Hawes & Gayle Circular Walk
- Michael Palmer
- Nov 20, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Hawes & Gayle Circular Walk – 4.3 Moderate Miles in Wensleydale
Looking for a Yorkshire Dales walk combining Hawes, the traditional village of Gayle and beautiful Upper Wensleydale countryside? Our 4.3-mile Hawes & Gayle Circular Walk packs plenty into a relatively manageable distance.
Lyn and I personally walked, photographed and GPS recorded this route for The White Shire.
We rate this walk as moderate.
At 4.3 miles, the distance isn't particularly long, but this is Yorkshire Dales countryside rather than a flat surfaced route. There are changes in level and natural countryside paths, so we found it required more effort than our easy walks.
For us, that's part of the attraction.
We've got Hawes, the stone-built village of Gayle, open countryside and one of Wensleydale's most fascinating pieces of industrial heritage at Gayle Mill.
Hawes & Gayle Walk at a Glance
Distance: 4.3 miles
Route type: Loop
Difficulty: Moderate – based on our experience
Location: Hawes and Gayle
County: North Yorkshire
Area: Yorkshire Dales National Park
Nearby: Bainbridge, Hardraw and Askrigg
Terrain: Village paths, countryside tracks, field paths and Dales terrain
Highlights: Hawes, Gayle, Gayle Beck, Wensleydale countryside and Gayle Mill
Walked and photographed by: Michael and Lyn Palmer, The White Shire
Our 4.3-Mile Hawes & Gayle Walk
Lyn and I found this to be another really enjoyable Yorkshire Dales walk.
It's only 4.3 miles, but as we've discovered plenty of times, mileage doesn't necessarily tell us how difficult a walk is going to be.
We've walked longer routes that we've rated easy.
This one gets our moderate rating because of the terrain and the effort involved rather than simply the distance.
But there's plenty to keep us interested along the way.
Hawes is one of the best-known places in Wensleydale, while Gayle has a much quieter village character despite being immediately to the south.
Starting Around Hawes
Hawes makes a great base for exploring Upper Wensleydale.
It's surrounded by the Yorkshire Dales landscape, with walking routes heading in almost every direction.
And that's something we particularly like about this part of North Yorkshire.
We can return several times and experience a completely different walk.
On this route, we're combining Hawes with neighbouring Gayle rather than heading out on one of the longer routes into the surrounding hills.
At 4.3 miles, it gives us plenty of Dales countryside without turning into an all-day hike.
Walking into Gayle
Gayle lies immediately south of Hawes, but it has a character of its own.
Stone buildings, Gayle Beck and the surrounding hills give us the unmistakable feeling that we're in the Yorkshire Dales.
For Lyn and me, villages like Gayle are one of the pleasures of walking around Wensleydale.
Driving through gives us a quick impression.
Walking allows us to slow down and actually look around.
Old buildings suddenly become interesting.
We notice the water running through the village.
And we start wondering why particular buildings are there.
In Gayle, one of those buildings has a particularly fascinating story.
Gayle Mill
Gayle Mill is one of the historical highlights of this walk.
The mill was built in 1784 during the early Industrial Revolution and originally operated as a cotton mill powered by a huge 22-foot waterwheel. (Gayle Mill)
Historic England lists Gayle Mill at Grade II*, confirming its special architectural and historic importance. (Historic England)
That's quite something to find tucked away in a small Yorkshire Dales village.
From Cotton to Flax and Wool
Gayle Mill's history reflects how industry changed over time.
Cotton eventually became uncompetitive, so in 1810 the mill was converted to flax production.
That didn't last either.
During the 1820s, it changed again and began producing wool before that business ceased to be profitable by the 1840s. (Gayle Mill)
For us, this is exactly the sort of history that makes walking around Yorkshire more interesting.
We're not visiting a huge industrial city.
We're in Wensleydale.
Yet the Industrial Revolution was changing communities even here.
Gayle Mill Becomes a Sawmill
The building's story didn't end with textiles.
By 1860, Gayle Mill had been converted into a sawmill, a role it continued to perform until 1988. (Gayle Mill)
The original waterwheel was eventually replaced by turbines.
One of those, installed in 1879, still drives the Victorian machinery through the original line shafting. The mill's history records it as the oldest working turbine remaining in its original position. (Gayle Mill)
That's a lot of industrial history packed into one building.
Out into Wensleydale
Away from the villages, the walk gives us the countryside we came to the Yorkshire Dales to enjoy.
Stone walls.
Fields.
Old farm buildings.
Open views.
And hills rising around us.
This is where our moderate rating starts to make more sense.
We're not following a flat canal towpath.
We're walking through a working Dales landscape where paths and gradients naturally change as we go.
For us, that makes the route more interesting.
Why We've Rated This Walk Moderate
Our moderate rating is based entirely on how Lyn and I found the route.
The 4.3-mile distance isn't especially demanding.
It's the terrain and changes in level that move it above our easy category.
If you're comfortable with normal countryside walking, we don't think there's anything to be particularly concerned about.
But we'd rather call it moderate than tell people they're going on an easy stroll and have them wondering halfway around whether we've walked the same route.
Good walking footwear is definitely worthwhile.
