Dales Way: Ilkley to Bolton Abbey

The Dales Way starts in Ilkley. Seventy-nine miles to Windermere, and this is step one — north along the Wharfe to Bolton Abbey.

We only ended up walking the Dales Way by accident, really. We crossed it years ago while walking the Pennine Way, liked the look of it, and made a note to come back when time allowed. Here we are — years later, finally doing it in sections.

The official start is beside a garden centre on the edge of Ilkley, marked with a sign that’s a bit underwhelming for a 79-mile trail. You’d think they could do something better with it — though I appreciate the funding for this sort of thing is tight, especially as the Dales Way isn’t an official National Trail.

Out of Ilkley

The opening is a bit industrial — you’re near the main roads on the edge of Ilkley, past a few yards and units. But you’re soon out of the hustle and bustle and into the more serene surroundings of the riverside.

Addingham and the ski-gondola cafe

Things pick up at Addingham, and this is the bit worth slowing down for. There’s a cafe called Hamiltons that has parked real ski gondolas on its terrace. Actual converted cable cars — the pods are still labelled Flumserberg, the Swiss resort they came from. You can sit inside one with a coffee or some lunch and watch the river go by.

It’s a really good pit stop. I’m always mindful of putting at least a little something into the local economy when I stop somewhere like this, rather than just passing through — and a coffee in a Swiss gondola is an easy way to do it.

On to Bolton Abbey

Honestly, I don’t remember a huge amount about the middle of this leg. A bit up and down, pleasant enough, but not the stretch that stays with you.

Then Bolton Abbey comes into view, and after that middle stretch it’s a welcome sight. It’s pleasant and lovely rather than dramatic — probably not what a younger crowd would bother putting on Instagram — but it more than makes up for the forgettable bit before it.

How we actually walked it

The Dales Way runs Ilkley to Bolton Abbey, but we didn’t fancy driving to Ilkley, walking away from the car, and then working out how to get back to it. So we parked the van at Bolton Abbey campsite and walked it as an out-and-back: down to Ilkley and straight back the same way. The GPX above is the one-way leg.

You don’t have to do it that way, though. The same Wharfedale buses that cover the next section also run between Ilkley and Bolton Abbey — the DalesBus 74 on Saturdays, with other services on other days (see Before you go). So you could park at Bolton Abbey, catch the bus down to Ilkley, and walk back — the same trick we used on the next leg north.

Practical notes

Parking: Large pay & display car park by the river in Ilkley (map).

Food and water: Hamiltons at Addingham is the obvious stop (gondola optional). Plenty in Ilkley at the start, and the tearoom at Bolton Abbey at the finish.

The path: Easy, mostly flat, well-signed once you’re clear of Ilkley. The GPX above will keep you right.

Doing the Dales Way in sections

This is the first leg. The next one carries on north — Dales Way: Bolton Abbey to Grassington — and we did both from the same base at Bolton Abbey campsite. Two sections, miles 0–18, no week off work required.

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Walked May 2026. Check the Dales Way Association for any diversions.