Quirky and Unusal Places to Visit in the Yorkshire Dales
Pendragon Castle is packed full of real life Kind Arthur vibes (I’ll tell you more about that below…)
Are you looking for an unusual place to visit in and around the Yorkshire Dales?
The Yorkshire Dales is PACKED full of the weird, wonderful and downright cool. Here, you’ll find places that are a little off the beaten track, places that are often overlooked, the interesting, the quirky and the quite frankly bizarre! This is the stuff that you WON’T find in your regular guidebook to the Yorkshire Dales!
Whether you want to visit with the kids or just want to explore on your own, I have a whole great big list of ideas right here for you! We’re talking cool and unique geology, to the signature caves of the Yorkshire Dales. From record breaking waterfalls, to some quirky old legends… oh and some teeth. In a bridge.
So go grab a pen, you’re going to want to make a list of all the cool things you can see in the Yorkshire Dales!
The ruins of Crackpot Hall may look pretty normal enough, but have you heard the Legend?
Crackpot Hall, Swaledale
If there was a place that epitomised quirky in both name and nature, it’s Crackpot Hall near Keld in Swaledale. This ramshackle set of ruins are all that remains of a farmhouse that once stood on the site of an old 17th Century hunting lodge. Nothing hugely unique so far and miles away from the grandeur that the name suggests, right?!
WRONG! You just read on.
Crackpot was later used as a mining building during the 1800’s and there is evidence all over the area of the once thriving mining industry. Despite being a once bustling home, in 1950 it was abandoned after mining related subsidence rendered the building uninhabitable.
And? Well it began to crumble, leaving behind what is a little bit like a time capsule. If you head to the ruins, you’ll see the remains of an old bath, as well as the range, the fireplaces and the layout of some of the rooms. Pretty standard house-y stuff right? But after archaeologists visited the site, they found all kinds of artefacts in the area including newspaper wrapped dynamite left behind by the miners!
Not only is this remarkable place fascinating, but it has a tale behind it that is…. well, obscure to say the least!
During the 1930’s before the building started to crumble, it was visited by a pair of authors who specialised in local history. Whilst they were there, they reported sighting a four year old girl wandering barefoot around the rugged moorland surrounding the property. This girl was named Alice, but they were unable to decipher her dialect, and did not understand her.
CUE LEGENDS BEING MADE! This rumour spread far and wide and Alice was warmly welcomed into local folklore where she stayed for decades until… (it’s a cliff-hanger right?!)
In 2015, a BBC journalist began to unpick the story of our feral child and found that an Alice DID in fact live at Crackpot Hall back in’t day (technically accurate historical term there…) But….. (dramatic pause*) Alice wasn’t a wild phantom roaming the stark moorland of Upper Swaledale. No. She was cosy at home in Carlisle, where she now lived.
Myth? Or had they just encountered a different Alice…. (I’ll leave that one up to you!)
If you want to explore Crackpot Hall and the old lead mine workings of Swinner Gill, head to our walk!
Sources: Yorkshire Post ‘Crackpot Hall: The Yorkshire Ruins Defined by the Mystery of a Feral Child’ - BBC Between the Ears: Alice at Crackpot hall
Gaping Gill: Exploring the largest cave in not only Yorkshire, but the entirety of BRITAIN!
Gaping Gill, Ingleborough
If I hadn’t included this INCREDIBLE place on the unusual places to visit in the Yorkshire Dales list, then who even AM I?!
Did you know that the underground of the Yorkshire Dales is renowned for its caving possibilities. I like to think of it as being a little bit like Swiss Cheese, and it’s all to do with its geological history. In a nutshell, billions of years ago, the Dales used to be found at the bottom of a warm shallow Mediterranean-style sea, which is why it stands on what are the remains of billions of sea creatures, which over the many MANY years, formed limestone (it’s also why you’ll find fossils of sea creatures right in the middle of it!)
Limestone is ever so slightly soluble and reacts to the small amount of acid found in rainwater. Over the years it erodes. Over millions of years, water finds its way, coursing underground and carving out the cave systems that lie below your feet in the Dales. In fact, a lot of the Dales geography is created by water and ice.
Gaping Gill is one such geological marvel.
Found on the side of Ingleborough one of the famous Yorkshire Three Peaks, from the surface, Gaping Gill is a yawning black hole in the ground into which Fell Beck is swallowed. On a normal day, to head into that supermassive black hole would mean certain doom (unless you were properly equipped with climbing equipment), as beneath you lies a 100 foot drop into nothingness. So not really where you want to end up unless….
You visit on Winch Day!
This happens twice a year in May and August, and allows you access to the largest cave in the country. Your point of entry? Down the 100 foot waterfall that cascades into the pothole from Fell Beck also the largest unbroken waterfall in the country (except it’s underground). Cool Huh?
You can read about our Winch Day experience, with all the FAQs and details of how you can do the Gaping Gill Winch with kids on our Winch page. You can also head to the Craven Pothole Club website who hold the August meets or the Bradford Pothole Club Website who hold the May meets if you feel like exploring it yourself!
