It might seem like a lifetime ago, but just earlier this year I went on a wonderful hike in Farndale in the North York Moors. Farndale is primarily popular for its daffodils—the Google Maps location even labels it as the “Low Mill Car Park for Farndale Daffodil Walk.” This walk along the River Dove is particularly beautiful in spring, when the daffodils are in bloom. There are hundreds of daffodils along the river bank! Here’s everything you need to know about the Farndale daffodil walk—one of the best hikes in the North York Moors National Park.

The Farndale Daffodil Walk

This hike is approximately 3.5 miles and should take about 2 hours at a leisurely pace. The walk starts at the Low Mill car park, where there’s room for less than 10 cars (free parking). There is a much larger “Daffy Car Park” which is privately owned. This car park has a flat rate of £2.50, although it is done on a donation system. There are toilets on site that are run by the North York Moors National Park. The best time to see the daffodils blooming is from mid-March to mid-April. As always, I recommend sturdy footwear and appropriate clothing for the walk. You can check out my outdoor gear guide here!

It’s very easy to follow the Farndale Daffodil walk. It goes along the River Dove and is a very easy walk—the majority of it is paved. There is a café (the “Daffy Caffy”) at High Mill, and there is also a pub at Church Houses (the Feversham Arms Inn). I went just before the UK went into lockdown, the third week in March, and thankfully got to see a lot of the beautiful daffodils lining the riverbank! Unfortunately, the pub had already been closed due to coronavirus, and the café was serving only a few takeaway items, so I didn’t really get to try out either.

Before you turn around to complete the second half of the walk, make sure to visit the church in Church Houses. I thought this was the best place to see the daffodils on the whole Farndale walk! Spring is my favorite season and Farndale is a wonderful place to enjoy this time of year.

The second half of the walk takes you up a slightly higher elevation and through fields and a farm. There are some truly amazing views from here, even though it’s not very high up! The best part is that we had this part of the walk nearly all to ourselves—most people return the same way they go, on the main path along the River Dove.

I had never been to Farndale before, but I was so impressed at this beautiful location in the North York Moors. Up to 40,000 people visit Farndale during the daffodil season, which is huge! I can’t blame them—the flowers are beautiful and it’s a very pretty and easy walk.

 

If you’re wanting to do this walk and take the higher paths up for better views of the valley, definitely check out the North York Moors National Park website. They have a downloadable printout of the walk, which was really helpful when I went! I felt their map was sufficient for this walk. But otherwise, you’ll need the OS Explorer Map OL 26 North York Moors (Western Area).

Planning Your Trip

The Farndale Daffodil walk is best done in spring. As it’s a short walk, it’s easy enough to visit this area of the North York Moors as a daytrip from surrounding areas. If you’re wanting to stay overnight in the area, both Helmsley and Hutton-le-Hole are charming villages nearby. If you’re looking for somewhere more remote, I loved staying in Fryupdale in the North York Moors in this Airbnb. That being said, I visited as a daytrip from York and it was a perfect spring day out! You can search for nearby hostels here, or for hotels here! You can also sign up to and search Airbnb here.

There is no public transportation in Farndale, so you’ll need to have your own car. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

The Farndale Daffodil walk is one of my favorite leisurely walks in the North York Moors. It’s perfect for a short hike, and even better if you can go when the daffodils are in bloom! Don’t miss this walk in the North York Moors, and definitely add it to your Yorkshire bucket list!

Have you been to Farndale or another nature walk in spring? Where else would you like to visit to see spring flowers?

You might also like my posts:

21 Of The BEST Places To Visit In The North York Moors

The Best Hikes in the North York Moors

My Outdoor Gear Guide For Hiking And Camping In The UK

88 Places To Visit In Yorkshire

Quintessential Yorkshire: The Best 4 Daytrips From York

Hiking The Hole Of Horcum In The North York Moors

Walking From Whitby To Robin Hood’s Bay: One Of My Favorite Walks In Yorkshire

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