# Bishopdale Staycation Guide — Where to Stay & What to Do > Discover Bishopdale, a quiet Yorkshire Dales valley of stone hamlets, drystone walls and fell walks near Wensleydale and Wharfedale. Source: https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale (Staycation.co.uk). Cite the source page, not this text version. A quiet Dales valley of stone hamlets and open fell Photo © James Thomson, Google Maps [Guide](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale) [🏨 Hotels](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/hotels) [🏡 Cottages](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/cottages) [⛺ Camping](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/camping) [🎟️ Attractions](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/attractions) [🍽️ Restaurants](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/restaurants) Bishopdale is one of the lesser-known valleys of the Yorkshire Dales, a tributary dale that branches south from Wensleydale near Aysgarth and runs for around seven miles up towards Kidstones Pass and the head of Wharfedale. Rather than one town, Bishopdale is really a scatter of small settlements – Thoralby, Newbiggin, West Burton and Walden – strung along Bishopdale Beck as it tumbles down to join the River Ure. It is a quieter, more pastoral corner of the National Park than nearby Wensleydale or Wharfedale, with fewer visitors and a strong sense of working farmland. The valley is classic Dales scenery: green in-bye fields stitched together with drystone walls and traditional field barns, rising to open heather moor and limestone fell tops on both sides. The B6160 Aysgarth to Buckden road climbs over the top of the dale via Kidstones, giving one of the finest high-level drives in the National Park, while the valley floor lanes are ideal for gentle exploring by car, bike or on foot. Because it sits just off the main tourist routes, Bishopdale keeps a genuinely local, unhurried feel even in summer. ## Getting to Bishopdale Bishopdale runs south from the A684 Wensleydale road, which is reached via the A1(M) and A684 from the east, or the M6 and A65 from the west. The B6160 threads through the dale from Aysgarth up to Kidstones and on into Wharfedale, making it easy to combine a visit with both Wensleydale and Wharfedale in one trip. The nearest railway stations are at Garsdale and Northallerton, both around 40 minutes' drive away, and there is no direct bus service into the dale itself, so a car is by far the most practical way to explore. ## Best time to visit Bishopdale Late spring through early autumn is the easiest time to visit, with long daylight for walking and the fell roads clear. May and June bring lambs in the fields and wildflowers along the verges, while September and October add turning colour on the valley sides. Winter can be atmospheric but the high road over Kidstones Pass is exposed and occasionally closed by snow, so check conditions before travelling out of season. ## Where to stay in Bishopdale [All hotels in Bishopdale →](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/hotels) About staying in Bishopdale Hotels are scarce within Bishopdale itself, since the dale is made up of small hamlets rather than a town, so most visitors looking for a hotel base themselves in one of the larger villages nearby, such as Hawes, Leyburn or Aysgarth, all within a short drive over or around the dale. These offer traditional Dales inns and small hotels with cosy bars and restaurants serving hearty, locally sourced food after a day on the fells. Staying just outside Bishopdale still puts you within easy reach of the valley's quiet lanes and footpaths, as well as the wider attractions of Wensleydale and Wharfedale. Booking ahead is worthwhile in peak walking season, from late spring through early autumn, when rooms in the more popular Dales villages fill up quickly. For those who prefer a hotel with easy access to Aysgarth Falls, Buckden Pike and Wensleydale Creamery, a base just outside Bishopdale offers the best of both convenience and the quieter valley itself. Expect period stone buildings, dales hospitality and menus built around local lamb, beef and Wensleydale cheese rather than