The Dent Vampire Stone in Dent village
The Dent Vampire Stone
Now don’t get me wrong, even if your heart isn’t deeply in love with gothic horror, Dent is still a stunning village well worth a visit for its stunning views, riverside and moorland walks, pubs, cafes and heritage centre.
But. If Dracula really floats your boat, then read on, because if you pay a visit to Dent, you’ll want to go and see its very own Vampire Stone!
The story begins in 1715, with the death of poor old George Hodgson. Why does the story begin with the demise of a seemingly regular human being? Well he was reyt old. A ripe old 94 years he was when he died and of course it being the 18th Century and all, NOBODY could achieve any form of longevity without a healthy dose of superstition being flung in your direction.
And that was the birth of the Dent Vampire. George’s good health was put down to a diet of sheep’s blood and after a few ‘sightings’ of George posthumously floating around the surrounding fields, he was declared a vampire before you could even utter the words ‘I vant to drink your blood…’ Chuck in a few mysterious disappearances (the final nail in the coffin as it were…) and poor old George was exhumed.
Yes, he was still there, but the story goes that there had been no deterioration in George’s body whatsoever since his death. He remained the same as he was on the day he was buried.
Well that was FAR too much for the Dent villagers to deal with, so George was reburied at the door of the church, with a cast iron stake through his heart. The top of which you can see firmly planted in the middle of his headstone. And so they say, George was never seen again…. best leave that stake in place then eh?
Worth a visit? I think so! We have an absolutely classic walk that starts and ends in Dent, taking you up the heritage trail in Flintergill and beyond!
SOURCE: The Dent Heritage Centre
The awesome Hoffman Kiln. A relic of industry in the Settle Area.
The Hoffman Kiln, Settle
This is one of the most unique relics to explore in the Yorkshire Dales and it’s open to visitors as part of the Craven Lime Works Trail. It’s really quite a sight to behold and you will quite rightly be wowed by it’s absolute immensity!
Built back in 1873, this huge structure is one of only a few left in the whole country, which already makes it well worth the visit! In its heyday, the kiln had 22 burning chambers, which burned limestone in a continuous cycle and the fire burning inside would burn continuously, often for years at a time. In fact there are examples across the world where the fires have burned continuously for decades! This type of kiln was invented by Friedrich Hoffman and was a highly efficient way of burning LOADS of limestone.
The structure once had a chimney, which managed to fall down the day before it was supposed to have been demolished, but what remains is the kiln, the ruins of the old railways and tunnels which used to bring the limestone to the kiln, then a series of other kilns and building dotted around the area forming the Craven Limeworks Trail.
A hidden gem, it’s possible that you’ve driven straight past this place without even realising it was there!
You can walk to this, and take in the renowned Stainforth Force (brilliant in October when you might be lucky enough to catch salmon leaping up the falls) if you check out our Hoffman Kiln and Stainforth Force Walk.
Here, is hands down (or mouth down) the weirdest thing you’ll find in the Yorkshire Dales
The Teeth in the Bridge, Bewerley
Should I have lead with this one? Because this is HANDS DOWN the weirdest thing you’ll find in the Yorkshire Dales. If not Yorkshire. Or possibly the whole of England!
The Teeth in the Bridge.
I posted about these teeth a couple of years ago on our social media pages and got an INSANE response to them, but the best response was from those who live locally, who filled me in with their story. Here it is….
Way back when the road bridge was constructed over the beck, the creator of said bridge decided he was going to give the bridge a soul, so he gave it a smile! The teeth are in fact false teeth and when the bridge was resurfaced, a new set was donated by the local dentist so the bridge could retain its weirdly wonderful secret. And so that’s why, there are false teeth in a bridge in Nidderdale.
Now THAT’S quirky.
I have been told that there are MANY other versions of why there are teeth in the bridge, (many made up by the staff of the nearby Bewerley Outdoor Education Centre to entertain the kids whilst they are out and about) but this one possibly rings the most true!
The Buttertubs on Buttertubs Pass… mmmmmm Buttery!
The Buttertubs, Swaledale
If you ever drive between Hawes and Keld or Muker in Swaledale, it’s likely that you’ll head over Buttertubs Pass, which in my humble opinion is one of the most beautiful drives in all of the Yorkshire Dales. On a clear day, you will have beautifully dramatic views as the road climbs up high above a steep drop in the valley below.
It’s on this pass, that you will find The Buttertubs. These quirky little potholes are so called because it was said that farmers taking their butter over to market in Hawes, would stop here on a hot day for a rest and to lower the butter into the holes to cool it off before getting to market.
But other than a great way to keep your butter cool, what ARE they? Welll…. What they are, is a work in progress…
The Yorkshire Dales is full of Carboniferous limestone that is BILLIONS of years old (I mentioned that earlier) and limestone is soluble in slightly acidic rainwater (mentioned that too!) Over thousands of years, the rainwater has eaten away at this limestone and has created these vertical shafts (or potholes) some at over 24 metres deep! As the water keeps trickling over the rock, the erosion continues and the Butterttubs continue to grow! Cool huh? (Apparently both literally AND figuratively!)
