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ОглавлениеUsha Gap
North Yorkshire
The village of Muker, Swaledale
It seems as though the road through Swaledale is the longest route in the world when you’re travelling along it. It doesn’t take up much space on a map – just a few inches – but pull out the meandering curves like a piece of string and actually it’s a whole lot longer; almost as long as a piece of string. Add in the fact that you can’t drive fast along it and it does indeed go on forever. Actually, you won’t want to drive fast because that would mean missing some of the most beautiful scenery that Yorkshire – indeed, England – has to offer. The changing landscape is so spectacular that you have to stop every now and again to take it all in, as if there is too much beauty to appreciate it all in one go.
Swaledale is one of the most northerly of the Yorkshire Dales, virtually at the top of the National Park. It runs from east to west, parallel with the more southerly Wensleydale, and its landscape changes as the river runs east. The Swale eventually runs into the River Ouse close to the city of York, causing all kinds of problems for the city residents when the river’s in spate, but here in Swaledale the river trips over stones, gathering pebbles as it dances on its merry way without a care in the world. At the eastern end of the dale, close to Richmond, the hills unfold with a gentle beauty, the green of the high-sided pastures vivid and vibrant. As you head back, ever so slowly, towards the river’s source, the green remains intense on the lower slopes while the rougher moorland hues rise higher and higher until you feel the hills soaring above. The ribbon road is punctuated by little hamlets oozing a communal spirit; each village is the one you’d like to move to until the next appears, which seems better than the last, and so it goes on.
Arriving at Usha Gap
It’s at the western end, where the landscape receives the best of both green dale and high moor, that the campsite at Usha Gap resides. Pronounced ‘Oeusha’ in the same way you’d ask for eggs in France (oeufs), it is run by a friendly couple, Philip and Louise Metcalfe, Philip having grown up on the farm. They are people of the field; Philip’s parents, who worked the farm and campsite before Philip and his wife took over, live next door. Hence, it’s fair to say the family has seen many a snowdrift melt and new spring dawn, most of them from the same window, having lived in the house since both father and son were the tiniest of tots. In that time, the family has seen a lot of campers come and go, and return too. It’s little wonder; it would be hard to find a more lovely place in the Dales to set up home for a while.
The campsite is small. It’s a strip of grass right beside a shallow beck, which flows into the Swale a little farther downstream and is the perfect depth for rolling up the trouser legs and refreshing the toes, in summer at least. If I said the road runs past, many might be put off. True enough, it does, but we’re not talking either the speed or width of the M1. This is the same road that takes a long time to drive along, where traffic is scant and tends to be ambling. The house and basic (but clean) facilities are on the other side of the road, together with an additional field that’s used when the campsite gets really busy around bank holidays. Families with small children worried about road crossing could use this field but, frankly, the site by the stream is far prettier and more fun for playing.
If there are extra bonus points for the campsite, aside from the incredible views of the hills on either side, the location just half a mile out of lovely Muker village, the proximity to the Pennine Way and the sheep that frequent the hillside, it’s because it stays open all year. When other campsites have mothballed the reception, Usha Gap lets you continue camping, taking full advantage of the beautiful autumn and winter scenes, quieter roads and quieter everything. It’s the perfect time to stretch the legs and see the legacy of past Swaledale residents – a mass of stone walls that climb the hillsides and more tiny stone cattle barns than you can count. They make Swaledale what it is and why we all come to visit.
Usha Gap Caravans and Camping
Muker, Swaledale, North Yorkshire, DL11 6DW
01748 886110
Opening times: Open all year
Facilities: 24 pitches (no hook-ups), showers, toilets, washbasins, electric shaver points, chemical toilet disposal point, drying room, laundry room, dishwashing.
How to get there: From M6, take junction 38, then A685, signed Brough. Turn at B6270 for Muker and Reeth, site is a quarter of a mile past Thwaite on right. From M1/A1, take Scotch Corner junction of A1, A6108 through Richmond, turn right onto B6270, signed for Reeth, continue along Swaledale, site is half a mile past Muker on left. The B6270 is perfectly wide but slow and winding; anticipate it taking some time, sit back and enjoy the views, remembering that the locals are not all on holiday and do need to get about.
Food & drink: The Farmers Arms (tel.: 01748 886297). Nice traditional pub in the centre of Muker serving real ales and good home-cooked food. Dogs and muddy boots welcome.
Nearby attractions: Explore the beautiful villages of Swaledale: Muker, Healaugh and Reeth are particularly pretty. Head over the Buttertubs Pass for incredible views of Swaledale (road is fine for motorhomes) and some spectacular scenery. The village of Hawes has lots to do, including a visit to the famous Wensleydale Creamery to watch the cheese being made and to sample lots!
Alternative campsite: Scabba Wath Campsite (tel.: 01748 884601). Small, basic campsite farther along the dale, 2 miles west of Reeth.
Top Left: The shallow waters of the beck that borders the campsite; Bottom Left: Swaledale is ideal for touring and exploring; Right: Typical Swaledale scenes – a Swaledale sheep and characteristic barn
