Bentham

Bentham doesn't have a large hotel scene, and that's rather the point — what accommodation there is tends to be small, independently run and full of local character rather than corporate polish. The Black Bull Hotel on the high street is the obvious focal point, a traditional coaching inn with rooms above a working pub, useful for anyone who wants to walk back from dinner rather than drive. Beyond the town itself, expect a network of farmhouse bed and breakfasts and converted barn cottages scattered through the surrounding countryside, many offering the kind of quiet, unhurried welcome that's harder to find in the busier honeypot villages further into the Dales.

Because Bentham sits almost equidistant from the Dales, Bowland and the Lune valley, it suits visitors who want a single, well-placed base rather than moving accommodation as they explore different areas. Rooms here are generally better value than comparable options in Settle, Ingleton or the more heavily touristed Dales villages, without sacrificing much in the way of convenience — the A65 and the Bentham railway line both put Lancaster, Skipton and the wider region within easy reach. For a longer stay, self-catering cottages around Low Bentham and the surrounding farmland offer more space and the option to cook after a day on the fells, while those wanting a full range of hotel choice should treat Lancaster, around 25 minutes away, as the next step up.

Bentham makes a compact, low-key base for exploring some of the finest limestone and moorland scenery in the north of England. Most of the big draws are a short drive or a scenic train ride away, but the town itself has more to offer than you'd first think.

• Bentham's heritage walking trails — three way-marked routes, the Purple, Pink and Blue trails, loop out from the town centre through farmland and along the Wenning, ranging from a gentle two miles to a more serious nine-mile circuit.
• St John the Baptist's Church, Low Bentham — a site of worship recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, with the present Grade II* listed building reflecting centuries of rebuilding and a real sense of continuity.
• Bentham Town Hall — built in 1877 in the centre of High Bentham, it still houses the tourist information point and hosts markets and community events.
• Ingleton Waterfalls Trail — a short drive north-east, this celebrated circular walk follows the Rivers Doe and Twiss past a series of waterfalls, including the dramatic Thornton Force, through ancient woodland.
• Whernside and the Three Peaks — Bentham lies within easy reach of the western end of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, and Whernside, the highest of the trio, can be tackled from nearby Ribblehead or Chapel-le-Dale.
• Ribblehead Viaduct and the Settle–Carlisle line — one of the great railway journeys in England, with its famous 24-arch viaduct, is within easy striking distance for a day out.
• Bentham Golf Club — an 18-hole moorland course dating from the 1920s, set on the fellside above the town with wide views over the Wenning valley.
• Bentham Auction Mart — founded in 1903 and still trading, the mart is a genuine slice of working Dales life, with regular livestock sales that visitors are welcome to watch.

The Black Bull Hotel on High Bentham's main street is the town's long-standing social hub, with a traditional pub menu, real ales and regular live music evenings. High Bentham's small high street holds a handful of independent cafes and bakeries that do a brisk trade on market days, along with a butcher and general stores that reflect the town's continuing life as a working farming centre rather than a tourist set-piece. For a wider choice of restaurants, Settle and Ingleton are both a short drive away, while Lancaster offers a full range of dining options for an evening out.

Bentham's setting between the limestone country of the Yorkshire Dales and the heather moorland of the Forest of Bowland gives campers a genuine choice of scenery within a few miles of the same base. Ground here ranges from gentle riverside pasture along the Wenning to steep, rugged fell close to Ingleborough and Whernside, so there's terrain to suit a lazy weekend or a proper hill-walking trip. As with everywhere else in England, wild camping is not a legal right and pitching a tent on open fell or farmland requires the landowner's permission; the safe and straightforward approach is to book one of the small farm-based campsites and glamping set-ups that have sprung up in the fields around Bentham, many run by working farms happy to share a corner of their land with visitors.

Late spring through early autumn is the most comfortable camping season here, once the ground has dried out from winter and before the fells turn cold and exposed again. May and June bring long evenings and the daffodil trails along the river in bloom, while July and August are the most reliable for settled weather, though this is still Pennine country and a waterproof and warm layer belong in every kit bag regardless of the forecast. September's Agricultural Show adds a proper slice of Dales community life to a late-summer camping trip, with the moors beginning to turn purple with heather at the same time.

For those who'd rather leave the tent pegs at home, glamping options in the area range from simple shepherd's huts and safari tents to more comfortable pods with wood burners, usually set on working farms within a few miles of the town. These give easy access to the walking trails and waterfalls without sacrificing home comforts, and many hosts are a good source of local knowledge on the quieter routes into the Dales and Bowland that don't appear in the main guidebooks. Given the modest number of sites directly in Bentham itself, booking ahead is worthwhile, particularly around the September show and during school summer holidays.