large-scale chain hotels, which are absent from this part of the National Park. [The Street Head Inn Newbiggin In Bishopdale, Leyburn](https://staycation.co.uk/leyburn/hotels/the-street-head-inn) [The George Inn The George Inn, Aysgarth](https://staycation.co.uk/aysgarth/hotels/the-george-inn) [Cornlee Cornlee, Aysgarth](https://staycation.co.uk/aysgarth/hotels/cornlee) [Colmans of Aysgarth Town Ends Town Ends, Aysgarth](https://staycation.co.uk/aysgarth/hotels/colmans-of-aysgarth-town-ends) [Aysgarth Falls Hotel Aysgarth, Leyburn](https://staycation.co.uk/leyburn/hotels/aysgarth-falls-hotel) [Temple Farm House Temple Farm, Aysgarth](https://staycation.co.uk/aysgarth/hotels/temple-farm-house) [Stow House Stow House, Aysgarth](https://staycation.co.uk/aysgarth/hotels/stow-house) [The Wheatsheaf Inn Main Street, Carperby](https://staycation.co.uk/carperby/hotels/the-wheatsheaf-inn) ## Things to Do in Bishopdale [All attractions in Bishopdale →](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/attractions) Top things to do in Bishopdale Bishopdale rewards slow travel – walking the valley floor, exploring its hamlets, and using it as a peaceful base from which to visit the bigger-name Dales attractions nearby. - **West Burton village green** – often claimed as the largest village green in the Yorkshire Dales, ringed by stone cottages and a market cross, with a waterfall just below the green on Walden Beck. - **Thoralby** – a small, largely unspoilt village of stone cottages about a mile from Aysgarth, with a network of footpaths leading out onto the fell. - **Walking the Bishopdale valley floor** – a network of field paths and quiet lanes links Thoralby, Newbiggin and West Burton, with views up to Stake Fell and Naughtberry Hill. - **Aysgarth Falls** – a short drive down the dale, three tiered waterfalls on the River Ure set among woodland, with a National Park visitor centre. - **Buckden and Upper Wharfedale** – reached over Kidstones Pass at the head of Bishopdale, a classic Dales village with popular fell walks including Buckden Pike. - **Stake Moss and Haw Lane** – a high-level track above Thoralby, part of the Yorkshire Dales Celebration Way, with wide moorland views back down the dale. - **Wensleydale Creamery, Hawes** – a short drive away, the working creamery and visitor centre behind Wensleydale cheese, with tastings and a shop. [Aysgarth Falls ⭐ 4.5](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/attractions/aysgarth-falls) [Bolton Castle ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/attractions/bolton-castle) [The Forbidden Corner ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/attractions/the-forbidden-corner) [Dales Countryside Museum ⭐ 4.5](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/attractions/dales-countryside-museum) [🎟️Climbing & Bouldering Harrogate Climbing Centre](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/attractions/harrogate-climbing-centre) [How Stean Gorge ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/attractions/how-stean-gorge) [Studfold Adventure Trail ⭐ 4.8](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/attractions/studfold-adventure-trail) [Long Ashes Leisure Club ⭐ 4.4](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/attractions/long-ashes-leisure-club) ## Where to Eat in Bishopdale [All restaurants in Bishopdale →](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/restaurants) Food and drink in Bishopdale Bishopdale itself has no pub, so most visitors head down the dale to Aysgarth or Leyburn, or over to Buckden and Hawes, for meals out. Hawes in particular is well known for the Wensleydale Creamery and its cheese shop, alongside a handful of traditional Dales pubs and cafes serving hearty, locally sourced food. [West Burton Village Shop and Tearoom ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/restaurants/west-burton-village-shop-and-tearoom) [Thornton Lodge](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/restaurants/thornton-lodge) [Aysgarth Falls Hotel ⭐ 4.5](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/restaurants/aysgarth-falls-hotel) [Wensleydale Ice Cream ⭐ 4.9](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/restaurants/wensleydale-ice-cream) [Aysgarth