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Dent Village

Dent is a small village in neighbouring Dentdale, the next dale north of Garsdale, about twenty-five minutes' drive away. It has a cobbled main street and stone houses, some lovely walks directly from the village, and a good range of cafes, pubs and tea rooms including the Sportsman's Inn at Cowgill and Stone Close tea room. The Dent Brewery is based at Cowgill, and its beers turn up in the pubs around the Dales.

Getting There over the Coal Road

It is reached from Garsdale by driving over what is locally called the Coal Road - a scenic high route that passes Garsdale Station and Dent Station, which is said to be the highest main line station in England and sits on the Settle-Carlisle line some distance from the village itself.

The road climbs steeply out of Garsdale and can be a difficult crossing in snow, so in winter it is worth checking before you set off and going round through Sedbergh instead if the tops look bad. The Coal Road crosses open moorland before it drops down into Dentdale, and Dent Station itself sits at over 1,150 feet, which gives some idea of how high the crossing gets.

Dent Station on the Settle-Carlisle line, the highest main line station in England

Adam Sedgwick and the Dent Knitters

Dent's most famous son is Adam Sedgwick, born here in 1785, the son of the village vicar who went on to become one of the founders of modern geology - a memorial fountain carved from Shap granite stands in the high street. The Sedgwick Geological Trail at Danny Bridge, just back down the dale towards Garsdale, takes its name and its regional context from his work on the Dent Fault.

The village is also famous for its knitters, who in earlier centuries made stockings to supplement their farming income, and the Dent Village Heritage Centre and Museum tells the story.

Stone Close tea room on the cobbled street in Dent village

The Dentdale Walk

Dentdale itself is a U-shaped glacial valley running east from the village, and it contains some of Britain's surviving upland hay meadows - traditionally farmed to allow wildlife to thrive, and blanketed in wildflowers in spring and summer. This short circular walk starts from the narrow, cobbled streets of Dent village, climbs to Gawthorp with views across the dale, then returns along the banks of the River Dee, following a section of the Dales Way through riverside pastures and hay meadows. The walk is easy enough for families, and the hay meadows are at their best in June and July.

  • Start point: Dent village
  • Distance: 2.5 miles/4km, around 1.5 hours, easy
  • Parking: Dent village car park
  • Route description: Countryfile - Dentdale walk
The rolling hills of Dentdale at sunset

The Top Things to Do Around Dent

The top places we found online in and around Dent.

  • The Village of Dent

    The cobbled main street itself ranks as the number one attraction in the dale.

  • Dent Village Museum

    The museum and heritage centre telling the story of the dale, its knitters and its farming past.

  • Dent Head Viaduct

    The taller of the two great railway viaducts on the Coal Road side of the dale, reachable on foot.

  • Dent Station

    Said to be the highest main line station in England, on the Settle-Carlisle line - see Dent Station.

  • Gastack Beck Waterfall

    A small waterfall on the beck behind the village, an easy add-on to a wander round the cobbles.

  • The Flintergill Walk

    The old intake road that climbs the fellside behind the village, with views back over Dentdale.

Holiday Cottages Near Dent village

We have three self-catering holiday cottages in Garsdale, the next dale west of Dentdale, that you can use as a base for visiting the cobbled village and the rest of Dentdale. Book direct with the local owners for the best rates.

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