FAQs

The nearest train station is Skipton which is on the Airedale line connecting Leeds, Bradford and beyond. For buses from Skipton to Kettlewell, check the Dales Bus website for the various companies that run buses (fairly!) regularly throughout the week: www.dalesbus.org/skipgras.html

If coming by car, Kettlewell is located in Upper Wharfedale, approximately 10 miles north of Skipton and 14 miles south west of Leyburn, on the B6160. For Sat Navs use the postcode BD23 5QZ.

We have a huge car park on a designated Festival field which is £4 per car to park. Look out for our car park signs and high-vis car parking stewards as you near the village. We ask for cash only at our car park. We have card readers in the village hall and stalls, but for parking, where the signal might be a bit unstable, we request cash!

We have disabled parking and spaces for coaches in the National Park car park behind Kettlewell Garage. Coach parking is free but you are strongly advised to reserve a space in advance by emailing bookings@kettlewellscarecrowfestival.co.uk, specifying the date and time required.

For disabled car parking spaces, please pay as normal, using the National Park car parking machines.

The dates of the next festival are 10th to 18th August 2024. During the festival the car park is open 9.30am to 4.30pm each day, all week.

An army of home-bakers and helpers make and serve delicious homemade cakes, soup, fresh cut sandwiches, teas, coffees and other refreshments in Kettlewell Village Hall, opening from 11am to 4pm every day. ALL profits from refreshments served in the Village Hall go to the fundraising effort. In addition, Kettlewell has a tea room, a deli, three pubs, an ice cream parlour and a village shop.

A wide choice of accommodation is available in Kettlewell, comprising two country inns, various B&Bs, self-catering holiday cottages, Kettlewell Hostel, a campsite and a caravan site.

You should have no problem with pushchairs on the trail route. The main car park is a grassy field, so you might need to drop-off your pushchair at the gate, then head off to find a parking spot. Our stewards will always help out.

We welcome well-behaved dogs which are used to crowds and on a lead. There are dog waste bins around the village so please do clear up after your dog.

We use all the National Park car parking spaces for disabled visitors during scarecrow week. This means that many of the spaces are not the regular disabled bay width. Please do choose your parking space carefully, allowing those people who need the wider spaces to use them.

If you park in the disabled parking spaces in the Yorkshire Dales National Park car park, the whole trail is on surfaced roads around the village. From the main car park, the total length of the trail is approximately 3km and approximately 2.7km from the disabled parking in the YDNP car park.

The upper part of the route (past the Kings Head pub) is uphill, but it is not very steep – and it can be missed out if you don’t like the look of it. Wheelchairs with helpers to push should be fine, as should disability scooters. Self-propelled wheelchair users will need to be fit to tackle this part of the trail.

Villagers do put chairs and benches out for visitors to rest for a while, as they wander round. It is actually quite fun to sit and people watch, even if you don’t really need a rest!

The Village Hall, where we serve our delicious refreshments, is also wheelchair accessible, although the only step-free access is via the car park entrance on Far Lane. There are also disabled toilets available at both the Hall and the National Park’s car park.

Somewhere between one to two hours, but it does depend on how fast you walk, and how many photos you stop to take.

There are public toilets at the start of the scarecrow trail, next to the National Park car park. If you need to spend a penny on route, the village hall has toilets and the pubs, and some of the cafes also have loos, but please do buy something or make a donation if you need to use these facilities.

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