Castles and abbeys, cheesemakers and breweries, walks and waterfalls – no wonder Keith Hunt needed a drink at the highest pub in Britain. Yes, it could only be Yorkshire.

The splendid scenery of the Yorkshire Dales
has provided the backdrop for TV and film productions ranging from
Heartbeat to Harry Potter

It's a ritual I can never tire of. Turn off the motorway,
breathe a heavy sigh of relief and disappear into a network of
narrow country roads, dry-stone walls and insouciant sheep,
wandering where they please.

Yes, it can only be the Yorkshire Dales, so stunning in its green
glory it is no wonder this special part of England has been
designated an area of great natural beauty.

I had previously headed for a small cosy hotel or welcoming inn but
this was to be a new experience – a few days in a luxury eco-lodge
surrounded by 54 acres of isolated land.

Natural Retreats nestles in a valley just one mile from the town of
Richmond, with its cobbled marketplace and castle perched high over
the sweeping hills of Swaledale and the Vale of York.

The designers of the well-quipped, three-bedroom, en suite lodges
have thought of everything with the accent on green technology,
boasting timber frames from “sustainable woodlands” and plant-based
roofs.

The spacious, open-plan glass design is ideal for families or
friends who want to get away from it all and commune with nature at
an affordable price.

The location is ideal for dipping into the 680 square miles of the
Dales National Park. But where to start?

With Richmond on the doorstep, it seemed sensible to head there
first and take in the ruins of the castle, which gazes down on the
River Swale, and nearby Easby Abbey.

Now we were ready to devour All Creatures Great and Small
countryside and quirkily named villages like Arkengarthdale, Reeth
and the far from cheesy Wensleydale.

Like many attractions in the Dales, the Wensleydale Creamery
nestles in a cocoon of lush green in the market town of Hawes.
Visitors can experience the award-winning cheeses being made.

The sights are many and varied. During our week-long stay we
strolled around the 12th century ruins of the priory at Bolton
Abbey, seven miles from Skipton by the River Wharfe.

We also soaked up spectacular Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal
near Ripon, featuring the biggest abbey ruins in the country, set
in 800 acres and a dream for the ubiquitous, energetic walkers who
head for the county.

All that culture can be thirsty work, so it was off to sample some
ales at the Black Sheep Brewery at Masham.

Offering “a ewe-nique day out”, the brewery was established in the
early 1990s. After a lively, light-hearted tour there is the
opportunity quaff some Riggwelter, Golden Sheep and the Monty
Python-themed Holy Grail.

For even more variety, take a step back in time and climb aboard
the majestic steam engines of the North Yorkshire Moors
Railway.

The time tunnel experience started at Pickering and chugged along
in a cloud of not so eco-friendly smoke through Goathland –
Aidensfield in TV’s Heartbeat and magical Hogsmeade in the first
Harry Potter film.

The Dales has so much unadulterated pulchritude there is a danger
of becoming blasé.

Eye-popping

One of the most eye-popping drives is the circuitous route to the
highest pub in Britain, the Tann Hill Inn, occupying a barren and
exposed pitch above Arkengarthdale, Swaledale and Teesdale.

We arrived in the afternoon to find the bar choc-a-bloc with hairy
bikers, who turned out to be frequent visitors, and tucked into the
speciality of huge Yorkshire puddings while sharing a seat with a
dozing pub cat.

More scenic splendour beckoned in the shape of Aysgarth Falls,
featured in Robin Hood – Prince of Thieves, where the River Ure
cascades over limestone for great photo opportunities.

Oh, well, back to the motorway.

For general information about the Dales: http://www.yorkshire.com/

Natural Retreats offers eco-friendly residences for up to six from £360 for two nights, including Temple Spa toiletries and a luxury
welcome hamper. Visit www.naturalretreats.com/ or call 0161 242 2970 for more details.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway: www.nymr.co.uk/

Black Sheep Brewery in Masham: www.blacksheepbrewery.co.uk/

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, near Ripon: www.fountainsabbey.org.uk/

Wensleydale Creamery: www.wensleydale.co.uk/

Bolton Abbey, Skipton: www.boltonabbey.com/

Richmond and Richmond Castle: www.richmond.org/