Dentdale & Sedbergh

Discover Dentdale at the far west of the National Park, nestling between the rugged Pennines to the east and Howgill Fells to the west. The dale’s steep-sided valley contrasts beautiful meadows and lush riverside pastures with thesparser grassy upland of the fells.

Walking through the cobbled streets of Dent village you will find an art gallery, blacksmith’s shop and a memorial fountain to its famous son, geologist Adam Sedgwick.

The twelfth century church of St. Andrew contains altar flagstones made from the beautiful black Dent Marble, the area’s most famous mining export. The working lives and social customs of local people since the sixteenth century - including the ‘Terrible Knitters of Dent’ - are revealed at the Dent Village Heritage Centre.

Impressive viaducts at Dent Head and Arten Gill carry the Settle-Carlisle railway through the dale, pausing at England’s highest mainline station in the hamlet of Cowgill.

Cafés and a local brewery provide visitors with welcome refreshment and accommodation is available to suit every pocket making Dentdale a good base to explore surrounding hills and towns.

Find out more at www.discoverdentdale.co.uk.

Set at the foot of the beautiful Howgill Fells, the stone-built market town of Sedbergh (pronounced ‘Sed-ber’) has a twelfth century Norman church to explore, as well as Castlehaw, the site of an ancient motte and bailey castle which overlooks the town.

Sedbergh became England’s Book Town in 2003 and boasts several special interest booksellers. Its annual Festival of Books and Drama in September offers poetry, music, history tours and walks.

East of the town, former woollen mill Farfield Mill built in 1837 now houses an Arts and Heritage Centre with craft studios, tearoom and shop, exhibitions and demonstrations of cloth weaving.

Visit www.sedbergh.org.uk for more information.