Clapham Village is a conservation village and is within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is a pretty village with a range of small shops and cafés and a pub. The Village Store has a post office and banking facilities.
There is a network of footpaths around Clapham, one of which is a nature trail which leads to Ingleborough Cave.
GAPING GILL, the best known pothole in the area will be accessable during the late May and August bank holidays. For a fee (last year, £15 - including return!), a caving club sets up a winch to allow people to access the cave. The dates for operation are May 25th-31st 2013, and the week running up to the August 17th-26th. Winches close at noon on the last day. Queues can be long, especially at weekends.
Ingleton has a greater range of shops and pubs. There is a bank as well as post office. There are a number of footpaths and trails – The Waterfalls Walk, and access to Ingleborough and Whernside.
There are numerous nature reserves in the area; the RSPB centre at Leighton Moss is 30 minutes away. The southern Lake District is about 45 minutes drive.
The market towns of Settle, Kirkby Lonsdale, Skipton & Kendal are within easy reach by car; with the historic spa town of Harrogate not much further.
The Dales is a superb area for outdoor activities such as walking & caving, & if you wish to enhance your skills, these can be learned from Yorkshire Dales Guides (www.yorkshiredalesguides.co.uk) in Stainforth.
For a series of walks in the Dales, several easily accessable from here, go to http://happyhiker.co.uk. We have not tried any yet but the site appears well organised & the walks well researched.
Bicycles & cycling tours can be arranged through www.offtherails.org.uk
Other up & coming events, festivals etc:
See www.DoitintheDales.co.uk for activities, around Settle, Malham & the Three Peaks area .
www.forestofbowland.com for activities in the Forest of Bowland.
www.yorkshiredales.co.uk
Ingleton 1940's weekend, 6th & 7th July
Ingleton Wild West Weekend, 14th September
Ingleton Folk weekend, 4th & 5th October
5th & 6th July 2014 - The Tour de France comes to Yorkshire! On the 5th the route passes through Kettlewell & Hawes, both accessable from here.
