Yoredale Way & Swale Way Circular
150 mile Yorkshire circular following the Rivers Ure & Swale

The Yoredale Way & Swale Way Circular walk runs for 150 miles from Kirkby Stephen, beside the River Ure, through what used to be called Yoredale, but is now known as Wensleydale, following the course of the River Ure, from its source on the high fells in the Yorkshire Dales National Park above Kirkby Stephen, to the village of Boroughbridge 73 miles later. From there it returns along the length of the River Swale, through the beautiful Swaledale, to its source at the head of Swaledale and back to Kirkby Stephen.

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Holiday Packages

All our Standard Itineraries include:

  • Hand-picked accommodation in B&Bs / guest houses / inns / small hotels
  • En-suite facilities where available
  • Breakfast
  • Daily baggage transfers from our own team of local drivers
  • All booking fees

We will also endeavour to include all these in any custom itinerary you wish to build for this walk.

Itin A:   12D / 13N       £1500 pp *

Day 1: Kirkby Stephen to Garsdale Head (13.6m), taxi to Hawes *
Day 2: Taxi to Garsdale Head, walk to Bainbridge (11.1m) *
Day 3: Bainbridge to Middleham (16.6m)
Day 4: Middleham to Masham (11.1m)
Day 5: Masham to Ripon (13.4m)
Day 6: Ripon to Boroughbridge (7.6m)
Day 7: Boroughbridge to Thirsk (16.3m)
Day 8: Thirsk to Morton on Swale (12.4m)
Day 9: Morton on Swale to Richmond (14.8m)
Day 10: Richmond to Reeth (12.3m)
Day 11: Reeth to Keld (11.7m)
Day 12: Keld to Kirkby Stephen (12.1m)

£1,825 solo walkers (plus single supplements)
£1,500 per person (based on two sharing)
£1,410 per person (based on group of 3)
£1,400 per person (based on group of 4 or more)

* price includes taxi

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Itin B:   8D / 9N       £1030 pp *

Day 1: Kirkby Stephen to Hawes (19.1m)
Day 2: Hawes to Middleham (20.8m)
Day 3: Middleham to West Tanfield (17.6m)
Day 4: West Tanfield to Boroughbridge (14.5m)
Day 5: Boroughbridge to Newsham (21.6m)
Day 6: Newsham to Richmond (21.1m)
Day 7: Richmond to Low Row (17.2m)
Day 8: Low Row to Kirkby Stephen (19.2m)

£1,245 solo walkers (plus single supplements)
£1,030 per person (based on two sharing)
£1,005 per person (based on group of 3)
£935 per person (based on group of 4 or more)

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Itin C:   10D / 11N       £1290 pp *

Day 1: Kirkby Stephen to Garsdale Head (13.6m), taxi to Hawes *
Day 2: Taxi to Garsdale Head, walk to Aysgarth (16.3m) *
Day 3: Aysgarth to Cover Bridge (12.5m)
Day 4: Cover Bridge to West Tanfield (15.7m)
Day 5: West Tanfield to Boroughbridge (14.5m)
Day 6: Boroughbridge to Thirsk (16.3m)
Day 7: Thirsk to Morton on Swale (12.4m)
Day 8: Morton on Swale to Richmond (14.8m)
Day 9: Richmond to Low Row (17.2m)
Day 10: Low Row to Kirkby Stephen (19.2m)

£1,610 solo walkers (plus single supplements)
£1,290 per person (based on two sharing)
£1,225 per person (based on group of 3)
£1,194 per person (based on group of 4 or more)

* price includes taxi

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Itin D:   14D / 15N       £1735 pp *

Day 1: Kirkby Stephen to Garsdale Head (13.6m), taxi to Hawes *
Day 2: Taxi to Garsdale Head, walk to Bainbridge (11.1m) *
Day 3: Bainbridge to Swinithwaite (8.4m), taxi to Leyburn *
Day 4: Taxi to Swinithwaite, walk to Cover Bridge (10.1m) *
Day 5: Cover Bridge to Masham (9.2m)
Day 6: Masham to North Stainley (8.4m)
Day 7: North Stainley to Boroughbridge (12.6m)
Day 8: Boroughbridge to Brafferton (6.7m)
Day 9: Brafferton to South Kilvington (10.9m)
Day 10: South Kilvington to Morton on Swale (11.1m)
Day 11: Morton on Swale to Catterick Bridge (12.9m)
Day 12: Catterick Bridge to Grinton (14.5m)
Day 13: Grinton to Keld (12.6m)
Day 14: Keld to Kirkby Stephen (12.1m)

£2,115 solo walkers (plus single supplements)
£1,735 per person (based on two sharing)
£1,630 per person (based on group of 3)
£1,625 per person (based on group of 4 or more)

* price includes taxi

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Itin E:   16D / 17N       £1925 pp *

