Hotels in Raydale

Hotel choice directly in Raydale is limited, reflecting its status as one of the smallest and quietest valleys in the Yorkshire Dales. What accommodation there is tends to be traditional: farmhouse bed and breakfasts, small guesthouses, and self-catering cottages scattered around Countersett, Marsett and Stalling Busk, often run by families who have farmed the dale for generations. For a wider choice of proper hotels and inns, Bainbridge at the mouth of the dale is the obvious first stop, with the Rose and Crown offering rooms alongside its bar and restaurant. A short drive further up Wensleydale, Hawes and Askrigg both have a good spread of hotels, coaching inns and boutique stays, many with views over the dale and easy access to walking routes.

Booking ahead is sensible at almost any time of year, since the number of beds in and around Raydale is genuinely small, and demand from walkers and cyclists using the surrounding National Park can be high in the summer months. Those wanting to stay closest to Semer Water itself should look at Countersett or Stalling Busk; for more choice of restaurants, bars and shops in the evening, Hawes makes a practical base with Raydale as a day-trip destination.