We are the only membership charity campaigning for the protection and enjoyment of the Dales

Friends of the Dales is the new brand name of the Yorkshire Dales Society, a registered charity. Please help us to keep the Dales special and vibrant for years to come!

Help the Dales - Become a Friend of the Dales today!

We really need your support to help keep the Dales special and vibrant for years to come. We are thrilled that over 100 people have become Friends between June and late August 2017 - a fantastic boost to our membership and the clout we have as a campaigning charity! Thank you to all our Friends for their support!

Please join us or donate to support our charitable work to protect the Dales - you can use our secure online payment - and you can Gift Aid your contibution too! Join us or Donate

Already a Friend - You can renew online!

Existing members of the Yorkshire Dales Society - you can now renew your subscriptions or make a donation online using our secure online payment - just go to Renew Online

Latest News...

October 2017. Nice article in the 12th October Craven Herald on our Capturing the Past digital archiving project. Craven Herald

October 2017. An article in the 12th October Craven Herald by our vice president Colin Speakman challenging the Park Authority to show leadership in the provision of public transport in the National Park.Craven Herald

October 2017. We fully support the efforts of the National Park Authority to safeguard the primary schools in the Yorkshire Dales - such an important part of the future of our local communities. See the local press coverage: Craven Herald

October 2017. October 9th coverage in the Daily Telegraph of the funding challenge for public transport - focusing on the Northern Dalesman, star of the BBC4 TV programme, 'All Aboard! The Country Bus'. See: Telegraph

October 2017. Nice event on 7th October in Stalling Busk, Raydale. Janet Street-Porter unveiled a plaque at the home of our FOTD trustee Jerry Pearlman commemorating, as part of a Ramblers campaign, the drafting in August 1996 of what became the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. This opened access to much of the Dales, giving us our right to roam this special place.

October 2017. FOTD chairman Mark Corner visited Clapham Primary School recently to talk with the children about quarrying in the Yorkshire Dales National Park as part of an oral history project for the Ingleborough Dales Landscape Partnership, a project led by the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Under the guidance of Bobbie Millar, Director of Quarry Arts who is running project, the children, aged 7-10, had earlier visited Dry Rigg and Arcow Quarries and had prepared questions for Mark, who said “It was a privilege to chat with the children who were really engaged and saw the challenges of producing valuable quarried stone within the setting of a National Park. They had a particular interest in wildlife and were pleased that any impact in this regard was being managed sensitively.” Mark added “As a conservation and education charity it is always good to have the opportunity to discuss issues, and it was particularly refreshing to do so with such enthusiastic and aware young people.” A recording of the discussion will be availbale shortly on the Quarry Tales web page, here: Quarry Tales

October 2017. Fun TV programme on exploring the Yorkshire Dales by bike. Episode 1 of 'Britain by Bike with Larry & George Lamb'. On again on Wednesday 4th October at 7pm. See: Channel 5

September 2017. Why living in the Dales makes you happy. As if we didn't know it, residents of Craven in the Dales are officially the happiest in the UK! See: The Guardian

September 2017. 'Access to the Dales' is being given a higher priority by the National Park Authority, including the provision of 'financial support to organisations delivering public transport initiatives' - something we have been lobbying for. See Harrogate Advertiser

September 2017. News report from Richmondshire Today of our AGM held on Saturday 23rd September. See AGM . Also a report on the DaleBus review from the meeting: DalesBus

New 2017 Friends of the Dales leaflet

All about the Friends of the Dales, our charitable work to protect the Dales, and how you can help!

We have just secured a fantastic discount for members with Cotswold Outdoor and their associated companies Snow & Rock, Cycle Surgery and Runners Need! When you become a Friend of the Dales and join as a member, you'll receive a special discount code to use across all four brands - instore or online (T&Cs apply). See Join or Renew online for more details of this great offer exclusive to members.

Our charitable work

Campaign

We have a good track record - for over 35 years - in campaigning on issues of crucial importance to the Dales. These include affordable housing, rural bus services, biodiversity, green lanes, Dales farming and landscape conservation - plus many others!

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Protect

We keep a watching brief on what is happening in the Dales, lobby government and intervene where we believe appropriate. For example, we monitor significant planning applications in the Dales and comment on many each year - supporting those we believe are right for the Dales

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Enjoy

We run varied walks and talks throughout the year

Vibrant Communities - free guided visits to Dales towns and villages organised and led by local members

Dales Insights - afternoon talks and free shorter guided walks

Classic Countryside - free longer guided walks with an extra "something special"

Focus on the Dales - full day event on a topical Dales subject

Come and join us, most are free to all! See Upcoming Events

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Two of our Key Projects

DalesBus

DalesBus services run on Sundays and Bank Holidays through the summer (and some in the winter) across the Yorkshire Dales, llinking into bus and train services from across the region.

So you can enjoy the Dales in the most environmentally friendly way!

DalesBus is run by our social enterprise company the Dales & Bowland CIC. Volunteers organise, fundraise and publicise the services, but the buses themselves are run by bus companies or community providers. Full timetables - see DalesBus

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Capturing the Past

Capturing the Past is our fantastic three year project to work with people and groups in the Ingleborough Dales area to train them to catalogue and digitise their own local history archives and make these available to the public through a new website.

Our archive project is being funded through Stories in Stone, a four year programme of conservation and community projects concentrated on the Ingleborough area. The scheme has been developed by the Ingleborough Dales Landscape Partnership and is supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Yorkshire Dales Community Archives

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This website is operated by the Yorkshire Dales Society, a registered charity (Charity Number 515384) and a company limited by guarantee (Company Number 1822908).

Our Charitable Objects are 1) To promote for the benefit of the public, the conservation of the landscape, biodiversity and cultural heritage of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and adjacent areas, and the social and economic wellbeing of its local communities;and to encourage others to engage with,understand,enjoy and protect these areas, and 2) In pursuance of the above, to advance the education of the public.

Everyone is welcome at our events, members and non members - see Upcoming Events for more information. The next event is a visit on Sat 21 October at Victoria Hall, Settle, when you can drop in between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. see the brilliant success of our Capturing the Past community archive project!

There are many ways to Support our Charity and be a Friend of the Dales, to help keep the Dales special and vibrant for years to come.

Join us as a member

Make a donation

Leave a gift in your will

Help as a volunteer at our events

Our Business members are very valuable to us and we thank them all. For a list of all these businesses, or for more information on the benefits of business membership, click HERE

Alastair Humpreys

Our Patron

says :

"it's more beautiful than you realise; the people are open and friendly and have time for you; your phone might not work which is a positive as you'll have more time - slow down and enjoy the silence".

Alastair’s quest for adventure began young. Aged 8, he completed the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge over 26 miles

Bill Bryson, a supporter, says :

"There isn't a more glorious and beguiling landscape anywhere, or one more deserving of our support. It really is as simple as that"

Useful Links

President Sir Gary Verity

Chairman Mark Corner

Registered Address:

Canal Wharf, Eshton Road, Gargrave, BD23 3PN.

Charity number 515384.Company limited by guarantee number 1822908

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