Day 1: Kirkby Stephen to Garsdale Head (13.6m), taxi to Hawes *
Day 2: Taxi to Garsdale Head, walk to Sedbusk (7m) *
Day 3: Sedbusk to Aysgarth (9.3m)
Day 4: Aysgarth to Middleham (10.6m)
Day 5: Middleham to Masham (11.1m)
Day 6: Masham to North Stainley (8.4m)
Day 7: North Stainley to Bishop Monkton (9.1m)
Day 8: Bishop Monkton to Boroughbridge (5.3m)
Day 9: Boroughbridge to Helperby (6.7m)
Day 10: Helperby to South Kilvington (10.9m)
Day 11: South Kilvington to Morton on Swale (11.1m)
Day 12: Morton on Swale to Catterick Bridge (12.9m)
Day 13: Catterick Bridge to Grinton (14.5m)
Day 14: Grinton to Low Row (5.8m)
Day 15: Low Row to Keld (7.8m)
Day 16: Keld to Kirkby Stephen (12.1m)

£2,315 solo walkers (plus single supplements)
£1,925 per person (based on two sharing)
£1,815 per person (based on group of 3 or more)

* price includes taxi

Get a Personal Quote

* All headline holiday prices are shown per person, based on two people sharing.

Baggage Transfer

Baggage Transfer is automatically included in the price of all our Walking Holiday packages.

These prices are for anyone planning their own holiday and just need bags moving from one stop to the next.

Itin A

£560 (single)
£280 per person (based on two people)
£190 per person (based on group of 3)
£15 per person per day (based on group of 4 or more)

Max 17kg per bag

Itin B

£430 (single)
£215 per person (based on two people)
£145 per person (based on group of 3)
£15 per person per day (based on group of 4 or more)

Max 17kg per bag

Itin C

£520 (single)
£270 per person (based on two people)
£180 per person (based on group of 3)
£15 per person per day (based on group of 4 or more)

Max 17kg per bag

Itin D

£635 (single)
£320 per person (based on two people)
£215 per person (based on group of 3)
£15 per person per day (based on group of 4 or more)

Max 17kg per bag

Itin E

£695 (single)
£350 per person (based on two people)
£15 per person per day (based on group of 3 or more)

Max 17kg per bag

Note: If you are booking accommodation in an Airbnb, you must ensure that there will either be someone available to take collection/delivery of your bags or that they have appropriate, secure storage in the event that the proprietor is absent.

Walk Information

Rest Days
Rest days can be incorporated into any walking holiday package at an additional £70.00 per person per night

Solo Travellers
Solo travellers please contact us or use the booking form to send your proposed itinerary including dates, and we will price accordingly. Where possible, we take advantage of existing bookings from other clients to ensure you receive a cost effective service.

Alternative Itineraries
For alternative itineraries to those provided for this route, please contact us, or use the Booking Form to submit your proposed itinerary and number of participants and we will quote accordingly.

Walking Season Dates
Prices are based on the walk starting after 1st April and ending before 30th September.

Walk Information

The Yoredale Way is a sister walk to the Swale Way. It runs for 73 miles from Kirkby Stephen, beside the River Ure, through what used to be called Yoredale, but is now known as Wensleydale. It is a long distance walk that follows the course of the River Ure, from its source on the high fells in the Yorkshire Dales National Park above Kirkby Stephen, to the village of Boroughbridge 73 miles later.

The walk starts beside another great river, the Eden, as we leave Kirkby Stephen and climb up to the ridge above the Mallerstang valley to find the source of both the Eden and, more importantly to us, the Ure. The Way then runs through beautiful Wensleydale, one of the most famous of all the Yorkshire Dales and home to the world-renowned cheese of the same name.

An option is provided to climb out of the valley to the site of an old beacon on Penhill, and look down onto the twisting Ure below. We visit the castle of Richard III in Middleham and one of the great brewing centres of northern England in Masham, home to Theakston’s and Black Sheep.

For the majority of the Way, we are never far from the Ure as it winds though woodland and beside wide pastures, quaint villages and the parks of stately homes. In Ripon we find the modern bright lights and grand ecclesiastical architecture, side by side in a bustling city, with the Ure calmly sliding by it all. A final stretch of riverside path brings us to journey’s end in Boroughbridge, where you could turn around and follow the Swale Way back to Kirkby Stephen.

The Swale Way was originally conceived by John Brock of the Ramblers Association in 1995 and the pen and ink drawings reproduced in the route descriptions are from original artwork by Richard Collier.

The 77 mile walk follows the length of the River Swale in North Yorkshire from its joining with the River Ure near Boroughbridge to its source at the head of Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Along the way it passes through the historic market towns of Boroughbridge, Thirsk and Richmond, past famous battle sites and historic parkland, and travels the length of Swaledale, one of the most beautiful of all the Yorkshire Dales.

OS Explorer Maps
OL19 – Howgill Fells & Upper Eden Valley
OL30 – Yorkshire Dales – Northern & Central areas
298 – Nidderdale
299 – Ripon & Boroughbridge
302 – Northallerton & Thirsk
304 – Darlington & Richmond

Guide Books
The Swale Way” by Stuart W. Greig – Published by Pocket Routes 

The Yoredale Way” by Stuart W. Greig – Published by Pocket Routes 

Mobile Digital Mapping
Digital maps can be viewed on most modern smartphones using an appropriate app, downloaded from the app store associated with your device. Brigantes recommend that whichever app you use, it should support Ordnance Survey 1:25k or 1:50k scale maps. There are many apps to choose from, but the two main providers are Ordnance Survey and Memory Map.

Each provider’s app has its own benefits, but both provide all-important offline navigation, meaning your device does not need a mobile signal to work effectively on the trail.

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