Lodge Holidays (Falls End) ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/restaurants/aysgarth-lodge-holidays-falls-end) [Mill Race Tearoom (Home Baker) ⭐ 4.9](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/restaurants/mill-race-tearoom-home-baker) [Low Mill Outdoor Education Centrre ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/restaurants/low-mill-outdoor-education-centrre) [🍽️Restaurant Arthur's Cakes](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/restaurants/arthur-s-cakes) ## Attractions Near Bishopdale [All attractions in Bishopdale →](https://staycation.co.uk/attractions) Worth the trip — within 50 miles of Bishopdale. [4 mi Aysgarth Falls Leyburn · ⭐ 4.5](https://staycation.co.uk/leyburn/attractions/aysgarth-falls) [6 mi Bolton Castle Leyburn · ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/leyburn/attractions/bolton-castle) [7 mi The Forbidden Corner Leyburn · ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/leyburn/attractions/the-forbidden-corner) [7 mi Dales Countryside Museum Hawes · ⭐ 4.5](https://staycation.co.uk/hawes/attractions/dales-countryside-museum) [🎟️Climbing & Bouldering 10 mi Harrogate Climbing Centre Harrogate](https://staycation.co.uk/harrogate/attractions/harrogate-climbing-centre) [10 mi How Stean Gorge Harrogate · ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/harrogate/attractions/how-stean-gorge) [10 mi Studfold Adventure Trail Harrogate · ⭐ 4.8](https://staycation.co.uk/harrogate/attractions/studfold-adventure-trail) [12 mi Long Ashes Leisure Club Threshfield · ⭐ 4.4](https://staycation.co.uk/threshfield/attractions/long-ashes-leisure-club) ## Camping in Bishopdale(1) [All campsites in Bishopdale →](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/camping) About camping in Bishopdale Bishopdale sits within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, where wild camping is not permitted without the landowner's express permission, so campers should use one of the established campsites or farm-based sites in and around the dale and neighbouring valleys rather than pitching on the open fell. The valley's terrain is a mix of enclosed pasture on the lower slopes and open heather moorland higher up towards Stake Moss and Naughtberry Hill, with ground that can stay wet well into the warmer months after Dales rain, so a properly waterproofed tent and pegs suited to thin or rocky topsoil are worth packing. Most campsites in this part of the Dales are small, family-run affairs on working farms, offering simple pitches with basic facilities, and it is well worth booking ahead in summer as availability is limited compared with more heavily visited dales such as Wharfedale or Swaledale. The best camping season here runs from late spring to early autumn, broadly May to September, when daylight hours are longest and the fell roads over Kidstones Pass are reliably open; the shoulder months of April and October can still be rewarding for quieter, cooler camping but nights turn cold quickly at this altitude. Weather across the Dales is changeable year-round, so campers should come prepared for rain and wind even in midsummer. For those who prefer a roof over their head without giving up the outdoor feel, glamping options such as shepherd's huts, pods and safari tents are increasingly available on farms around Wensleydale and Wharfedale, offering a comfortable alternative that still puts the quiet, pastoral scenery of Bishopdale on the doorstep. Camping here suits visitors after a genuinely rural, low-key base for walking the dale and its surrounding fells, rather than an on-site activity programme. [Street Head Caravan Park ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/camping/street-head-caravan-park-bishopdale) [Aysgarth Falls Hotel and campsite ⭐ 4.9](https://staycation.co.uk/north-yorkshire/camping/aysgarth-falls-hotel-and-campsite) [Aysgarth Lodge Holidays ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/north-yorkshire/camping/aysgarth-lodge-holidays) [Penhill Park ⭐ 4.3 · from £28/night](https://staycation.co.uk/leyburn/camping/penhill-park) [Heber Farm - DUPLICATE ⭐ 5.0](https://staycation.co.uk/north-yorkshire/camping/heber-farm-duplicate) [Buckden