Rathmell

With no hotels of its own, Rathmell makes a peaceful edge-of-the-Dales base if you are happy staying a short drive from the action. Most visitors choose to stay in nearby Settle, three miles north, which has a good range of small inns, guesthouses and B&Bs within walking distance of its shops, cafes and the Settle-Carlisle railway station. Traditional Yorkshire coaching inns in Settle and the surrounding villages offer comfortable rooms alongside restaurants and bars serving local ales and hearty, unpretentious food, making them a convenient option after a day on the fells or exploring the Ribble Way.

Further afield, farmhouse B&Bs are common throughout Ribblesdale and the wider National Park, often set on working farms with views over the dale and a genuinely warm welcome. These tend to suit walkers and cyclists well, with drying rooms, packed lunches and local knowledge of the best routes often on offer. Self-catering cottages are also plentiful in villages such as Langcliffe, Stainforth and Horton in Ribblesdale, ranging from simple stone cottages to larger properties suited to groups or families, and give more flexibility for longer stays exploring the Three Peaks area.

Wherever you base yourself, Rathmell's position just south of the National Park boundary means you get dales scenery and walking without the summer crowds that build up around Malham or Grassington, while still being close enough to Settle for a proper night out or a well-stocked shop. Booking ahead is worthwhile in peak walking season, particularly around Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge weekends, when accommodation across the wider Settle area fills up quickly.

Rathmell is small, so most days out combine a look around the village with walks or short drives into the surrounding dale country. Here are the best of them.

• Holy Trinity Church — Rathmell's parish church was built in 1842, replacing an earlier meeting place used by the village's long tradition of nonconformist worship. It is a simple, unshowy building typical of small Dales parish churches and worth a look if you are passing through.
• Richard Frankland's Academy site — Rathmell's most notable claim to history is that nonconformist minister Richard Frankland (1630–1698) founded a dissenting academy in the village in 1670, one of the earliest of its kind in England and a direct forerunner of what is now Harris Manchester College, Oxford. There is little to see physically today, but it is a striking fact for such a small place.
• The Ribble Way — this long-distance footpath follows the River Ribble from its source near Ribblehead down to the Lancashire coast, and it runs straight through Rathmell. Walking a stretch north toward Settle or south toward Long Preston is an easy way to see the valley at its best.
• Settle — the nearest market town, about three miles north, has independent shops, cafes, a Saturday market and the southern terminus of the Settle-Carlisle railway, one of Britain's most scenic rail journeys.
• Stainforth Force — a short drive or walk north of Settle, this waterfall on the Ribble is one of the best-known beauty spots in the area and a popular spot for wild swimming in summer.
• Langcliffe and Catrigg Force — the neighbouring village of Langcliffe leads up onto the fell to Catrigg Force, a quieter and prettier waterfall than Stainforth, with views back over Ribblesdale and Pen-y-ghent.
• Pen-y-ghent — one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, rising to the north-east above Horton in Ribblesdale, is within easy driving distance for anyone wanting a proper fell walk.

Rathmell does not currently have a pub or cafe of its own, so for food and drink most visitors head into Settle, which has a good choice of independent cafes, tearooms and pubs including traditional Yorkshire inns serving local ales and hearty menus. It is a short and pleasant drive or walk from the village, and combines well with a look around Settle's market square and shops.

Rathmell and the surrounding Ribble Valley offer good, low-key camping country on the southern fringe of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, with the river, the Ribble Way footpath and open fell all within easy reach. As with everywhere in England, wild camping is illegal without the landowner's permission, so stick to established campsites and farm pitches rather than pitching on open fell or riverbank, however tempting the spot looks.

The terrain here is classic limestone dale country: gently rising pasture and drystone walls close to the river giving way to steeper, more exposed fell as you climb toward Pen-y-ghent and the higher ground around Horton in Ribblesdale. Farm campsites in the area tend to be simple and quiet, often with basic facilities, water and sometimes electric hook-up, and make a good match for the unfussy character of villages like Rathmell itself. Sites closer to Settle and Stainforth offer more in the way of showers, shops and family facilities, and put you within easy walking distance of the waterfalls and the town.

Late spring through early autumn is the best window for camping here, when the ground is drier, the days are long, and the river is at its most inviting for a cooling dip after a walk. Midge activity picks up in the wooded ghylls during warm, still spells in midsummer, so it is worth packing repellent. Outside this window the fells can be wet, windy and cold even when the valley floor feels mild, so autumn and winter camping trips need proper waterproof kit and a realistic sense of the exposed terrain above the village.

Glamping has grown steadily across the wider Ribblesdale and Settle area, with converted barns, shepherd's huts, safari tents and pods offering a more comfortable alternative to a traditional tent while keeping the same access to the Ribble Way, Stainforth Force and the Three Peaks. These tend to book up well in advance for summer weekends, so early planning pays off if you want to combine a comfortable stay with Rathmell's quiet, unspoilt setting.