This charming village has cottages that date back more than 300 years and is an excellent place for those stopping off while attempting to the complete 85 mile Dales Way hike.

Kettlewell has been inhabited since at least the Anglo Saxon era and its name is believed to have been derived from Chetelewelle, meaning stream or river.

The villages lies where the Kettlewell Beck merges with the River Wharfe and was something of a market town during the Middle Ages, but many of its residents fled the area after severe flooding struck in 1686.

Today it is best known because of its proximity to a number of key walking routes. Many of those keen to scale Buckden Pike set up camp in the village. The pike is the second highest fell in the area after Great Whernside and offers terrific views over miles of idyllic countryside.

At the south of its summit stands a memorial cross that was constructed during the 1970s to honour the memory of five Polish members of the RAF who crashed their bomber into the hillside in 1942.

Also nearby is Kilnsey Crag, a limestone hill that provides an equally striking walking route.

Its cliff is 170 feet high and attracts climbers from all over the country. Legend has it that a witch called Old Nan used to live under the crag during 1700s. According to folktales she als used to have a stall in Skipton market where she would tell people their fortunes.

In the week leading up to Halloween each year the Kilnsey Park Estate hosts a special trail leading up to a grotto under the crag where visitors can enjoy pumpkin carving, face painting and chocolate apples.

If you visit in August you might also see people wandering around Kettlewell in bizarre costumes. Do not worry, they haven’t lost their minds, they are just celebrating the annual Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival.

The festival began in 1994 and raises money for St Mary’s Parish Church, Kettlewell Village Hall and the local school. The celebrations involve prizes for those that have made the best scarecrows as well as a 3km hike around the village known as the ‘Scarcrow Trail’.

To the west of Kettlewell you will find Arncliffe, which is the original home of the TV soap Emmerdale Farm. Filming took place in the village from the show’s inception in 1972 until its relocation to Esholt near Bradford four years later.

Accommodation is available at all three of the Kettlewell’s inns. There are also guest house and holiday cottages.