Discover the Nidderdale National Landscape

On the eastern side of the Pennines, Nidderdale is one of the UK’s 46 National Landscapes due to the area’s outstanding natural beauty. The River Nidd that runs through the dale gave it its name, and it offers up a spectacular range of gorgeous terrains, including wild moorland, reservoirs and lush woodlands. 

You’ll want to pack up a picnic and explore Nidderdale’s vastness on a hike, as well as calling by the local attractions to get a sense of the place – there’s even a UNESCO World Heritage site in the form of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden to visit. The landscape is peppered with fascinating places to visit, charming villages and tempting eateries to try, the only challenge you’ll face is deciding where to go first! 

Take a look at our guide to Nidderdale and browse our range of holiday cottages in the area to plan a memorable visit to this beautiful National Landscape.

Skip to:

• Where is Nidderdale?
• Things to do in Nidderdale
• Places to visit in Nidderdale
• Places to eat in Nidderdale
• Nidderdale walks
• Map of Nidderdale National Landscape

Where is Nidderdale?

Set in the southeast of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, between Wharfedale and Harrogate, Nidderdale is easily accessible via the A1M if approaching from the north or east. If you’re heading from the south or west, it’s off the A59 towards Harrogate or the A65 by Settle.

If you plan to leave the car at home, the nearest train station is Harrogate, and you can then catch the number 24 bus to Pateley Bridge. Dalesbus also provides a range of services that run throughout Nidderdale to help you get out and about for exploration of the area.

The capital of Nidderdale is seen to be Pateley Bridge, but there’s also Knaresborough and Ripon; both are lovely starting spots to uncover this glorious area.

Things to do in Nidderdale

Rural life is prevalent in this corner of the Yorkshire Dales, with the history, traditions and wildlife of the area all key features of a day out in Nidderdale. 

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden

Pay a visit to the magnificent Fountains Abbey, which was first built over 900 years ago to provide a home for monks and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ruined abbey, although it has been through the ravages of time, still features the original vaulted ceilings along with grand columns and an imposing tower. The surrounding Studley Royal Water Garden is the perfect spot for a scenic walk and picnic. It is one of the finest remaining examples of Georgian landscape design with ornamental lakes, fantastic follies and tumbling cascades of water.

Nidderdale Museum

Image credit: Nidderdale Museum

Step back in time at this quaint museum that showcases the bygone era of Nidderdale. Inside the handsome stone building are 11 rooms, each depicting a different element of a traditional way of life, from a table set for afternoon tea in the parlour to the regimented rows of wooden shoe lasts in the cobblers. Nidderdale Museum is located in the centre of Pateley Bridge and is well worth combining with a visit to the King Street Workshops, where you’ll find various local artists and makers.

Nidderdale Show

If you’re lucky enough to be in the area at the end of September, then be sure to go to the Nidderdale Show, which is an example of everything the region has to offer. It’s also known locally as the ‘Pateley Show’ as it takes place in the town’s Bewerley Park, and along with plenty of sheep and cows, you can see demonstrations of Yorkshire Dales traditions such as dry stonewalling and sheepdog trials and browse hundreds of stalls selling local artisanal produce.

Places to visit in Nidderdale

The 233 square miles of rolling countryside that make up Nidderdale are punctuated with eye-catching towns and villages. Here are three of the best to offer a flavour of the thriving communities found here.  

Pateley Bridge

Located in the heart of Nidderdale, Pateley Bridge is a classic Yorkshire market town with the perfect combination of appealing independent shops and cafes, plus a sprinkling of high-end restaurants for that special night out. It’s the start and finish point for the 53-mile Nidderdale Way and is surrounded by wonderful countryside that is peppered with outdoor attractions such as Brimham Rocks. 

Ripley

One of Nidderdale’s prettiest villages, Ripley, is well worth a visit. Most of the cottages were built in the early 1800s when the owner of Ripley Castle decided he wanted his home to resemble a French model village. The houses are all built in the same style and from the same colour of stone, and you’ll still find a cobbled square complete with stocks and an ivy-clad pub at the heart of village life. There is a range of independent shops in the village and a deer park next to the castle with fallow deer, rabbits, squirrels and wildlife-rich lakesides.

Lofthouse

Small but perfectly formed, Lofthouse is the ideal base to explore the great outdoors. There are some superb bike trails, footpaths (it’s on the Nidderdale Way) and even a chance to try flyfishing. The tiny village is surrounded by rolling hills and babbling brooks and is located between the Scar House and Ramsgill Reservoirs, close to the banks of the River Nidd. After you are done exploring and are ready to rest and recover, The Crown provides a cracking pub meal.

Places to eat in Nidderdale

All this fresh air certainly works up an appetite, and whether you want to nip into a hilltop cafe with a breathtaking view or settle down to a proper slap-up meal in a restaurant, Nidderdale has it covered. There are plenty of traditional pubs with frothy local ales to quench your thirst after a bracing walk, too. 

The Sportsman’s Arms is a family-run traditional country inn that’s nestled on the edge of the Gouthwaite Reservoir, perfect for combining a wildlife walk with a bite to eat. Toft Gate Barn is a farm shop and cafe close to Coldstones Cut with lots of fresh local produce on the menu, while The Sawley Arms is a 17th-century village pub near Fountains Abbey that serves classic British and European dishes.

Nidderdale walks

One of the best ways to take in the exceptional scenery is at a walking pace, and there’s a tapestry of trails all through Nidderdale. For experienced hikers, there are full-on yomps where you’ll have to take your own provisions, and for the casual hikers there are gentler riverside strolls and flatter pathways. We’ve highlighted a trio of our favourites, but there are plenty more options to try around this scenic part of the Yorkshire Dales.

Nidderdale Greenway

Since the Nidderdale Greenway is a former railway line, this walk is enjoyably flat, traffic-free, and takes in the mighty Nidd Gorge Viaduct, which has amazing views. Passing through wildflower meadows and corn fields rippling in the breeze, it ends in Ripley, where you can treat yourself to the famous ice cream before driving back or catching the bus back via Harrogate.

Crackpots Mosaics Trail

It’s always fun to combine treasure-hunting with a walk, and the Crackpots Mosaics Trail does exactly this, with 22 mosaics to find dotted around this circular route. A local group, The Crackpots, created the charming pieces back in 1997, which depict local flora, fauna and beauty spots.

Fountains Earth Moor

The windswept and romantic ramble on Fountains Earth Moor will be sure to blow the cobwebs away. The unspoilt scenery is a glorious celebration of the natural beauty of Nidderdale, with the endless horizon and soft mauve of the abundant heather providing a soothing balm to the spirits. Bring a flask and biscuits, you’re in splendid isolation here.

Map of Nidderdale National Landscape

Find all the things to do, walks and places to eat with this handy map of the Nidderdale National Landscape.

Book your getaway to Nidderdale

With so much to do and see in Nidderdale, it makes sense to find a place to call home while you explore. There’s a Nidderdale cottage to suit everyone, whether you’re zipping up the anorak and heading out to the moors or putting on your Sunday best to enjoy a roast in a country pub.

Browse our range of cottages in Pateley Bridge, Ripley and the rest of Nidderdale to find your perfect base for exploring.