Leyburn Walks - Wensley Circular River Walk

The market town of Leyburn has some lovely trails to follow through beautiful Wensleydale in North Yorkshire.
This circular walk from the town visits the pretty little village of Wensley with a riverside section along the River Ure. There's lovely views of the surrounding Yorkshire Dales countryside and a nice country pub in Wensley to visit.
Start the walk from Low Wood Lane just to the south west of the main parking areas in the town. Follow the lane south and it will lead you to the river. You can then pick up the riverside path heading west along the Ure to Wensley. The village gives its name to the dale Wensleydale and includes a Grade I listed church dating from 1300. There's also an attractive village green and rows of pretty stone cottages. You can stop for refreshments at the Three Horse Shoes pub where there are great views looking over lower Wensleydale from the beer garden.
After exploring Wensley you can follow footpaths back through the countryside to Leyburn.
To continue your walking in the Leyburn area, head south to Middleham where you can try our circular walk which visits Coverham Abbey, the River Cover and the atmospheric ruins of Middleham Castle. Just to the east you can visit the delightful Harmby Waterfall where there's a little trail along delightful falls. To the west there's the wonderful limestone escarpment at Leyburn Shawl where there's some fine views over the dales. You can also pick up the long distance Six Dales Trail in the village.

Leyburn Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Leyburn Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Leyburn OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Leyburn Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

The Three Horseshoes in Wensley is a fine old whitewashed stone pub on the route. There's a nice gazebo outside where you can relax on warmer days and a cosy interior with a neat beamed and flagstoned bar, serving five well kept ales. You can find the pub in the village at a postcode of DL8 4HJ for your sat navs.
In Leyburn head to the noteworthy Sandpiper Inn, located in the town's ancient market place. The inn dates right back to the 17th century and includes an attractive interior with wooden beams and fireplaces. They do excellent food and also provide accommodation if you need to stay over. The inn is also dog friendly and can be found at postcode DL8 5AT.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

A few miles to the south east of the town you'll find one of the historic highlights of the area at Jervaulx Abbey. The 12th century ruined abbey is surrounded by 126 acres of attractive parkland with wildflowers, grazing sheep, a pretty pond and fine views of the surrounding North Yorkshire countryside. Just to the north of here you'll also find the picturesque Thornton Steward Reservoir where there's a peaceful waterside trail.
Also to the east is the noteworthy village of Constable Burton where you can enjoy lovely trails around Constable Burton Hall. The grade-I-listed Georgian mansion includes some beautiful grounds with peaceful woodland, pretty becks and delightful gardens to see.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Yorkshire Dales Walks page.

GPX File

Leyburn.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)

Memory Map Route

Leyburn.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Download Linked File)