Muker, Thwaite and Keld

The route

Start in Muker and make a 10.8km loop around Kisdon Hill, linking Thwaite and Keld along the old corpse road and the paths above the Swale. The route climbs onto the flank of Kisdon for the high, airy traverse, then drops to the river and back through the meadows to Muker. It is short but full of the character that makes Swaledale special, and it stays runnable throughout without ever feeling tame.

The valley

Upper Swaledale is Dales scenery at its most complete: stone villages, field barns, drystone walls and the famous flower meadows around Muker, which come alive with wildflowers in early summer. Kisdon Hill sits in the middle of the dale, and the loop wraps around it, taking the corpse road once used to carry the dead to consecrated ground at Grinton. Along the way the Swale tumbles over Kisdon Force and East Gill Force, hidden waterfalls just off the line, with Keld sitting where the Pennine Way and the Coast to Coast cross.

Why it works

This is a route to enjoy at a civilised pace. The distance is modest, the navigation straightforward on clear paths, and the villages give you shops, a pub and cafes along the way. It suits an easy day, a run with company, or a first outing in Swaledale. The meadows are protected, so keep strictly to the paths in the growing season, and the riverside holds mud after rain while the higher traverse can be rough. Come in June to catch the meadows at their best, when the whole valley floor is a mass of flowers. Muker has parking and refreshments, and Keld has the Park Lodge cafe halfway round, so it is easy to make a relaxed morning of it.