Days Out: Little Alf Trails, Yorkshire Dales

The Little Alf trail is a scenic drive through the rolling countryside which makes a fun day out for all the family.

The brand new trails take visitors around Little Alf’s favourite places including waterfalls, historic castles, gift and craft shops, wildlife and - of course - stops at cafes.

Little ones will probably be acquainted with Little Alf by now as the adorable miniature Shetland pony’s stories - told by his owner Hannah Russell - have gained a huge following since she started writing about him in blog posts.

After his online popularity, Hannah published her first book about Little Alf in 2014 aged just 17 – and has since gone on to write a series of books about her beloved friend.

These trails are the perfect way to enjoy more stories about Little Alf, as you’ll get a trail pack filled with goodies including a Little Alf Buddy, bag, car window sticker, tour booklet and discount vouchers to use en route.

The trail starts from the Little Alf shop in Leyburn Market Town and follows the river Ure through the Yorkshire Dales national park travelling down the south side of the valley and returning on the north side.

The trail is a 35-mile circular drive and it’s recommended you take a full day to explore Little Alf’s favourite spots around the Dales.

The breath-taking Yorkshire Dales are home to outstanding scenery, great castles, abbeys, snug country pubs with an open fire in the winter months, and rambling riverside cottage for a summer break.

At its heart are two very special protected areas - Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Factfile - Little Alf Trails

Address: Little Alf, 1 Golden Lion yard, Market Place, Leyburn, DL8 5AS

Opening times: Tues/Thurs/Sat 10am-4pm, closed on other days

Telephone: 01969 622546

Website: www.littlealf.com/Visit/Trail

More information: www.yorkshire.com