Camping And Pods Heber Farm ⭐ 4.8](https://staycation.co.uk/north-yorkshire/camping/buckden-camping-and-pods-heber-farm) [Buckden Camping and Pods ⭐ 4.8](https://staycation.co.uk/buckden/camping/buckden-camping-and-pods-buckden) [Stablefell Campsite ⭐ 4.6 · from £26/night](https://staycation.co.uk/raydale/camping/stablefell-campsite-raydale) ## Self-Catering Cottages in Bishopdale [All cottages in Bishopdale →](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/cottages) [🏡Cottage East Lane Barn 2 bed · sleeps 4 · from £363](https://staycation.co.uk/north-yorkshire/cottages/east-lane-barn-uk33598) [🏡Cottage Mystified Bungalow 2 bed · sleeps 4 · from £373](https://staycation.co.uk/north-yorkshire/cottages/mystified-bungalow-ukc254) [🏡Cottage Eastburn Cottage 4 bed · sleeps 7 · from £459](https://staycation.co.uk/north-yorkshire/cottages/eastburn-cottage-syk4038) [🏡Cottage Westburn Cottage 1 bed · sleeps 2 · from £581](https://staycation.co.uk/north-yorkshire/cottages/westburn-cottage-uk11232) [Barn Cottage 2 bed · sleeps 4 · from £457](https://staycation.co.uk/north-yorkshire/cottages/barn-cottage-syk966542) [School Cottage 1 bed · sleeps 2 · from £561](https://staycation.co.uk/north-yorkshire/cottages/school-cottage-uk10377) [Cowstonegill 4 bed · sleeps 7 · from £498](https://staycation.co.uk/north-yorkshire/cottages/cowstonegill-syk1183) [🏡Cottage The Old Chapel 3 bed · sleeps 6 · from £637](https://staycation.co.uk/north-yorkshire/cottages/the-old-chapel-uk2146) ## Common questions about Bishopdale How many campsites are there in Bishopdale? We list 1 campsites in and around Bishopdale, of which 1 take tents. Are there dog-friendly campsites in Bishopdale? Yes — 1 of the 1 campsites we list in Bishopdale accept dogs, including Street Head Caravan Park. Which campsites in Bishopdale have electric hook-up? 1 of the 1 campsites we list in Bishopdale offer an electric hook-up. ### 🏨 Find Hotels in Bishopdale Search hotels, B&Bs and self-catering on Booking.com. [Search Accommodation →](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101762279-15734754?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fsearchresults.en-gb.html%3Fss%3DBishopdale%252C%2BUnited%2BKingdom) Affiliate link ### Explore Bishopdale - [🏨 Hotels & B&Bs](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/hotels) - [🏡 Cottages](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/cottages) - [⛺ Campsites & glamping](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/camping) - [🎟️ Attractions](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/attractions) - [🍽️ Restaurants](https://staycation.co.uk/bishopdale/restaurants) - [🗺️ More in North Yorkshire](https://staycation.co.uk/north-yorkshire) - [🧭 All of the Yorkshire and the Humber](https://staycation.co.uk/regions/yorkshire-and-the-humber) ## Staycation ideas for Bishopdale [All staycation ideas →](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas) [The Best Last-Minute UK Staycations Six well-connected UK towns and cities worth booking at short notice, chosen for easy travel and a decent spread of accommodation once the school-holiday crowds have thinned.](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas/best-last-minute-staycations) [Rainy Day Staycations: Best UK Breaks for Bad Weather When the forecast turns grim, these UK cities and spa towns keep their appeal indoors, with museums, galleries and grand architecture to fill a wet weekend.](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas/rainy-day-staycations-uk) [The Best Dog-Friendly Staycations in Britain From Cornish coast paths to Lake District fells, these six British destinations offer the open beaches, moors and forests that make a staycation genuinely enjoyable for dogs and their owners alike.](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas/dog-friendly-staycations) [The Best UK Staycations for Families with Young Kids From New Forest ponies to Cornish rock pools, these six UK destinations combine easy logistics, safe beaches and family-friendly attractions for a stress-free break with young children.](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas/best-staycations-for-families)