When Sir Patrick Stewart answered Vanity Fair's Proust Questionnaire in 2016, the actor gave a telling answer to the question about his favourite journey: "the last few miles to my house in the Yorkshire Dales." The Star Trek and X-Men star grew up in Mirfield, a small town between Leeds and Manchester, and despite decades spent in Los Angeles and New York, he never stopped crediting his home region — once comparing the warmth of Brooklyn to the Yorkshire town where he was raised.
You don't need to be a Starfleet captain to see the appeal. The Yorkshire Dales is an upland area of northern England covering roughly 800 square miles, much of it protected as a national park. Expect rolling green hills divided by centuries-old drystone walls, quiet farmsteads, rivers you can actually swim in, and a surprising number of waterfalls packed into a compact area.
The best way to sample several falls in one outing is the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail, a 4.5-mile circular walk starting near the village of Ingleton. The route follows the rivers Doe and Twiss past a string of cascades with names to match the scenery: Thornton Force, Hollybush Spout, Baxenghyll Gorge, Triple Spout, plus the smaller Beezley, Pecca and Snow Falls. It's a half-day effort with a big visual payoff.
If you want more of a test, the national park's famous Three Peaks challenge links Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside in a 24-mile circuit with around 5,000 feet of climbing. Hardcore walkers can then connect to the Pennine Way, England's first national trail, which runs some 270 miles north — eventually reaching Northumberland National Park, home to the cleanest rivers in the UK.
For travellers, this is England at its most understated: no queues, no entry fees for the landscape, and villages where the pub is still the social centre. It suits walkers, cyclists, and anyone after a slow few days of stone villages and hill views. Stewart's attachment makes sense — and his home region is easy to reach from Leeds, Manchester or even a London day trip by train.
