Good food/pubs in Wensleydale and nearby?
 

As part of a weird-ish itinerary (everything from scattering my Mom and Dad's ashes in Scotland, to the Channel Islands, to the Jubillee in London) from mid-May to early June, I'm plopping myself down for 3 nights in Aysgarth.

I'm sort of devoting each day to a different 'Dale' and some walking, but plan on being back by early evening. So are there any special places I should seek out for dinner?

Thanks

ttt to kick start this :)

Hopefully Morgana and others will have some suggestions

Well I only really know Masham which might be a bit south of you the square is very attractive but I'd avoid the Crown Hotel, probably the best food is at the Black Sheep Brewery or in the pub attached in the evening.

The Wensleydale Heiffer gets brilliant reviews on Hardens, which is very reliable in my experience:

www.wensleydaleheifer.co.uk

Quoting from Hardens:
“One of the best pub restaurants around with especially good fish” and “brilliant” service – this “incongruously land-locked” Dales inn wins hearty endorsements from practically all of the many people who report on it."

Hi Janis
I live in Lower Wenslydale now so can hopefully help you.
Agree with Kate about the Wensleydale Heifer, primarily a seafood restaurant a long way from the sea! Their beer battered fish, proper chunky chips and posh mushy peas are gorgeous but I've eaten lobster, salmon and all sorts there and it's always been good. They also do a very nice Sunday lunch.
I'm afraid I don't agree with the suggestion of the Black Sheep Brewery (Masham is just down the road from where I live). The tour is interesting but the food isn't very nice - but that's just my opinion of course. However, there's a great little restaurant in Masham called Vennells, just off the main square.
www.vennellsrestaurant.co.uk
Close to Masham is Swinton Park. I am not sure when you will be in the area, but at the end of May they usually do an alfresco food trail. This is brilliant - for a small admittance fee you go round the beautiful gardens stopping off at various 'food stalls' for a starter, main course and dessert (plus cake). There are cooking demonstrations, local food to buy etc - wonderful day out. I am not sure if they have announced the date for 2012 but worth keeping an eye on their website. Afternoon tea there is also a treat.
http://www.swintonpark.com/events/al...-festival.html
The Blue Lion at East Witton is also good - close to Jervaulx Abbey which is a 'must see' in the area.
www.thebluelion.co.uk
www.jervaulxabbey.com
Heading further west, Yorebridge House does great food too.
www.yorebridgehouse.com
The standard of food up here is so high, with lots of local produce. However, our absolute favourite place is the Yorke Arms in Ramsgill (Nidderdale). This is a bit of a trek from Aysgarth but if you are out and about then this would be the place I recommend you head for above all others. The food here is just stunning (never eaten better anywhere and I'm pretty well travelled) and the staff are lovely. The restaurant itself is picture book pretty and there are walks in all directions from the doorstep. A perfect place for lunch (good value as it's not cheap!) and then a walk.
www.yorke-arms.co.uk

It would also help if I could spell Wensleydale!

Fabulous! (Ain't Fodors terrific?! :) ) Thanks.

The Yorke Arms looks <i>amazing</i>. Dinner is probably impractical, but lunch or Sunday lunch a definite possibility. I figured Pateley Brudge and Grassington and <i>maybe</i> How Stean Gorge one day so Lunch might fit nicely.

I may not get to Jervaulx (or Fountains for that matter) - I've visited both in the past and will go back if I have the time but won't force the issue.

Funny that a good seafood place is called the Heifer. I'll probably be through Masham a time or two enroute to other places so I'll check it out.

The Swinton Park food trail sounds like lots of fun - I'd guess it would be on the Saturday. That's the day I'm driving down from Northumberland and want to visit Beamish on the way south so I may have to miss it though.

Any other ideas??

If you are in Pateley then personally I'd skip How Stean Gorge (which is a bit of a let down) and instead go to the amazing Scar House Reservoir. You can walk around the reservoir (4 miles or double that if you do the full loop) but if you don't want to walk just admire the dam set amongst the incredible scenery. There's a small car park and decent toilets.
There was once (100 years ago) a whole shanty town up there building the dam but nothing remains today except some foundations. It's very atmospheric (ok, it can creep you out), and its always 'brisk' even on a hot summer's day.
http://www.freefoto.com/preview/908-...rth-Yorkshire-
As far as the Wensleydale Heifer - I have thought about the name too and my conclusion is that it is a very ancient village pub (must date back hundreds of years) and village pubs tend to keep their original names. They have to fight for survival these days though, so maybe they just got a really good fish chef in and it's grown from there?
Last year the Swinton Food trail was on a Sunday. Thought they would have arranged the date for 2012 but maybe they aren't sure because of the Diamond Jubilee Bank Holiday.

