Wild Boar Fell, Mallerstang, Cumbria, England

The Yorkshire Dales National Park was framed within the contemporary county boundaries of Yorkshire North Riding when it was established. However, there is a certain tendency in Britain not to leave well alone with local authority areas and a muddle has been created in recent decades; it's something that we tend to avoid in my native Éire. The result is that part of the YDNP extends into present day Cumbria. You do get to wondering what the locals make of all this.

The change of county boundaries afflicts an entire area taking in Dentdale, Garsdale, Sedbergh (pronounce it sedd-berr), and part of the Howgill Fells. Seeing the latter from the West Coast Mainline might get wondering if I am talking nonsense but they are included partially in the YDNP and Wild Boar Fell, Whernside and other quintessentially Yorkshire summits can be seen from their tops. If you like your dales unmobbed, then any of the places on my list will suffice and my trot around Garsdale was typical in this respect.