Hawes Circular Walk
- Michael Palmer
- Nov 20, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Hawes Circular Walk – 4.92 Easy Miles in Wensleydale
Looking for an easy Yorkshire Dales walk that combines beautiful countryside with one of Wensleydale's best-known market towns? Our 4.92-mile Hawes Circular Walk is a lovely way to explore this part of North Yorkshire without taking on a particularly difficult route.
Lyn and I personally walked, photographed and GPS recorded this route for The White Shire.
We rate it as easy.
At just under five miles, it's a decent distance, but based on our experience we didn't find the overall walk particularly demanding.
And Hawes gives us plenty to enjoy before and after the countryside sections.
We've got a traditional Yorkshire Dales market town, Wensleydale scenery, stone walls, farmland and plenty of opportunities to make more of a day of it.
Hawes Circular Walk at a Glance
Distance: 4.92 miles
Route type: Circular
Difficulty: Easy – based on our experience
Location: Hawes, Upper Wensleydale
County: North Yorkshire
Area: Yorkshire Dales National Park
Nearby: Gayle, Hardraw, Bainbridge and Askrigg
Terrain: Countryside paths, field paths, tracks and village sections
Highlights: Hawes, Upper Wensleydale, Dales countryside and views across the valley
Walked and photographed by: Michael and Lyn Palmer, The White Shire
Our 4.92-Mile Hawes Circular Walk
Lyn and I found this a really enjoyable walk.
At 4.92 miles, we're getting close to five miles, so it feels like we've had a proper walk without becoming one of our more strenuous days out.
We've rated this particular route easy based on our experience.
That's worth mentioning because not every walk in the Yorkshire Dales needs to involve steep climbs and difficult terrain.
There are plenty of ways to enjoy this beautiful landscape without heading high into the hills.
And Hawes makes a great starting point.
Starting in Hawes
Hawes is the market town of Upper Wensleydale and sits right in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The National Park Authority describes it as a beautiful market town and confirms that its traditional market day remains Tuesday. (Yorkshire Dales National Park)
For Lyn and me, it's exactly the sort of place we like combining with a walk.
We can explore the countryside and still have somewhere interesting to look around when we've finished.
The stone buildings, shops and narrow streets immediately give us that Yorkshire Dales atmosphere.
Heading into Wensleydale
Once we're away from the town, the countryside becomes the main attraction.
This is the Wensleydale landscape we enjoy.
Fields.
Dry-stone walls.
Old farm buildings.
Green hills.
And wide views across the valley.
Even though we've rated the route easy, we're still getting the feeling of being properly out in the Yorkshire Dales.
That's one of the things we particularly like about this walk.
It gives us plenty of scenery without demanding too much from us.
Walking Through a Working Landscape
Something we've become increasingly conscious of while exploring the Yorkshire Dales is that this isn't simply scenery.
It's a working landscape.
Generations of farming have helped shape the fields, walls, barns and tracks we're walking through.
The landscape might look timeless, but it has constantly evolved.
So when we're crossing farmland, we stick to the paths, respect livestock and leave gates as we find them.
We're there to enjoy the countryside, but we're also walking through someone else's workplace.
Why We've Rated This Hawes Walk Easy
Our difficulty ratings are based on how Lyn and I actually experienced each route.
This Hawes Loop gets an easy rating.
That's despite being 4.92 miles.
It demonstrates why we don't base difficulty purely on mileage.
Our 4.18-mile Bainbridge walk felt more demanding to us and received a moderate rating, while this slightly longer Hawes route felt easier overall.
That's useful information if you're deciding which of our Wensleydale walks might suit you.
Is the Hawes Circular Walk Suitable for Beginners?
If you're comfortable walking around five miles, we'd consider this one of our more approachable Yorkshire Dales routes.
That doesn't mean every step will necessarily be perfectly flat or surfaced.
We're still walking in the countryside.
Conditions can also change following rain, so we'd recommend sensible walking footwear.
But based on our own experience, this is a good option if you want to start exploring the Dales without immediately choosing a more demanding hill walk.
Hawes – A Yorkshire Dales Market Town
Hawes has long been an important centre for Upper Wensleydale.
Its location once placed it on the 18th-century Lancaster–Richmond Turnpike, and the town developed as an important stopping and trading point. (Yorkshire Dales National Park)
Today, the character is rather different.
Walkers, cyclists and visitors exploring the Yorkshire Dales have joined the farmers and local community using the town.
But Hawes still feels like a proper Dales market town rather than somewhere created purely for tourism.
That's part of its appeal for us.
The Dales Countryside Museum
If you've got time before or after the walk, the Dales Countryside Museum is worth knowing about.
It's managed by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and tells the story of the landscape and the people who have lived and worked in the Yorkshire Dales. (Yorkshire Dales National Park)
The museum is housed in Hawes and also contains the National Park Visitor Centre.
For us, that's a useful combination.
We can go out and experience the landscape on foot and then learn more about the people and history that created what we've just walked through.
Hawes and Wensleydale Cheese
Of course, it's difficult to mention Hawes without mentioning Wensleydale cheese.
Dairying has a long history in this valley, and Hawes remains closely associated with Wensleydale cheese today. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority highlights the Wensleydale Creamery as one of the town's major attractions. (Yorkshire Dales National Park)
It's another reason this walk can easily become part of a full day out.
A five-mile walk followed by a bit of Wensleydale cheese doesn't sound too bad to us.