Wensleydale's international gourmet fame comes courtesy of Wallace and Gromit, the cartoon characters who are so fond of Wensleydale cheese. I see the creamery is flourishing (200 employees now) and of course boasts a visitor centre. http://www.wensleydale.co.uk/ Alas, the sample of cheese I tried out here in the colonies was rather bland for my taste.

"(Ain't Fodors terrific?! )..."

Maybe. But in this case, it's Morgana who clearly makes FODORS terrific.

I can vouch for Yorke Arms as Morgana recommended it to us when we toured Yorkshire. We had a very enjoyable dinner there!! It was in 2009 but I am sure it is still fabulous!

Mathieu, that is so sweet. But I am Janis's biggest fan - her breadth of knowledge constantly astounds me and I'm happy to be able to help her.
As for Wensleydale cheese - not the biggest fan either. I actually (shock, horror) prefer a decent piece of Lancashire!

I was going to say 'Morgana is terrific' . . . but didn't want to dis kate and bilboburgler :)

I really meant isn't it great that a simple question on these forums can get such wonderful/detailed response . . .

I guess I'll have to sort of work out a day-by-day so I can book at the Yorke Arms (I assume even for lunch booking is required - right??)

Here they sell a Wensleydale w/ cranberries that I find quite yummy.

Swinton Park and the Blue Lion are both good.

Morgana, I enjoy Janisj's posts as well; always informative and to the point, even when the point needs to be pretty.. sharpish... ;)

And Janis, I understood from the get go why you couldn't say that; however I as a third party could and so I did ! Kate and Bilbo are also very helpful contributors throughout the forum threads, and I do appreciate that.

Mathieu - agree about Janis's posts - can't be beaten for an often very much needed sanity check. Ignore her advice at your peril I always think.
I would book at the Yorke Arms even for lunch. And most definitely at a weekend. Despite its remoteness it was voted 14th best restaurant in the country according to the latest Sunday Times Food List. And it was also one of the restaurants Coogan and Brydon visited in The Trip (hilarious).
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trip-DVD-Ste.../dp/B0047N0L28
This walk is a favourite of mine and actually goes past the Yorke Arms. You could easily start it from Ramsgill assuming that's where you'll park up.
http://www.theaa.com/walks/three-nid...illages-420216

"<i>Ignore her advice at your peril</i>"

Can I quote you :))

I have a huge/heavy AA book -- <i>1001 Walks in Britain</i> That includes that same walk from Lofthouse > Ramsgill > Stean and back. It was one of the several I was looking at. So it is really nice? The AA listings give all the logistics/details/route/practicalities, but no descriptions of the scenery/views.

Yes, a really interesting walk, mainly on decent paths and tracks and well signed. I must have done it at least a dozen times, even in snow. You'll pass very close to How Stean if you wanted to visit (think there is an entry fee).
Nidderdale itself is outwith the Dales National Park (it's an AONB) and is always quiet, much quieter than many other areas.
The walk is up and down but not overly so. The views and general scenery are superb - and you will love Middlesmoor with its tiny 'ginnels' so give yourself time to explore it. The church and churchyard have the most stunning views over Nidderdale.
Have to say lunch at the Yorke Arms, this walk, and then a drive back via Scar House reservoir would have to be a pretty much perfect day for me.

To find Scar House - just past Lofthouse turn right through a stone gateway onto a Yorkshire Waterboard road. Drive along this very quiet road for 2 or 3 miles until you reach the car park. Amazing place.

I had to reply to this post as two of my favorite Fodor experts are involved.

Janis has recently helped me firm up my plans for a two week trip to Scotland in June, and Morgana has helped me with a trip to Yorkshire back in 2010.

I second the Wensleydale Heifer. We had a great Father's Day luncheon there and we talk about that meal all the time. Best meal of our trip. We spent a good two hours there, no rushing, lovely pudding, my first taste of sticky toffee.

Best meal, best day of the trip. Based in Thirsk, we drove up to the evocative Middleham castle, on to Sunday lunch at the Heifer, then a lovely drive back to Thirsk through the Dales.

It was magic and how I want to go back. Hopefully for my 60th birthday in two years I will. The Yorke Arms sounds like a treat. I'm happy to have that on my radar and vow to go when next I visit Yorkshire.

Enjoy!