Arkengarthdale – the most northerly of the Yorkshire dales, whose name is arguably the most evocative.
On isolated stretches of its timeless moorland road that eventually leads into the bleakest of terrain (though worth driving through if you want to reach England's highest pub at Tan Hill), it would come as little surprise to encounter Arkil, the 11th-century Norse chieftain after whom the dale is reputedly named. You are more likely, though, to come across recalcitrant sheep who regard the road as their right of way, not yours.
In the last of our explorations, for this year, into the lesser-known dales – indeed, Arkengarthdale has been referred to as "The Forgotten Dale" – we were blessed by a beautiful early November day. We drove up through Wharfedale and Coverdale – the other "forgotten" dale – to Middleham, on to Leyburn, and into Swaledale.
Heading west along the valley, you enter into Reeth's welcoming embrace, with its encircling collection of hotels, pubs, restaurants, tea-rooms, gift shops and ice-cream parlour set around a network of lanes that criss-cross and sub-divide its sloping central green. What distinguishes this village green from almost any other is that from one of its corners you are some 20ft below its highest point. Though our main aim was to venture a little further north in search of Arkengarthdale's capital, the village of Langthwaite, just to the north of which is the celebrated CB Inn, we felt obliged to linger a little longer in Reeth, the hub of Swaledale and entrance to the valley of the Arkle Beck.
Just as the village itself warmly surrounds you with its appealing range of enduring architecture, so too the hills of Fremington Edge to the east, of Calver Hill to the north and west, and of Harkerside Moor to the south of the Swale provide a reassuring and protectively enclosing horizon.
At the centre of the green, a sizeable pile of combustible material had been gathered in preparation for Bonfire Night, a metaphorical (though ultimately literal) indication of the warmth of community endeavour. The impression gained is that Reeth is a place of artists and artisans (celebrated French potter Monica Young lived and worked here until her death in 2004, coming to Reeth via Paris, Barcelona and Madrid), of people who work the land, traders and those who gladly welcome tourists all year long. It's very much a living village, as testified to in part by its thriving post office and grocery store.
Certain features stand out: its row of pubs, including The Black Bull (which, quirkily, has one of its signs upside down), The King's Arms and The Buck; the 1868 water pump; the elegant Burgoyne Country House Hotel and restaurant; the war memorial; and the distinctively-shaped Methodist church on the opposite side of the green.
One of the hidden gems of Reeth, nestling in a back street, is the local museum. It is a lovely, antiquated place run, with obvious affection and attention to detail, by Helen Bainbridge and her husband, Alan. Walking around the museum induces the kind of
cosy feeling of being in your grandmother's attic
and discovering lots of interesting bits and pieces
from the past.
There are family photographs, various household and domestic appliances (which make you feel old when you realise there was one just like it in your house as a child) and displays about the history of the area. There is an informative section, for example, about the lead-mining industry, which was rife all over the Yorkshire Dales between 1830 and 1890, during which time Arkengarthdale was the most productive vein.
Helen also told us a bit about the history of the building itself which was opened as a Methodist school in 1836. During the Second World War it became a billeting station for soldiers doing their six-week battle training at Catterick Camp, housing up to 30 men at a time. Then, after the war, the building was used as a place for putting on entertainments for the local people, including an annual pantomime. "This year we are putting on the panto, Beauty and the Beast, that was originally performed here in January 1949," says Helen. "I found one of the old scripts and someone suggested that we put the panto on. I never thought we'd actually do it, but the response from the people in the village has been amazing."
Reeth, at the very southern tip of Arkengarthdale's
10-mile length, is the ideal base to explore "The Forgotten Dale". There are plenty of places to stay, and out of season it is especially peaceful: once you head north, you are instantly off the beaten track and able to enjoy the quite breathtaking beauty of the surrounding landscape, the perfect antidote to today's hectic lifestyle. The dale, at the height of the lead-mining industry, had a population of over 1,500 – today, fewer than 200 people live here.
