Visit Hawes, Home of England's Longest Waterfall and Wensleydale Cheese

Arrive in Hawes by 10am and park at the Dales Countryside Museum for a small charge. You'll have time to enter and explore the museum later – for now, lace up your walking shoes and set out on a two-hour circular route, that includes a short stop at Hardraw Force Waterfall. The full details of the trail can be followed here.

From the museum, take Brunt Acres Road leading north, and you'll soon come to a signposted footpath for the Pennine Way. Follow this until you return to the road beside the river, cross the bridge, then continue until the footpath starts again at a left bend in the river. Bear right and follow the trail up to Bellow Hill. Stay on the footpath until you come to Sedbusk Lane. Dales View Cottage is a short walk to the right – but you want to turn left and follow the lane to Quarry and then take a right. Shortly after this, you'll see a narrow, one-track road called Nova Farm. Turn down here and join the footpath that leads you all the way to Hardraw Force Waterfall.

You'll hear it long before you can see it – Hardraw Force is England's largest single drop waterfall – around 100 ft from top to bottom, set in the grounds behind the Green Dragon Inn where you must pay a small fee to enter the site. The lower footpaths are flat and graveled so suitable for those with mobility issues, whereas the upper, steeper paths give way to steps and rocky areas in places, so you'll need to be fairly nimble on your feet. Admire the views of the fall and plunge pool, perhaps while enjoying a cuppa and a slice of cake from the small tearoom.
Remember to take some cash along, as the card machine in the pub doesn't always connect to Wi-Fi.

From the waterfall, you can follow the Pennine Way back to the river and Brunt Acres Road, or head back in the direction you came to lead you to the same point. Follow the road back into the village to where you parked earlier.
Dales Countryside Museum is a fantastic little museum that highlights the stories of the people and places in the Yorkshire Dales. Learn what it was like to be a lead miner, and about the importance of the knitting industry and crafts trade across the Dales. The museum is also home to exhibition-housing train carriages that you can climb aboard, plus ancient objects excavated in the area, such as a handcrafted Bronze spearhead, and a gold Viking ring.
Book your tickets in advance on the museum's website.

Providing you've paid for 24-hour parking, leave the car where it is and wander down to Calvert's for lunch. This restaurant is part of the Wensleydale Creamery, where you'll visit after you've eaten, and celebrates its Yorkshire heritage with cheese-inspired dishes and locally sourced produce. Book ahead of your arrival, so you can rest assured of being able to sit in the garden and soak up the wonderful views of the rolling Yorkshire Dales as you dig in. Popular dishes include the Bacon, Black Pudding and Wensleydale Blue Cheese Salad, the Wensleydale Cheese & Charcuterie Sharing Board, and the Yorkshire Wensleydale & Apricots Cheese Sausage and Mash.

After lunch, it's time for even more cheese – at various stages of production. The interactive Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese Experience tells you all there is to know about artisan cheese making – a skill that's evolved over 1,000 years, no less. The experience includes audio clips, interesting infographics and displays, and the opportunity to watch Wensleydale cheese being handcrafted by the creamery's team of master cheese makers. You can book your tickets on arrival, but it's probably best to let the staff at Calvert's know you intend to take a tour after lunch – the last tour of the day usually runs at 4pm.

Your lodging for the night is The White Hart Inn, just a 10-minute walk from the Wensleydale Creamery and a great place to rest up after a long day on your feet. Check in, and take some downtime in your room before heading downstairs for a drink. There's an excellent selection of ales to choose from here, many of them brewed locally at Theakston, Black Sheep, Settle Brewery, and the Yorkshire Dales Brewing Company. If you're not a beer drinker, there are plenty of good wines and spirits to choose from.
After a drink, move to the dining area for an evening meal – the pub is among the top-ranked eateries in Hawes for dining out. Expect traditional, but refined British favourites, often with a modern twist and always sourced from local farms and suppliers, whenever possible. In case you haven't had enough cheese for one day, go for the Wensleydale short rib of beef. Or, if you've reached your dairy threshold, opt instead for the salmon fillet and tenderstem broccoli, chicken wrapped in Parma ham, or one of several vegetarian options including wild mushroom risotto and the saag aloo burger.
It's essential to book ahead, which you can when you make a booking of your room or separately on the pub's website.

There's a very strong case for simply moving back to the bar area of the White Hart after dinner – the ale selection is that good – however you'll also find a good range at The Crown, a few yards down the road, if you want to switch up the venue for an hour or so. The atmosphere is usually quite lively.

Walk – or stumble – back to the inn and up to your cosy room for a good night's rest. You've got another long day ahead of you and you'll want to feel reasonably fresh in the morning.