Sitting on top of the Coldstones Cut looking across to the working quarry
The Coldstones Cut, Nidderdale
Sitting high above Pateley Bridge is the absolutely enormous modern art installation, The Coldstones Cut.
Created by artist Andrew Sabin, it is the largest and highest public artwork in Yorkshire and offers you stunning views across Nidderdale and also into the working Coldstones Quarry, creating an impressive link between the managed and industrial land, and the wild beauty that surrounds you.
Speaking of wild, the kids will undoubtedly love running up and down the spiral pathways leading to the viewing platforms (good luck keeping up with them!) and to top it off, there’s a super little cafe (with cake. Cake is always good) just down the road, at The Toft Barn Cafe.
You can pay this place a visit for free and you can find the details of it over on our Coldstones Cut walk page.
The demon statue in the Underworld at Forbidden Corner
The Forbidden Corner
It is a fact that if you are writing about Quirky and Unusual places to visit in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, it cannot be complete without mentioning The Forbidden Corner, which is both quirky AND unusual and a whole load of other descriptive words too!
It is impossible for me to do this place any kind of justice in just a few paragraphs, (which is why I have written an entire blog just about this place) but I’ll give it a shot!
What started off as a private garden, with a few follies (buildings designed just for enjoyment) turned into an expanse of labyrinths, ruins, statues, soundscapes and more with a feeling of the macabre mixed with wonder and whimsy.
Nope. I tried. It’s impossible to describe this place in words. You just have to go and see it to believe it and I didn’t even touch on the mice…
You can read the full blog about The Forbidden Corner right here!
The plaque on the Drummer Boy Stone in Richmond
The Drummer Boy Stone
Have you ever heard of the Legend of the Richmond Drummer Boy?
The plaque above is in memory of the lost soldier who was tasked with the job of finding an illusive passageway rumoured to stretch between Richmond Castle and Easby Abbey.
After they found the location of the likely passage and that it was simply too dilapidated for a fully grown soldier type to get through, the Drummer Boy was sent on a subterranean journey to see where the tunnel ended up, beating his drum all the way so the soldiers on the surface could hear where he was.
It was at the point where the plaque and rock are placed, where the last drum beat was heard and the boy was never seen or heard from again. The favoured theory at the time was that he was attacked by a monster from the chasms of Hell, but the alternative was that he entered the chamber of the sleeping knights of the round table (King Arthur and all that) and lay down to sleep with them until the time comes that they were needed in battle.
Both of course, logical conclusions.
The sad reality is that the boy was never recovered, presumably succumbing to suffocation or tunnel collapse, but at the moment the Drummer Boy fell silent, he was written into local legend where his memory is kept alive as long as people keep telling his story.
You can walk from Richmond to Easby Abbey on our circular walk that passes the Drummer Boy Stone.
SOURCE: The Vintage News: The Legend of the Richmond Drummer Boy, The Little Drummer Boy Cafe
Pendragon Castle, the legendary home of Uther Pendragon
Pendragon Castle and Lammerside Castle
Heard of Pendragon Castle?
It’s a little bit well known isn’t it? Associated with Arthurian Legend, the original Pendragon Castle is rumoured to have been the home of Uther Pendragon, King Arthur’s Dad, waaaay back in the 5th Century. In grizzly news, the rumours were that old Uther (along with all of his soldiers) were poisoned by the Saxons on the site when their water supply was tampered with.
The reality is, that there is no evidence that there was any castle here before this one (seen above) was built in the 1100’s, but who wants to let that get in the way of a good story eh?
Speaking of good stories…
I’ll bet you’ve never heard of Lammerside Castle, which is the next door neighbour castle and legendary home of another character from the King Arthur legend, this time the unsavoury giant Sir Tarquin who had a penchant for eating children.
Lovely right?!
Oh and if you want yet MORE quirk and character to add to Pendragon, there’s rumoured to be buried treasure underneath it, that’s guarded by a chicken.
And I’m going to leave it riiiiiiight there.
SOURCE: Yorkshire Dales National Park, Ghostly Yorkshire Dales by Summer Strevens
The wishing tree in Flintergill
The Flintergill Wishing Tree
In the super cute village of Dent (of Vampire Stone fame), you will find a beautiful waterfall that flows through the stunning ancient woodland that lines Flintergill.
If you follow the trail upwards through the woodland, you will chance upon the ancient wishing tree. The gnarled roots form an archway large enough to walk through, and it is said that the spirit of the tree will grant a wish to anybody who walks around the roots three times in a clockwise direction.
Ooh…. But make sure not to head around it anti clockwise though or else you’ll be DOOOOOOMED (*disclaimer, not technically true. Unless you believe in fairies… which of course I do!)
There is a heritage walk available from the Heritage Centre if you fancy a wander, or you can follow our Flintergill walk that is a little further.
Quirky? I think SO!
SOURCE: Dent Heritage Centre
There you have it! Our cool and unique list of stuff to see in the Dales!
But if all this has done is whet your appetite? Then you might also enjoy reading about…
The Folklore of the Yorkshire Dales
The Ghost Stories of the Yorkshire Dales