Walking Through a Working Landscape
One thing we always try to remember in the Yorkshire Dales is that we're walking through a working landscape.
The fields, stone walls, tracks and farm buildings aren't there simply because they look picturesque.
Generations of farming have helped create the countryside we're enjoying.
Livestock is part of that landscape too.
So we stick to public paths, respect animals and leave gates as we find them.
It's simple countryside etiquette, but it helps keep these routes enjoyable for everyone.
Gayle Beck
Gayle Beck is another feature that gives the village its character.
Water was essential to Gayle Mill, providing the power that allowed the original machinery to operate.
That relationship between landscape and industry is something we encounter repeatedly while exploring Yorkshire.
People built industries where the natural resources allowed them to.
In Gayle, flowing water helped turn a small Dales village into part of the Industrial Revolution.
A Surprising Second World War Story
There's another chapter in Gayle Mill's history that we certainly wouldn't have guessed simply from walking past it.
During the Second World War, soldiers from the Border Regiment and Scots Guards were billeted in the mill.
The mill's own history also records that Churchill tanks were tested in its mill pond as part of preparations for D-Day. (Gayle Mill)
That's exactly the sort of unexpected story Lyn and I enjoy discovering after a walk.
A quiet Wensleydale mill suddenly has a connection to one of the biggest military operations in history.
Is the Hawes & Gayle Walk Difficult?
We wouldn't describe it as difficult.
But we definitely think moderate is more accurate than easy.
At 4.3 miles, the distance is manageable for many regular walkers.
However, natural surfaces and changes in level mean it requires more effort than one of our flat waterside routes.
Weather can also make a big difference.
After rain, countryside paths can become muddy and slippery.
And conditions in the Yorkshire Dales can change quickly.
So we'd always go prepared.
Is This Walk Suitable for Beginners?
That depends on your level of fitness and walking experience.
If you're comfortable walking four or five miles through normal countryside, we'd consider it.
If you've mainly been walking flat, surfaced routes, you may find this noticeably more demanding.
There's no need to rush into more difficult walks.
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority provides a selection of shorter routes suitable for a range of ages and abilities if you're looking for something gentler. (Yorkshire Dales National Park)
How Long is the Hawes & Gayle Loop?
Our GPS-recorded Hawes & Gayle Loop measures 4.3 miles. That's also the distance recorded on our original White Shire article. (The White Shire)
How long it takes depends on your pace and how often you stop.
And Lyn and I stop quite a lot.
We're taking photographs for The White Shire, looking at the landscape and quite often finding something interesting that we want to research when we get home.
Gayle Mill is a perfect example.
We could simply walk past it.
But finding out its story makes the whole walk more memorable.
Exploring Hawes
We'd definitely allow extra time for Hawes if you're travelling specifically for this walk.
Rather than treating it simply as the start and finish point, it makes sense to have a look around while you're here.
That's another advantage of a 4.3-mile route.
We're not exhausted after a huge day in the hills, so there's still time to explore the town.
For us, combining a walk with a village or town makes the journey into the Dales even more worthwhile.
More Walks Around Wensleydale
This is becoming a particularly useful area of The White Shire.
Lyn and I have now shared walks around Bainbridge and West Burton as well as Hawes and Gayle.
So if you enjoy this route, there are other personally walked routes nearby.
That's exactly how we want The White Shire to work.
You might initially find us while searching for a Hawes walk.
Then discover Gayle.
Then Bainbridge.
Then West Burton.
Before long, you've got several different days out around Wensleydale without needing to start your search again somewhere else.
Discover Yorkshire with The White Shire
The White Shire has grown from Lyn and me simply enjoying getting out together and exploring Yorkshire.
Every walking route we feature has been personally walked and GPS recorded, with our photographs and route information added afterwards. Our Yorkshire Walks page brings those routes together and links through to the recorded routes. (The White Shire)
But we're also interested in what we discover along the way.
History.
Villages.
Old buildings.
Industry.
Wildlife.
And those little Yorkshire stories we might otherwise have driven straight past.
That's why a 4.3-mile walk around Hawes and Gayle can lead us from beautiful Wensleydale countryside to an 18th-century cotton mill and even a Second World War story.
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 finding out more about Yorkshire as we go.
Some of our walks are easy.
Others require considerably more effort.
This one sits comfortably in our moderate category.
Hawes & Gayle Circular Walk – Our Verdict
Our Hawes & Gayle Loop measures 4.3 miles.
Lyn and I rate it as moderate.
The distance isn't particularly long, but the Dales terrain and changes in level mean it requires more effort than our easy routes.
For us, there's plenty to make that effort worthwhile.
We've got Hawes, the traditional village of Gayle, Upper Wensleydale countryside and the fascinating Gayle Mill.
The mill alone has an extraordinary story stretching from cotton production in 1784 through flax, wool and sawmilling to Victorian turbines and even wartime use. (Gayle Mill)
And all of that sits within a relatively compact 4.3-mile Yorkshire Dales walk.
For Lyn and me, that's exactly the sort of route we enjoy sharing through The White Shire – a good walk, beautiful Yorkshire countryside and something interesting to discover along the way.
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