GARGRAVE: A rustic café for lunch & a lovely tea room at the end!! – 7 miles

PLEASE NOTE THE LUNCH ARRANGEMENTS. WITH THIS IN MIND, THE WALK IS LIMITED TO THOSE WHO HAVE PAID THEIR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE.

A walk not led since 2022! Both the Pennine Way and a National Cycle route pass through the village of Gargrave.

From our starting point outside the Village Hall, we walk up a back street, crossing a stone bridge over the river Aire, past the church where a ‘famous’ politician is buried, before passing by the Old School House. We then pick up the start of our outward leg, predominantly traversing a succession of fields through the gently undulating terrain of the southern Dales.
We then arrive at the hamlet of East Marton, situated adjacent to the Leeds – Liverpool canal, where we shall take a peek at an interesting feature before adjourning to our lunch stop at the rustic café.

PLEASE NOTE: We have the entire top floor of the café reserved for our use and, given on previous visits we have taken a ‘good hour’ to have our lunch, I will be assuming that everyone who signs up for the walk will also want a lunch spot. The café sells all the usual lunch-time fare.

With this in mind, numbers for this walk are limited to the number that the café can accomodate upstairs. There are 18 places available sitting at tables and a further 6 can sit on the sofa's.

Nestled in the tranquil village of East Marton, just a stone's throw from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Abbots Harbour Licensed Café & Restaurant is a cherished culinary gem in North Yorkshire. Housed in a charming stone cottage, this eatery offers a warm, rustic ambiance that perfectly complements its hearty, home-cooked British fare.

The return leg is along a scenic, meandering stretch of the canal.

Start location/Parking/Meeting Point:
Gargrave is situated on the A65, the Leeds – Lakes road. If coming from the direction of Harrogate/Leeds along the A65, on entering Gargrave you will soon see a big white building in front of you (the Old White Swan Inn) on a sharp left-hand bend. At this point, turn right into North Street and a free car park is on your rhs. Roadside parking also available and as the road bends, it becomes West Street with a further free car park ahead on your rhs. Inbetween the two car parks is the village hall and we will meet outside of here. Postcode is BD23 3PT.

TOILETS: If you continue along West Street, you will come back out onto the A65 and public toilets are across the road. Allow ten minutes walking time if using the facilities.

The walk will be led at a steady pace: not too fast, not too slow. Please be ready to start walking at the advertised time.

Walk fee: £3. No dogs please. No morning break on this walk because we will be arriving early at the café for our lunch.

After-walk refreshment: The Dalesman Café Tea Room, a ‘proper’ Yorkshire tearoom! This is one of my favourites, a vintage tea room/café which doubles up as an old-fashioned sweet shop!

I have no formal walk leader or first-aid qualifications and the Group does not have insurance. When you RSVP for any walk, you accept that you remain responsible for your own safety at all times. You are required to respect the walk leader and be mindful of the safety of others. Please keep to the pace of the group and don’t go off ahead even if you think you know the route.