The Old Hawes Railway Station
There's another bit of history hiding in plain sight.
The Dales Countryside Museum occupies Hawes's former railway station.
The railway once provided an important transport connection for the town, but today the old station has a completely different purpose.
We like that.
Yorkshire is full of buildings and structures that have found new lives after their original purpose disappeared.
And in this case, a former railway station now helps tell the story of the Yorkshire Dales.
A Walk Worth Taking Your Time Over
Although we've rated the walk easy, we don't think that means it needs to be completed quickly.
Lyn and I certainly don't rush.
We're normally stopping for photographs, looking at the landscape and spotting something that sends us off researching Yorkshire history when we get home.
That's become part of The White Shire for us.
We're not simply collecting mileage.
We're exploring.
And Hawes gives us plenty to explore.
How Long is the Hawes Circular Walk?
Our GPS-recorded Hawes Circular Walk measures 4.92 miles. The distance is confirmed on both the original White Shire article and our North Yorkshire Walks collection. (The White Shire)
How long you'll need depends on your walking pace and how often you stop.
We'd also allow extra time if you're planning to look around Hawes before or afterwards.
For us, that makes more sense than driving all the way into Wensleydale, completing the walk and immediately heading home.
Parking in Hawes
Hawes is particularly useful as a walking base because there are several parking options.
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority currently confirms three car parks with toilet facilities in Hawes, with the largest located at the National Park Visitor Centre. (Yorkshire Dales National Park)
The Visitor Centre is at the Dales Countryside Museum on Burtersett Road.
Parking arrangements and charges can change, so we'd always check the current official information before travelling rather than relying on an old blog post.
When is the Best Time to Walk Around Hawes?
We'd consider this a good route through much of the year.
Spring brings fresh growth to Wensleydale.
Summer gives us long daylight hours and more time to explore Hawes afterwards.
Autumn changes the colours across the valley.
Winter can provide beautiful Dales scenery too, although we'd obviously pay closer attention to weather and ground conditions.
As with many countryside routes, recent rainfall can make a considerable difference.
Easy in dry conditions can feel rather different after several days of Yorkshire rain.
Hawes or Gayle – Which Walk Should You Choose?
We now have two White Shire routes around this immediate area.
Our Hawes Circular Walk is 4.92 miles and we rate it easy.
Our Hawes & Gayle Loop is 4.3 miles and we rate that one moderate.
So interestingly, the shorter route is the more demanding of the two based on our experience.
That's exactly why we're adding difficulty ratings to these updated White Shire guides.
Distance alone doesn't tell you enough.
If you've got time, there's no reason not to do both on separate visits.
More Walks Around Wensleydale
Our Wensleydale collection is starting to become particularly useful.
Lyn and I have personally walked routes around Hawes, Gayle, Bainbridge and West Burton.
That means you can use The White Shire to build several different days out in this part of the Yorkshire Dales.
Start with this easy Hawes route.
Try our moderate Bainbridge walk next.
Or head towards West Burton for something different.
That's exactly how we want the website to work.
One walk leads naturally to another.
Making a Day of Hawes
This is definitely one of those walks where we'd allow more time than the route itself requires.
There's the Dales Countryside Museum.
The Wensleydale connection.
Shops and places to eat.
And simply having a wander around Hawes itself.
The National Park Authority describes Hawes as a good base for walking and cycling and highlights the town's traditional shops and places to eat. (Yorkshire Dales National Park)
So rather than thinking of this purely as a 4.92-mile walk, we'd think of it as a day exploring Hawes and Upper Wensleydale.
Discover Yorkshire with The White Shire
The White Shire has grown from Lyn and me simply enjoying getting outside together and exploring Yorkshire.
We personally walk, photograph and GPS record the routes we feature.
But we're gradually building something much broader than a collection of walking routes.
We want The White Shire to become somewhere people can discover Yorkshire.
Walks.
History.
Villages.
Attractions.
Interesting places.
And ideas for their next day out.
Hawes is a perfect example because one relatively easy five-mile walk can introduce us to a market town, Wensleydale countryside, farming heritage, an old railway station and one of Yorkshire's most famous foods.
About Michael and Lyn
Michael and Lyn Palmer explore Yorkshire together on foot, personally walking, photographing and GPS recording the routes featured on The White Shire.
We're not professional hikers.
We're simply a husband and wife who enjoy getting outside together, discovering interesting places and learning more about Yorkshire along the way.
Some of our walks are challenging.
Some involve steep climbs.
Others, like Hawes, simply give us an enjoyable few hours exploring beautiful Yorkshire countryside.
And there's definitely room for both.
Hawes Circular Walk – Our Verdict
Our Hawes Circular Walk measures 4.92 miles.
Lyn and I rate it as easy.
For us, it's a great option if you want to experience walking in Upper Wensleydale without choosing one of the more demanding Yorkshire Dales routes.
We've got open countryside, stone walls, farmland and plenty of Dales scenery.
Then we've got Hawes itself.
The market town gives us somewhere interesting to explore before or after the walk, with the Dales Countryside Museum, National Park Visitor Centre and Wensleydale connection all adding to the day. (Yorkshire Dales National Park)
At just under five miles, it's long enough to feel like we've had a proper walk.
But based on our experience, it's still easy enough for us to enjoy the surroundings rather than spend the whole time concentrating on the terrain.
For Lyn and me, that's another Yorkshire walk well worth sharing on The White Shire.
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