Dent Hiking Trail: A Breathtaking Walk Through the Yorkshire Dales
- Andrew Lunn
- Mar 31
- 4 min read
As I sit in my van in the centre of the village of Dent, I look out on a torrent of horizontal rain mixed with large hailstones. Peper, my camper van, sways like the reeds of a fine English pond, bending to their limits as they are drenched in cold, icy water, the thought of hiking in Dent is not making me want to get Boots on the Ground.
I am not enthused to rise from my seat, get changed, and head out into the yonder of God's own county, but alas, with waterproofs on, boots on foot, I slide open the van door to a crisp, biting, cutting wind pushing me away from all its glorious treats.
The village of Dent is quaint, with very narrow cobbled stone streets and back alleys. Streets is probably not quite correct—lanes would be more appropriate. All traffic is a Russian roulette of corners. Will there be another vehicle or a farm tractor around the next bend? The dance and grumbles as one person has to concede and reverse around corners, neck ache in tow.
It's quaint and beautiful no matter the weather, and the villagers are all busy either farming or picking up their children from the Church of England primary school directly in the village centre. It’s an idyllic look at village life in real England, and a place I wish I could be part of. There are a few cottages up for sale here, but I know it’s pointless even looking—I will never be able to afford such remoteness without a lottery win. Such is a cruel life.
St. Andrew’s Church is amazing—such character and history, and I urge you to pay a visit. Some of the gravestones in the graveyard date back to the 1500s. Such peace and quiet and history. Incredible.
Dent
The climb up and down the valley to Dent is quite an experience. Steep? Yes, very steep in places—not a route I would want to visit during snow or ice, and with limited places for passing… no. Just make sure your brake pads are in order. But after the three gates you must open to pass, you are treated to some incredible views over the valley and many villages, including Dent. Parking is in the centre of the village with plenty of spaces.
The Hike
With the weather undecided—sunny, hail, snowing, raining, or drizzle—I set off through the village. You are met with a climb. Oh yes, a climb. A character-building climb almost instantly. This rises to the top of the mountain over loose, large stones, wet, slippy stones, but keep going past the lime kilns and up and up and up… it will be worth it.
When I reached the top, I was treated to golden browns, with heather and grasses—a multitude of colours broken up by dark grey Yorkshire gritstone walls. It felt desolate, remote, and so far away from society—I was in heaven. I felt truly alone.
As I pushed on into the wind, I kept thinking: my mates will be at work, fed up in an office, and here I am experiencing Mother Nature. She’s powerful. As the dark clouds rolled with an evil thrust above me, battering me with horizontal rain across my face, and a distant rumble of thunder, I felt so tiny and insignificant. Mother Nature’s power is beyond approach—it was almost intimidating.
As I pushed on, the wind now at my back, the sun came out, as if I was tested and here was my treat. The storm clouds rolled past me down into the valley as I watched a torrent of rain—shapes and patterns swirling down in turn, soaking the valley, sheep, hills, and anything it touched. And yet, in the distance, its goal was still miles away. The sun lit up the green hills and dales. I felt so lucky, so enamoured by where I was and what I was experiencing.
The hike continued—down single tracks, onto rocky paths, into slate, into shale, into bridleways, and onto tarmac. This hike was becoming one of my favourites, and I was only halfway round. If you know me, I love farms, and this hike has three farms you can walk through—literally walk through.
I wanted a farmer to come out one day and say, “You want a job on the farm?” I would drop everything and say yes in a heartbeat. I’d be covered in cow shit all day, cold, working long hours, and still be happy to be away from the city—just out there, experiencing the hardship. Alas, at 52, it’s too late. By the time I had been to agricultural college, who would want a 57-year-old farmhand?
If you want a hike that has it all—moors, desolation, farms, single tracks, green fields, sheep, and a diverse range of terrains—then this hike is a belter, and I can highly recommend it. I would take some waterproofs just in case (Yorkshire, after all), but as that wind batters you on the steep climb up, it gets easier and more gradual.
The walk along the river, through the fields of sheep and lambs, makes for a beautiful, idyllic hike that everyone will enjoy.
Highly recommended.
Andy. Dent Village and Moors 7 Mile Hike Komoot link. Clicky Click
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