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Yorkshire Dales Dark Sky Festival: A Stargazer’s Paradise
Rose Atkinson • Feb 03, 2021
The spectacular Dark Skies Festivals are a significant event in the stargazing calendar, taking place each year in National Parks around the UK. National Parks boast the best dark skies in the country; discover the wonders of the natural world and observe up to 2,000 stars on a clear night.
Yorkshire Dales was recently awarded Dark Sky Reserve status by the International Dark Sky Association. Our beautiful national park is largely free from light pollution, allowing you to gaze upon the Milky Way, meteors, planets and even the Northern Lights from a picturesque area covering over 3500km of northern England.
2021 Dark Skies Festival Goes Virtual
This year, the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks are teaming up with Go Stargazing to bring viewers a fantastic virtual festival. The sixth annual Yorkshire Dales Dark Skies Festival will be held from 12th-28th February 2021, providing fun and entertainment for individuals of all ages.
This year’s theme is Nature at Night: emphasising the important of preserving our wonderful dark skies to benefit local wildlife. Minimal light pollution ensures habitats remain untouched and plants continue to grow, allowing nocturnal species to thrive.
A Picture-Perfect Programme
The programme features an amazing line-up of speakers and experts, including leading astronomers, scientists, conservationists and photographers. Discover the night sky from the comfort of your own home via presentations, interactive tours, activities, quizzes and more.
Scientists will be sharing their latest exciting discoveries and upcoming space projects, including NASA’s spacecraft landing on Mars (18th February). Embark upon virtual stargazing and moon-watching expeditions, before gazing upon the night sky for your own DIY tour of the stars. In the second week of the festival, the full moon is due to make an appearance; documented via a live MoonWatch and Q&A session.
Throughout the two week-programme, wildlife and conservation experts discuss how conserving our night skies can help to protect wildlife, such as moths and hedgehogs. Photographers will also be sharing tips on how to take great astronomy pictures. If you’re looking for some family entertainment, there are plenty of early evening sessions for children to enjoy.
Some events are free whereas some ask for a small fee – find out more here.
Reeth Holiday Cottages: A Dark Skies-Friendly Accommodation
Here at Reeth Holiday Cottages, we pride ourselves on offering a dark-skies friendly holiday accommodation. Our four self-catering cottages are perfectly placed to explore the Yorkshire Dales’ dark skies; Hawes National Park Centre and Tan Hill Inn, two of the four designated Dark Sky Discovery Sites, are both just half an hours’ drive away. Find a secluded spot and tuck into a tasty picnic with your friends or family, whilst looking up at the magical star-lit sky.
Or if you’d rather not venture out at night-time, you can experience the true beauty of the night sky from the comfort of our cottages. Sit out in your own private garden and observe Orion’s Belt, whilst snuggling up in a warm blanket with a delicious hot chocolate. A pair of binoculars would be beneficial; although many stars can still be seen with the naked eye.
If you haven’t yet visited the Yorkshire Dales, what are you waiting for?! Click here
to book your spectacular summer staycation today!
With the bank holidays coming up in May and the Summer Holidays on the horizon, we have put together a list of family friendly walks and activities to really make the most of your stay in beautiful Swaledale.
Happy New Year!
The most wonderful time of the year is almost here! Christmas 2020 was full of lockdowns and cancellations, so we’re definitely intending to make the most of the 2021 festive season. There are so many fun things happening in God’s Own Country this season – from artisan Christmas markets to spectacular light trails, Santa’s grotto visits and festive train rides, and so much more. Check out our guide below to discover some wonderful Christmas events taking place in the Yorkshire Dales this month…
Autumn is a truly wonderful time of year to visit the celebrated Yorkshire Dales. The Dales becomes an artist’s delight in the colder months, adding amazing autumn hues to its vibrant colour palette. Enjoy a stroll through the Dales as the leaves begin to fall or discover the county’s rich history in a quintessentially British castle, before curling up in front of a log fire in a hearty country pub. As the summer rush finally comes to an end, it’s the perfect excuse to get cosy in a luxury cottage this autumn. So, why not soak up the wonders of mother nature this season at Reeth Holiday Cottages?!
Have you been to visit the Yorkshire Dales yet? Our four luxury self-catering cottages are situated in the glorious village of Reeth, tucked away in the corner of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale. Reeth is a bustling hub of activity, perfect for exploring the celebrated Yorkshire Dales. Our cottages are extremely popular amongst walkers and visitors to the area. The Yorkshire Dales is one of the most picturesque areas in the whole of the UK and is arguably the waterfall capital of England. The county is awash with waterfalls of all shapes and sizes, with its dramatic landscapes boasting cascading falls. The Yorkshire Dales features the highest waterfalls in England both below and above ground, as well as the highest single drop waterfall in the country. We have compiled a handy list of our favourite waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales; so you can spend less time researching, and more time exploring. All the below walks can be found on the OS Maps app, which guests can access whilst staying at our cottages.
The annual grouse shooting season is one of the most celebrated events in the Yorkshire Dales calendar; beginning on the Glorious Twelfth (12th August) and lasting until 10th December. Moorland owners and gamekeepers of the Yorkshire Dales carry out vital conservation work on more than 226,000 acres of precious heather moorland across the area, many of which are designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). During the late summer season, our beautiful Dales moorland really is a sight to behold. The heather is in full bloom on our uplands, turning the hills a vivid purple. The heather provides the perfect habitat for the remarkable red grouse. Keep reading to discover more about our important work in moorland management…
Nature truly comes alive in the Yorkshire Dales during the summer months. Birds and animals are hard at work feeding their young, whilst the spectacular hay meadows reach their peak. There is no finer sight or smell than a hay meadow in full flower on a hot summer’s day! Swaledale boasts some of the Dales’ finest hay meadows, which are best experienced in late June to early July. Keep reading to discover more about the Yorkshire Dales’ very own delightful hay meadows…
After being cancelled last year, we are delighted that the renowned Swaledale Festival has returned in 2021! This celebration of music and arts has been running since 1972, situated in the three most northern areas of the Yorkshire Dales: Swaledale, Wensleydale and Arkengarthdale. Beginning on the Saturday of the late May Bank Holiday each year, the festival boasts marvellous musical acts, artistic workshops, children’s events, guided walks and much more. This year, festival organisers have decided to spread events over a six-month period, instead of the usual 2 weeks. Many events have been so popular that they are already sold out, but there are still tickets remaining for the following…
Tucked away in a cosy corner of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale, the picturesque village of Reeth is perfectly placed to explore the surrounding Yorkshire Dales. Visitors from near and afar flock to Reeth to explore the spectacular Yorkshire Dales landscape each year. The village is only a short two-minute stroll from our four luxury self-catering cottages and the community of Reeth is always bustling with activity. There are various pubs, restaurants, cafes, shops, a museum, a hairdresser’s, an ice cream parlour, a beauty salon, and a weekly Friday market to enjoy.
Want to whisk the kids away on holiday this year? With holidays abroad being off the cards for the time being, why not consider a fun family staycation here in the Yorkshire Dales?! Our lovely self-catering cottages are set in the idyllic village of Reeth in the Yorkshire Dales, providing a real “Home from Home” experience. Set in the spectacular Swaledale countryside, surrounded by stunning views and breathtaking scenery, our luxury cottages offer the perfect opportunity to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. There are plenty of activities nearby for children of all ages to enjoy; whether they are keen moochers, adventurers or explorers. Take a day trip to the famous Thorp Perrow arboretum or play and explore at the fantastic Forbidden Corner – the possibilities are truly endless!