There's an abundance of things to do for everyone in Kettlewell. Whether you fancy a relaxing time by The River Wharfe, a day out hiking in the hills, a few hours entertaining the children in the local park, you will find something new to do every time you visit this beautiful pocket of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.  

Whilst by no means exhaustive, we have put together a list of twelve things you might like to do during your holiday here.

Relax by the river:

Sit and relax on the banks of the River Wharfe with a picnic, glass of wine or an ice cream. Have a paddle in the water and hunt for crayfish – there are lots and lots or see if you can spot a trout.

Go fishing at Kilnsey Park:                                      

Kilnsey has a trout farm where you can go fishing and bring home the catch to cook for dinner. They also have a lovely nature trail, alpaca’s, sheep, occasionally pigs and goats and they help with the red squirrels and often have a few in an enclosure to view. There is fishing for the kids too and you can feed the fish as you wander around this lovely site. Perfect for the kids and grown ups alike. There is a café and shop on site too.  Visit: kilnseypark.co.uk

Take a walk along The Dales Way:

Kettlewell is on the 84 mile Dales Way walking route from Bowness-on-Windermere to Ilkley.  Part of the trail can be accessed from the doorstep of Penny Pot Cottage. Turn right out of the front door head down toward &Then deli and walk past the garage. Walk over the bridge, across the river and turn right and follow the river along to Starbotton, the next village up the dale. You can enjoy a pint and a sandwich at the Fox & Hounds for lunch then walk back along the other side of the valley back to Kettlewell; a fabulous 4 mile round trip and an easy walk. Please note there are a few stiles to climb over so not suitable for push chairs or those with limited mobility.

For mountain climbers, how about the Wharfedale Three Peaks? The 18 mile challenge, takes in Birks Fell, Buckden Pike and the mighty Great Whernside which lies above the top of the village.

If you fancy a longer day walk, the Dales way route from Kettlewell to Grassington offers amazing views from the top of the fell. Turn left from Penny Pot Cottage and follow Conistone Road past Scargill House, then follow the footpath signs left up the side of the fell.  Grassington is approximately 6 miles away. There is a limited bus service so if you time it right, walk to Grassington in the morning have a look round, grab some lunch and bus it back! 

Star gazing:

The dark skies in the National Park is perfect for star gazing. Simply wrap up warm and head outside with a pair of binoculars and look up.  Check out www.yorkshiredales.org.uk for more information. There is a dark sky festival on this year from 10th to the 26th February. Please see the website for more information.

Visit a traditional agricultural show:

There are any number of these close by, through August and September usually including the famous Kilnsey Show which takes place opposite Kilnsey Cragg on the Tuesday after the August Bank Holiday Monday. Please check out the Yorkshire Dales website for further information. (link above)

Fancy an adrenaline rush:
Contact Vertical Skills, an Adventure Activity company nestled in the picturesque town of Ingleton, perfectly located to enjoy the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. They are a well-established company taking people caving, canyoning, ghyll scrambling, climbing & abseiling. There is something for everyone from our fun introductory activity to full on extreme, not for the feint hearted adventure. TFor more info visit: vertical-skills.co.uk

Visit Stump Cross Caverns:
Stump Cross Caverns is a limestone cave system located between Wharfedale and Nidderdale, near Harrogate. Visit stimpcrosscaverns.co.uk for more information.

Discover the Creamery:

Take a trip to Hawes and visit the famous wensleydale cheese makers. They will take you through a tour of the process of making the famous crumbly cheese and there is a shop to buy the produce to take home and enjoy. Please check out wenselydale.co.uk for opening times and further information.

Visit a local museum or 2: 

If you want to learn a little more about the history of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, there is a small museum in Grassington on the town square. There is also a larger museum in Hawes run by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

Take a walk on the wild side:

There are any number of amazing walks from the doorstep of Penny Pot Cottage – way too many to list here but we would strongly advice getting out and into nature to blow away the cobwebs, breath some beautiful fresh air and get some much needed vitamin d! You can take it easy and follow the river up dale or challenge yourself and climb Great Whernside and/or Buckden Pike.

Visit the local stores for all your holiday shopping:

The Village Store for every day essentials or the &The deli for beers wines deli cold cuts cakes and sweet treats.

Eat, drink and be merry at the pubs and cafes:

In and amongst the cafés, lies The Blue Bell Inn, The Racehorses Hotel and The Kings Head pubs in the heart of the village. Further details are given in the previous section.

Festivals and Events:

Each year, The Wharfedale Beer festival takes place in The Devonshire Institute in Grassington usually the 2nd weekend in November. In 2023 the dates are Friday 10th and Saturday 11th November. Please visit www.wharfedalebeerfestival.com  for more information and to buy tickets for the next event. They put on a bus service up and down dale (from Skipton and up as far as Buckden and back again) to ensure you can get to and from the event. Well worth a visit and it raises much needed funds for local causes in and around Wharfedale.

Kilnsey Show celebrates local farmers, livestock, horse riding event, a vintage tractor procession and hosts of market stalls of local producers along with a fell run up and over Kilnsey Crag. A great day for