We’ve just returned from Malham in the Yorkshire Dales – a little getaway to mark Adelle’s birthday!

We stayed at Tennant Cottage, a traditional stone house which we found online.

It has a wonderful location, right in the heart of the village, the bubbling beck flowing out front.

It’s only a short drive from our home in Todmorden to Malham (just over an hour); however, Malham is a magical little place, so you still feel like you’re having a holiday!

The high, upland moors of the Dales are very similar to our own Pennine moors, but at lower levels the area has a very unique appearance and feel.

The pale limestone rock plays a major part. In fact, it has the classic limestone scenery taught in geography & geology lessons in classrooms worldwide. Justin came here on school field trips in his youth – now an old man, he returned to sit on rocks where he had his packed lunch 40 years ago!

There are lots of craggy outcrops, cliffs, gorges, pavements, streams and caverns – and the famous dry stone walls and farm buildings are all constructed from this local rock.

It’s very pretty in the summer; however, the winter months can be stunning too – it has a stark beauty.

We enjoyed our many walks with Fudge, especially when the sun shone. There were lots of tempting paths that drew us through the glorious countryside.

Weather-wise, we had three nice sunny days and three ‘challenging’ ones. The scenery was still dramatic on the harsh days, but driving wind & rain isn’t great for taking it all in. You find yourselves hood ups, heads down, looking at your walking boots!

Still, it was late November, so a mixed bag has to be expected.

Back in the village, we had a choice of places to relax. Our cottage was warm & cosy so that was one option. We also had a choice of pubs and cafés on the doorstep.

And when we say on the doorstep, we really mean it. You could actually see most of them from the house – and a tempting sight they were too!

There are a couple of good pubs – The Buck Inn and the Lister Arms Hotel. We frequented The Lister Arms in particular – we loved its country style and traditional feel.

It had a great fire too, where a fair few refreshing pints were supped!

There’s also Beck Hall with it’s lovely wood panelled snug – that’s a must for your Malham shortlist. In addition to its snug and garden room, it has some outside seating areas alongside the river which will no doubt be glorious in the summer.

Everywhere seemed to be dog friendly which made life much easier for us.

Despite his advancing years, Fudge was really in his element and loved the long walks.

It’s perfect dog walking territory actually – paths, picnic spots and places to get drinks on the move.

In addition to the outdoor activity, he was equally fond of all the attention he got – not only from us, but fellow walkers, pub-goers, business owners and staff.

We could happily spend the days in and around the village, but we took a drive through the Dales midway through our stay, getting as far as Hawes in the north of the area. There are endless country lanes, villages and valleys to explore. We’ve always loved the Ribblehead Viaduct when we’ve seen it on photos – what a joy it was when it came into view on our little jaunt out.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park is a special place – Adelle will always remember this birthday in beautiful Malham.