Victoria Farncombe banishes a childhood tribulation and rediscovers the stunning landscape of the Yorkshire Dales.

It is a sad fact that it’s the tourist attractions right on your doorstep you’re most likely to ignore.

Get me out of the UK and I will happily hand over my hard earned cash on such weird and wonderful attractions as an anchovy factory in southern France or funny-shaped rocks in Western Australia.

But back in old Blighty, I can happily skip past Shakespeare’s birthplace, Bosworth Battlefield and Warwick Castle without a backward glance.

So it came to pass that despite growing up in Leeds, less than 10 miles from the Yorkshire Dales, I had visited the area of outstanding beauty precisely once, under sufferance in the back of my parents’ car.

All that changed when those self-same parents offered to babysit my three-year-old daughter for two whole nights.

As my husband Steve and I wanted to go somewhere near to them so we could squeeze every last ounce out of our child-free break, the Dales suddenly appealed.

Our home for the trip was the Devonshire Fell Hotel, in Burnsall – one of a chain of hotels in the country owned by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.

Set high on a hill overlooking a stream, the Edwardian brick mansion offers perfect views of the Dales and makes for a very relaxing break.

Inside, the decor is bright and modern with each of the boutique bedrooms named after a different Dale town.

As our room was called Malham, one of six top floor rooms given a makeover by the Duchess herself, we decided to head there first.

Set in the Craven district of Yorkshire, the village of Malham is very popular with bird watchers and walkers because of Malham Cove, an impressive stone cliff where peregrine falcons nest.

It’s a challenging climb to the top but once there you can have fun jumping over the craggy limestone pavements, bird watching or sunbathing.

Keep scrambling through the rocks and there’s more in store as the stunning Malham tarn – a popular watering hole for the cows that roam the hills – suddenly pops into view.

From the bottom of the cove to the tarn and back again is a good four-hour walk and definitely justifies a pit stop in one of the region’s many cafes.

The folk of Cornwall and Devon may be at loggerheads as to who invented the cream tea but, let me tell you, it’s the people of Yorkshire who have perfected the 4pm treat.

The Cobblestones Cafe in picturesque Grassington deserves a Michelin star alone for its orange and apricot scones. After washing a couple down with a nice cup of good old Yorkshire tea, hubby and I were ready for our second walk of the day.

Waterfalls are very common in this part of the world which neighbours the stunning Lake District.

Our afternoon jaunt took us to Linton Falls, a relatively small waterfall popular with families and picnickers. One of the best things about the Dales is that you can really get up close to the attractions. Instead of admiring pretty views from the safety of a railing, we regularly found ourselves clambering over rocks, splashing in streams or jumping over stepping stones.

Walking and eating seem to be the mainstay activities of a break in Yorkshire so despite still feeling full from the earlier scones, we felt no qualms about heading back to the hotel restaurant for a three-course dinner.

With exotic combinations such as Yorkshire pigeon with pickled beetroot and lemon curd, here is a chef with ambition. Luckily, the flavours work and the food was cooked to perfection. As all the food is sourced locally from ethical producers you can tuck in completely guilt free too.

My favourite dish was the assiette, a giant sized assortment of the hotel’s signature puddings.

By 9pm, the combination of good food and fresh air had us crawling up to bed for the first unbroken night’s sleep in three years.

The following day we took advantage of the hotel’s spa which it shares with a sister hotel and is located around two miles away. Then it was back to another country pub for more delicious food.

* Travel Info

* The Devonshire Fell, Burnsall Village, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 6BT
* Prices start from £103
* To book, call 01756 729000 or visit www.devonshirefell.co.uk