Grassington Meadows in Yorkshire Dales National Park

Yorkshire Dales National Park, EN

Grassington Meadows

Flower-rich hay meadows, stone stiles and the falls at Linton

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Length
5.6km
Time
1.8hr
Elev. change
119m
Difficulty
Moderate
  • Loop
  • Dogs allowed
  • High point 278 m
  • #42 of 99 in Yorkshire Dales

Hear the audio tour

Grassington and its Cobbled Square

Overview

About Grassington Meadows

A loop of 5.5 km (3.5 miles) that starts and finishes at the Grassington National Park Centre. Allow about 1.75 hours, and up to two hours if you stop often for the meadows and the river.

Why go

  • Flower-rich hay meadows and broad Wharfedale views
  • Wise House ruins and Linton Falls add variety

Heads up

  • Narrow stiles and steps
  • Riverside paths can be muddy
The hay meadows on the Grassington Park Estate are the centrepiece, rich in wildflowers such as Great Burnet, Lady's Mantle, Common Knapweed, Eyebright, Devil's-bit Scabious, Ox-eye Daisy, Rough Hawkbit, Meadowsweet, Wood Crane's-bill and Quaking Grass. Higher field paths open out towards Barden Moor, Burnsall Fell and the Cracoe war memorial, and lapwings and curlews may be heard over the fields in spring and summer.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhat makes it worth walking

Map & elevation

The route

Loading the Yorkshire Dales map
Full map
Elevation159–278 m
TrailheadGrassington National Park Centre54.06959, -1.99748
Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your hike

Before you go

Parking

Start at Grassington National Park Centre, BD23 5LB. Toilets and cycle stands are available at the centre, with shops, cafés and pubs in the village.

Best time to go

June is the standout month for the flower-rich meadows. Hay cutting usually begins around mid-July, depending on the weather, so the display changes quickly from that point. These are working meadows, so stay on the public rights of way and walk single file where paths cross them.

Safety

A moderate climb leaves the village, with narrow stone stiles, steps and potentially muddy riverside paths. Cross the B6265 with care, keep dogs under close control around livestock and ground-nesting birds, and stay on public rights of way through working meadows.

1 active Yorkshire Dales alert

  • ClosureTemporary closures on public rights of wayAvoid the listed sections of public rights of way while their temporary closures or pedestrian prohibition are in force. - Public Bridleway No. 52 (05.Official details
Yorkshire Dales alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Yorkshire Dales Tour Guide

Your drive to Grassington Meadows, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yorkshire Dales National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

Recorded for this trailhead

Grassington and its Cobbled Square
0:00 / 0:30
“Up ahead is Grassington, a compact village built around a cobbled square.”

Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yorkshire Dales Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • The Painted Stones at Burnsall
  • The Falls That Powered Grassington
  • The Ice Behind Kilnsey Crag
  • The Butterfly and the Rock-Rose
  • 298 audio storiesacross Yorkshire Dales’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Eurasian Otter, Atlantic Salmon, Short-eared Owl, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 99 trails, 63 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
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“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
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Trail guide

Hiking Grassington Meadows

How the route unfoldsFrom the National Park Centre the way goes through the village square and out along Low Lane…

From the National Park Centre the way goes through the village square and out along Low Lane and High Lane, then onto field paths linked by narrow stone stiles. You pass the ruins of Wise House, drop through coppice and woodland, cross the B6265 and continue by Half Way House Farm to reach the River Wharfe opposite Linton Church, parts of which date to the 12th century. Beyond the hatchery and a Dales Way signpost the riverside path leads to Linton Falls, which can be especially dramatic after heavy rainfall, before flagged Sedber Lane climbs back to the start.

Effort and footingRate it easy to moderate in practice.

Rate it easy to moderate in practice. There is a moderate climb out of the village, with the route rising from roughly 160 m to about 280 m before returning to around 197 m as the loop closes. Expect:

Boots with grip and a tolerance for wet ground make the difference here.

  • Several narrow stone stiles and flights of steps
  • Riverside sections that can be muddy
  • Field paths where footing varies with recent weather
Dogs and shared groundDogs may use the ordinary public rights of way on this route.

Dogs may use the ordinary public rights of way on this route. Keep them on a lead where livestock is present, use a short lead from March through July to protect ground-nesting birds, and keep them under close control throughout.

Before you set offStart from the Grassington National Park Centre, BD23 5LB, where toilets and cycle stands are…

Start from the Grassington National Park Centre, BD23 5LB, where toilets and cycle stands are available and refreshments can be found in the village. Note the B6265 crossing partway round and take care with traffic. Carry waterproofs and expect the riverside to be at its liveliest, and its muddiest, after rain.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Yorkshire Dales

All Yorkshire Dales wildlife maps

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yorkshire Dales. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Keep exploring

Near Grassington Meadows

See it all on the map

Trails that start nearby

Places near the trailhead

Parkwolf’s Yorkshire Dales ranking

Top-rated trails in Yorkshire Dales

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Take Parkwolf to Yorkshire Dales.

The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

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