Burnsall: River Wharfe and walks in the Yorkshire Dales National Park

Burnsall is located in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The River Wharfe runs alongside the Village Green, while Burnsall Fell frames the village. The river, the fell and named routes make the landscape an important point of reference for a stay. If you are looking for a hotel for a trip to Burnsall, you can first get your bearings by exploring its surroundings. The village also has specific cultural highlights, including a listed bridge, an early church foundation and a historic school building.

River Wharfe and Burnsall Fell

The River Wharfe runs alongside Burnsall’s Village Green, where visitors can paddle in the river. Together with Burnsall Fell, which frames the village, the river and fell form its distinctive landscape features. Paddling at the Village Green connects the riverside setting with a specific activity. This means both the landscape and a named spot by the water are in view during a stay.

Walking trails, cycling route and fell race

Burnsall is on the Dales Way. A 700 m stretch between Burnsall and Loup Scar is well surfaced and flat. Walkers can spot pied wagtails, grey wagtails, dippers, common sandpipers and oystercatchers along this stretch. If you are looking for a short, clearly defined section of trail, its length provides a useful guide; the birdwatching adds a natural-history element to the riverside route. Two cattle grids may be difficult for scooters. Keep this in mind if you plan to use this particular stretch.

The “Burnsall and Thorpe” walking route follows the River Wharfe to Linton Falls. The Dales Way section can be described by its length and surface; on “Burnsall and Thorpe,” the river’s course and the destination at the falls provide the points of reference. The two routes can therefore be distinguished by their described features.

Burnsall is also on the route of the Way of the Roses long-distance cycle route. Alongside the Dales Way’s connection with walking, this provides a route for cycling travellers. The Burnsall Classic fell race covers 1.5 miles to the summit of 386 m-high Burnsall Fell and back. Its distance, summit and elevation describe the race specifically and help distinguish it from the walking routes mentioned above.

Church, bridge and school history

Burnsall Bridge is listed as a Grade II listed building. St Wilfrid’s Church is at the northern end of Burnsall and was founded before 700 AD by St Wilfrid of Ripon. At the back of the church is an exhibition on local Viking history. The church thus combines an early foundation story with another historical theme.

Burnsall Primary School also has a specific connection with the village’s history: it is housed in the original 1602 grammar school building. The building is also listed as a Grade II listed building. Both the bridge and the school building share the same listed status; the church, in turn, offers a different historical connection through its foundation and exhibition.

Getting there from Skipton

From Skipton, you can reach Burnsall by taking bus 72 to Grassington and then changing to a bus to Burnsall. Check the timetable and connection before travelling. This will help you coordinate your journey with your plans at the destination, whether you are focusing on the Dales Way, the river or the historic sites.

For the wider travel overview: North Yorkshire.