By popular demand, Ales in the Dales 2026 was run this year with a group who didn’t already know each other. The shortened route allowed for work commitments and proved challenging but manageable, still providing a chance to explore 10 different Dales to get a feel for the beauty, remoteness and expanse of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
As soon as we all met up in the beautiful town of Grassington, the square filled up with the filming crew erecting the set for the latest episodes of All Creatures Great and Small. No time to stand around and watch however, as we had three pubs to visit that day and get the stamp in our books to prove we were on our way to achieving the challenge! This time we covered over 56 miles, 10 Dales and 25 pubs in just 4 days. The weather was much kinder than forecast even on the higher ground and the sight of Rich and Sarah on the distant horizon was the perfect incentive to climb the hills.
This fabulous bunch mixed seamlessly and were up for any amount of silliness. Whether it was jumping brandishing a loafer and wearing a shower cap into an empty bath left out as a trough or precariously leaping across stepping stones, attempting a gate vault or feeding the resident pub lamb, all were seen as opportunities to embrace! The pubs were as predictably varied as the terrain, which is always some of the greatest appeal of Ales in the Dales. The beer however remained consistently excellent and this group threw down the gauntlet to sample an ale in each and every hostelry they could! Maybe it numbed the aching muscles but it certainly helped create easy conversation, constant humour and a great deal of banter!
It has always been a favourite week in the Eastfield Lodge calendar and this year was no exception. Already there are whispers of perhaps two such breaks with two groups asking us for dates so much to look forward to in 2027!