Wanting to leave the car on the drive at StrandsView or only travel within the Swaledale area? Here are some of our tips for a low travel, great holiday at Strands. They are all based upon personal experience or Dales chat. See where they are on the interactive map below.
BEST LOCALLY SOURCED FOOD STORE
There is a market every Friday on Reeth green selling mainly local produce.
Postoffice and corner shop, Reeth
This is the nearest food store to StrandsView. It has a wide selection of staples, but also specialises in local produce: bread, cakes (from Edwina’s in Richmond), Swaledale cheese and even gin from the Spirit of Swaledale.
All bread is baked on site and they provide for many of the local restaurants and pubs. Different to the Reeth Bakery, they provide many more types of bread, pastries and cakes. Much more modern that the traditional Reeth bakery.
Reeth Bakery, Reeth
The original bakery in Reeth. Its old fashioned, but all the food is made on the premises and the bread, tea cakes and parkin are absolutely wonderful. Big portions, so it is the perfect place to create a pack lunch for a hike or cycle. There is no website or Facebook page. Very traditional Yorkshire bakery. You won’t be disappointed though.
We suggest you stop here en route to StrandsView to get groceries for your stay. It is a very popular farm shop with most of the food on sale coming from the farm itself, baked on site or coming from other nearby farms. Most of the prices are supermarket level, so it doesn’t hurt your wallet too.
PUBS WITH VEGETARIAN FOOD
Now owned by the village of Gunnerside for the community. Great beer and food in an informal, local pub. Serves locally sourced produce and has vegetarian options, but mainly in the style of meat alternatives e.g. vegetarian burger.
Great pub on the way to Richmond with fantastic views and stunning food. Recommended. Great selection of homemade proper vegetarian options
The George and Dragon, Hudswell
Real ale, home made proper pies – short crust pastry, not puff, multi-award winning and great views. Wide selection of vegetarian food, including a vegetarian pie. What is not to like? Go!
All pubs in Yorkshire are friendly. The Farmers Arms in Muker is an outstanding example of great food, beer and people. It serves hearty home made meals and is within easy drive of Strands. A good selection of vegetarian food too, from pies, bakes, currys and their special Mac’n’Cheese. Food is sourced locally where possible and like the Kings Head, it is also community run. They can get busy in summer at weekends, but we find 8pm is usually ok. There are no bookings.
For all venues, we always recommend that you call ahead to avoid disappointment.
TEASHOPS WITH VEGETARIAN FOOD
Muker tea shop up the dale in Muker is a stunning example of a great tea shop with the food, service and tea being as close to perfect as you can get. Great stop on a long walk. A number of vegetarian options, including sandwiches and toasties. It is closed in winter, except for a short period over Christmas.
Reeth Bike Centre which has an amazing “cakery” and is open year round 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm. Sometimes there is a Friday “show stopper” cake which as the name suggests certainly impresses. Vegetarian’s are well catered for at the cakery and they source all their food locally – even the coffee is roasted in near by Middleton-in-Teesdale.
Don’t forget the award winning Copper Kettle in Reeth which has excellent cakes and tea. At the bottom of the green, it can be easily missed – but at your loss. Plenty of vegetarian options and you can pick up bags of used coffee grounds to help improve garden soil. Check it out!
RESTAURANTS WITH VEGETARIAN FOOD
They have the best food ethos in Swaledale: “You deserve the very best that Yorkshire has to offer and we are committed to providing you with sustainably sourced seasonal produce from local suppliers as well as from our own kitchen garden.” This is high-end cuisine by a skilled chef served in modern but traditional surroundings. Definitely the place for a special night. The vegetarian options are the best in the dale and will even satisfy die-hard meat eaters.
The nearest restaurant to StrandsView. Beautiful views across the valley and food to match. Log fire in winter! Where they can, the food is sourced locally and in season. There are a number of well thought through vegetarian options.
In a different dale, the CB is fantastic as well as being the shortest named pub in the UK! It is the sister pub to the Punch Bowl, so the food on offer is similar and comes from a similar locally sourced, in season ethos. There are a number of vegetarian options which are recipes in their own right i.e. they are not trying to copy meat as an alternative. Very busy, so book.
LOCAL WALK OR HIKE
Swaledale is excellent walking and hiking country. You can see a lot of varied countryside in one walk: from industrial hertitage to flowering summer meadows, this dale has it. Check out our hiking page based on walks we have done – there is even a selector so you can filter by length, climb and time. We will continue to update it and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for all the latest news too. @StrandsView.
LoCAL ROAD AND MOUNTAIN BIKING
There is a wide variety of road and mountain biking starting in Swaledale. You can even follow the route of the Tour de France from when it came to Yorkshire. Check out our cycling pages based on cycling we have done in the Dales.
Swale Trail: An off road trail up the dale for family and adventurers! See our Swale Trail page to have a great day out.
Remember to follow us on Facebook for all the latest routes and ideas. @StrandsView.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
Want to avoid people? Swaledale is pretty well off the beaten track anyway and the Dales are rarely super busy, however if you really want to go somewhere very off the beaten track, where you are unlikely to get disturbed, here are some suggestions:
A small but perfectly formed museum about the area and lead mining. It is quietly hidden in a corner of Reeth green by the post office. It is rarely very busy, but is a lovely introduction to the history of the area. Worth a visit.
The Old Working Smithy, Gunnerside
An off the beaten track gem: the smithy was established in 1795 during the lead mining rush era. It is still operational today and also doubles up as a museum with all the artefacts coming from the smithy itself. You can also purchase items in the Smithy’s shop or commission your own!
No need to use the car for this one if you are staying at StrandsView – leave directly from Strands. It is one of our favourite walks and the walk up Whitaside is so off the beaten track that you will have to fight vegetation in summer at the start of the climb.
Gunnerside Ghyll hike, Strands
Another one which needs no car if you are staying at StrandsView – you can leave directly. It is a long one with sweeping views and wild moors, but apart from in the odd area, you won’t see many people.
LoCAL HERITAGE – PLACES TO VISIT AND THINGS TO DO
Locally, there is the Wensleydale railway, Bolton Castle and The Swale Trail family friendly off-road cycle route. Don’t have bikes? You can hire them from the Dales Bike Centre in Reeth.
Family activities: Check out our family activity page for trains, castles and other magical places
Dales Bike Centre: Everything bike. Hire them, get routes and the cafe with the weekly Friday show stopper cake! Great place to hire bikes for the Swale Trail.
Swale Trail: An off road trail up the dale for family and adventurers! See our Swale Trail page to have a great day out.