10-15 MINUTES FROM PATELEY BRIDGE
Middlesmoor, Lofthouse
& Ramsgill
Three of the quietest and most scenic hamlets in Nidderdale, all within fifteen minutes of Pateley Bridge. Sweeping views, narrow lanes and two of the dale's best-loved inns - best explored slowly, on a clear day.
Visit information
- Location
- Upper Nidderdale, Harrogate HG3
- From Pateley Bridge
- 10 to 15 minutes depending on the village
- Open
- Year-round - these are villages, not attractions, so there are no set hours
- Entry
- Free to wander
- Dogs
- Very welcome - this is prime walking country
- Facilities
- A pub in Lofthouse and the Yorke Arms in Ramsgill; no shops
The dale at its quietest
Past Pateley Bridge, the road up the dale narrows and the villages get smaller and further apart. Middlesmoor, Lofthouse and Ramsgill sit at the point where Nidderdale starts to feel genuinely remote, with the moors rising steeply on both sides.
These are working villages rather than tourist stops, which is exactly their appeal: no gift shops, no car parks full of coaches, just stone cottages, dry stone walls and some of the finest views in the National Landscape.
Best explored slowly
A loop taking in all three villages plus How Stean Gorge and Gouthwaite Reservoir makes a relaxed half-day out, whether by car or bike. Stop in Lofthouse or Ramsgill for lunch, then climb up to Middlesmoor for the view before heading back down the dale.
It also works well combined with Scar House Reservoir, a short drive further up the valley, for a fuller day in upper Nidderdale.
The three villages
Middlesmoor
One of the highest villages in the Yorkshire Dales, perched on a hillside at the head of Nidderdale. St Chad's Church sits at the top of the village, and the view down the length of the dale from the churchyard wall is one of the best in Nidderdale.
Lofthouse
A handful of stone cottages clustered around the road, with the Crown Hotel as its hub. How Stean Gorge is a short walk down the lane, making Lofthouse a natural stop before or after a visit there.
Ramsgill
A tiny hamlet on the edge of Gouthwaite Reservoir, best known for the Yorke Arms, one of the most celebrated inns in the Dales, set right on the village green.
Walking country
The three villages link up by quiet lanes and footpaths, with Scar House and Angram Reservoirs a natural next stop further up the dale for anyone wanting to extend the walk.
10 to 15 minutes away
All three villages sit up the dale from Pateley Bridge, on or just off the road towards Scar House Reservoir.