The village of Langthwaite, which is the only sizeable settlement in the whole of Arkengarthdale, is probably best known these days for the fact that its attractive stone bridge over Arkle Beck was used in the opening credits of the popular BBC TV series, All Creatures Great and Small.
It really is a charming, if tiny, village, its narrow, winding lanes and stone buildings recalling a bygone age and, therefore, ideal as a period location, as well as a beautiful place to live. We stopped for a quick bite to eat at The Red Lion, an appealingly old-fashioned establishment – a comfortable combination of pub, village shop and someone's front room. Simple fare was on offer and we had a tasty pastie, nice and hot, which kept out the chill on a clear but crisp autumnal day. We met a retired couple who like the pub so much, they drive over to it from Darlington twice a week.
If you fancy something a bit more sophisticated, then the CB Inn is the place to go. In a commanding position on the moor top, the 18th-century coaching inn is a most convivial place to spend some time – and no doubt would have been a welcoming sight in days gone by for coach travellers traversing this remote part of the world on a bleak night. The inn's initials stand for Charles Bathurst, an 18th-century entrepreneur and lead-mine owner. It's another Charles, Charles Cody, who, with his wife, Stacy, can now offer guests a choice from 19 en-suite rooms and a superb range of high-quality meals. The roaring fire was an especially welcome feature to greet us on the day of our visit – blue as the skies were, the temperature outside was dropping fast. Anyone who had heard of our intention to visit Arkengarthdale immediately responded by saying, "Ah, yes – the CB Inn!" And now we know why. With its stripped pine, spacious public rooms (with alcoves here and there), it's a remarkable Tardis-like oasis of an inn, far larger inside than you would imagine from a cursory external view.
From the back terrace, there are superb views south down the valley, and east towards the impressive Scar House. The friendly barmaid informed us this was a hunting lodge, the property of The Duke of Norfolk. Certainly, the local moors are known for their grouse. With the late autumns we now get, the variety of colours in the foliage of the trees surrounding Scar House made it a view to savour.
Just to the north of the inn is an intriguing collection of houses on a triangular plot and known as the CB Yard. This was once the administrative centre for lead-mining in the dale. The buildings previously housed workshops for joiners and blacksmiths, a peat store, a sawmill and both offices and lodging for the agent of the mine owners. The Yard is now private housing.
In an adjoining field you see the even more intriguing Powder House, a delightful hexagonal edifice sited well away from other buildings since the powder that would have been housed here was, of course, gunpowder. There was no sign of a bonfire being built in this field.
Between the two taverns is St Mary's Church, built on a budget in 1820 but an enduring legacy to the craft and skill of its constructors. St Mary's was one of the 600
so-called "Waterloo" churches constructed in the period after Napoleon's defeat both for celebratory purposes but also to help bolster Conformist church-going at a time when the Church's authority was under challenge. Evidence of the limited funding available is that the church boasts no stained glass, but it is a decidedly imposing man-made object within one of the loveliest spot's in God's Own Country.
Arkengarthdale has a number of tiny hamlets whose names all betray the influence of Norse invaders: Whaw (reached by a beautiful arched bridge); Booze – which, sadly, has no pub, but you have to pass The Red Lion to get there; Arkle Town, with its little collection of pre-war petrol pumps standing in a redundant line in their own lay-by; Eskeleth; Raw: all hamlets founded by the princes of the Danes. Just south of the CB Inn is a turning west towards Low Row. If you have time, it's worth driving the length of this narrow, winding road to discover the famous water splash or ford across Bleaberry Gill, which is also featured in the All Creatures opening credits.
There's a little white-painted footbridge here now in a spot where it's impossible not to stop and feel yourself transported back in time. In the hollow of this enchanting place, you cannot see any sign of habitation. It's somewhere to let your mind drift off in peaceful reverie – or to bring the children for a picnic. We drove home through the rest of sumptuous Swaledale – a journey which, as the constantly changing late autumn light enhanced the rich colours of the breathtaking landscape, confirmed our view that the delights of the dales are never-ending.