Kettlewell with the Belles

March 2025 Wellbeing Weekend

We’ve used the itinerary for the weekend that was sent to everyone before the trip, to give you a flavour of our weekend away. We’ve also added some photos and a word cloud too, as we asked everyone to choose 5 words to describe their weekend.

The Weekend Itinerary – Before Departure

Make sure you have booked yourself onto the rides or walks you plan to participate in on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This includes for those travelling up and back by bike on any of the advertised rides.

Kit List

Here is a suggested items for the weekend:

Bike charging leads if required). Please ensure it is in good working order, tyres pumped etc.
Lock, basic tools and spare inner tube
Lights, water bottle or flask
A dish to share on the Friday evening e.g. pasta salad, a quiche, dips and crisps, muffins, cake etc. (Not a huge portion as we will all be sharing). If you are arriving early on Friday for the ride, please make sure it is stored suitably in your car.
Food and drink for a packed lunch or money (cash…remember it’s the Dales and cards don’t always work!) – check the ride or walk details for Friday, Saturday and Sunday to see if there is a planned café stop or not.
Bring your own alcohol or alcohol free alternative
Clothing for all weathers.
Waterproofs will be essential looking at the weather forecast, jacket and trousers.
Own toiletries and a towel.
Bedding is provided.
Money if car sharing a contribution towards fuel will also need to be made.
A tea towel – compulsory!
Willingness to help wash up or clean!
Ear plugs – essential!

In hindsight, one thing learned for future reference was the need to label bike chargers in order to readily identify which belonged to which bike before going home.

Friday

10am Rides set off for Kettlewell
One group will get the train to Skipton and cycle from there
One group will set off from Bingley and ride to Kettlewell

11am Wharfedale ride
A 2 cake ride will set off from Kettlewell car park and ride up the Upper Wharfedale valley to the ‘Snack Shack’ and return to Kettlewell

4pm Check in time
@ The Kettlewell Hostel, Whernside House, Kettlewell, BD23 5QU

If arriving by bike please make your way directly to the hostel
If arriving by car please drive to the hostel: drop off your bike (if using the bike store), bags and contribution to Friday’s tea, and then drive to the car park to park up your car. Yorkshire Dales National Park car park, Kettlewell, Skipton BD23 5QZ. The cost of parking is up to 24 hours £6.50 and up to 48 hours £8.00. Payment is by card only.
It is important that you drop off and go and park and then return to unpack and store your bike. There is limited space in the village so drop offs need to be quick.

Help available at the hostel:

Sarah and Nicola will be available to support people to store their bikes in the bike store.
Sarah and Tracey will be available to look after bags while you park your car and then show you to the room you’ve been allocated.
Anne, Barbara and Fiona can collect your contribution for Friday’s tea and organise it ready for our shared meal.

There is a small kitchen on the ground floor for use by all. Here you can make yourself a hot drink for free at any time over the course of the weekend. We will provide tea, coffee, sugar, milk (cows), some herbal teas and hot chocolate. For any other drink requirements please bring your own.

Sleeping arrangements

First floor – 3 dorms sleeping 16 people, all with bunkbeds. One of the rooms was used as a treatment room.
Second floor – 7 rooms with a mixture of sleeping arrangements (double beds, single beds and bunks) sleeping up to 26 people. One of the rooms was also used as a treatment room.

5.30pm – Yoga
Yoga session run by Shirley. You’ll just need loose clothing and a towel to lie on the floor. In the lounge.

6pm Treatments start
1st floor treatment room with Michelle by individual appointment. Treatments available included sport massage, back, neck and head massage, facials.

6.30pm – Tea
We will have a shared tea in the dining room (ground floor). As ever there was an eclectic mix of food, though an unbelievable amount of quiche.

7.30pm – Book Club
The book club will meet in the lounge to discuss their latest read.

The book reviewed was A Town called Solace by Mary Dawson. It got mixed reviews, some people loved it, others did not.

Evening entertainment
Dining room and lounge – jigsaw, art materials, board games / card games

The London bus jigsaw was a huge hit. There was lots of chat and most people gravitated to the dining room, with a few quieter knitters in the lounge. One Belle even learnt to knit.

Saturday

8am – Breakfast
In the dining room

Making their own: 8 people are making their own
Orders received for one vegan, one vegetarian, two continental and everyone else is having the Yorkshire breakfast.

9.30am – collect your bike from the store or from the car park if secured in your car overnight.

10am – All the rides and the walk are scheduled to set off.

1 cake to Grassington
2 cake ride to Foxup
3 cake to Upper Wharfedale and Foxup
Walk to Conistone Pie and optional extension to Great Whernside

4 or 5 people also chose to potter around Kettlewell and make use of the hostel’s extensive book library.

2pm Treatments start

1st floor treatment room with Michelle
2nd floor treatment room with Vicky. Treatments included reflexology and Indian head massage.

Everyone reported how amazing they found the treatments, how relaxing they were and very professional.

6.30pm Tea

Tracey has prepared a Bolognese and pasta for 16 people
Barbara and Sarah will cook a tomato, pepper and bean one pot and rice for 18 people

A great communal meal with people offering to waitress on tables too.

Evening entertainment
Dining room and lounge – jigsaw, art materials, board games / card games

Multiple games of both chance and skill ensued, the jigsaw nearly got finished and some party revellers sang into the small hours.

Sunday

8am – Breakfast
9.30am – collect your bike from the store.
10.00am – rides home depart
10.30am – walk to Starbotton departs.

12 midday – everyone else must depart by this time.

And so we have it…. a packed weekend of all types of different wellbeing!
Something for everyone.