by soothing treatments in the garden’s private spa tents.
Bolton Bridge, Skipton BD23 6AJ; thedevonshirearms.co.uk
Heatherdene, Low Row
Every morning in Grade II-listed Heatherdene begins the same way: sitting at the kitchen table, cupping a mug of Yorkshire tea closely and watching the birds swirl over the undulant hills, themselves embroidered with dry-stone walls. It is peaceful. Slow. It’s hard to imagine that, 200 years ago, the valley was the capital of lead mining in the Dales, and was crawling with miners – including the mine manager, whose cottage you now sit in.
Nowadays, the valley is more of a hiker’s goldmine; Wainwright’s “Coast to Coast” trail starts nearby, as are the thundering waters of Aysgarth Falls. Your days will be spent roaming the many footpaths, while evenings are for kicking off your boots and curling up in front of the log fire, Brontë novel in hand. Wuthering Heights is definitely on the reading list: this wind-tousled valley is where the 2026 film was shot.
Low Row, Yorkshire Dales, Yorkshire; crabtreeandcrabtree.com
The Golden Lion, Settle
The Golden Lion practically insists you lace up your walking boots, conquer as much of the Three Peaks challenge as you can, then reward yourself with a plate of Settle pudding in front of the roaring log fire. The characterful inn, set in the middle of the ancient market town of Settle, is a hotspot for muddy-shoed hikers, fresh from one of the many Dales trails that spool out from the town like loose threads.
Upstairs, you can rest your weary legs in bedrooms brimming with character: wooden beams, soft cushions patterned with pheasants, even four-poster beds if you book the two larger rooms. Walking not your thing? Settle is also the starting point of the Settle-Carlisle railway – a 150-year-old scenic journey that tours you through the best of the Dales by rail.
Duke Street, Settle BD24 9DU; goldenlionsettle.co.uk
Grantley Hall, Ripon
The word you’ll reach for when you first see Grantley Hall is “wow”. The 17th-century manor is swaddled in striped lawns and landscaped gardens; you half expect to see the lord and lady of the manor swan down the front steps in full Renaissance garb. Inside is just as impressive; the rooms and suites are clad in elegant, muted tones (marble bathrooms are the norm), and the presidential suite even comes with a baby grand piano, as well as a private bar.
You’ll quickly abandon your hiking ambitions: this Palladian playground is hard to leave. For starters, you could spend an entire day in the Three Graces Spa, drifting between the indoor/outdoor pool, snow room and sauna. The restaurants, too, are worth staying for, especially Michelin-starred Shaun Rankin, which offers haute takes on childhood classics. There’s also an oak-panelled cocktail bar, a nightclub and an on-site pub. Walk? What walk?
Grantley Hall, Ripon HG4 3ET; grantleyhall.co.uk
Georgie Young is digital editor of Secret Trips
