4-Night Navigation Skills for Beginners in the Southern Yorkshire Dales

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Duration: 4 nights
Interests: Navigation skills

There’s an art to navigating the outdoors that goes beyond mastering a GPS tracking device and loading a smartphone app. You’ll learn how to read a map, find grid references, work your compass correctly, estimate distances and timings, and plan your own countryside walks. This holiday is suitable for anyone with limited or no experience of navigating with a map and compass.

What you’ll love

  • Learning basic navigation skills through practical indoor and outdoor exercises
  • The expertise of a knowledgeable and experienced tutor
  • Gaining confidence to read a map and use a compass
  • Estimating distances and time
  • Planning your own countryside walk
  • Staying at Newfield Hall, our country house near Malham

What’s included

  • Comfortable en-suite accommodation in our country house
  • Cream tea on arrival day 
  • Cooked or continental breakfast every morning 
  • Daily packed lunches 
  • Three-course evening meals, plus tea & coffee  
  • Easy-to-follow routes, maps, and information available in our Discovery Point if you want to explore independently 

Trip Notes

Easy to download as a PDF, our trip notes provide detailed information for every holiday. Please click below to find the trip notes for your departure date.

All our carefully-curated itineraries are designed by our experts. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take alternative routes or adapt the running order for weather and/or operational reasons.

You're welcome to check in from 4pm onwards. Enjoy a complimentary cream tea on arrival. After tea enjoy a short walk with an introduction to maps.


Our friendly trainers will introduce you to the basic principles of map reading and compass work. We give expert tuition and plenty of support, so that when you return home you can put your newly acquired skills into practice in the countryside.

We work through a range of practical indoor and outdoor exercises, which cover relating the map to the ground, estimating distances and timings, and top tips for planning a walk.

The course includes two days outdoors, some map work exercises and walk planning after Dinner each night. Maps will be provided for use during the course but you will need to bring a compass we recommend a compass which has a baseplate, 360 degree protractor, map measuring features, plus scales of 1:25k and 1:50k an example compass is the Silva Expedition 4.


Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before making your way home.


Newfield Hall

Looking every inch the baronial mansion, Newfield Hall sits in two acres of grounds near the village of Malham at the southern base of Yorkshire Dales National Park. Given it was this very landscape which inspired Wordsworth to write a sonnet and Charles Kingsley to pen The Water Babies, the countryside views are as gorgeous as you’d imagine. You’ll also have plenty of sightseeing greats within easy travelling distance, most notably Malham Tarn, Janet's Foss, Gordale Scar, Malham Cove, and The Dry Valley of the Watlowes. And then, of course, there’s Yorkshire’s famous trio of summits: Pen-y-ghent, Whernside, and Ingleborough, collectively known as the three peaks.

Stay at Newfield Hall and experience the exceptional service of a VisitEngland ROSE award winner. Find out more about the latest accolade awarded to our country house in the Southern Yorkshire Dales by reading our latest blog.

 

Rooms

Designed with your comfort in mind, Newfield Hall has 46 well-appointed guest rooms available in three categories: Classic, Premium, and Superior. 

Classic Rooms are comfortable en-suite guest rooms, ideal for a peaceful night's sleep. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, and shower gel), and a TV. 

Premium Rooms are more spacious en-suite guest rooms*. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel), and a 32-inch TV. Extras include bathrobes, slippers, and comfortable mattresses.

Superior Rooms are even more spacious en-suite guest rooms offering upgraded views of the surroundings*. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel), and a 32-inch TV. Extras include bathrobes, slippers, and comfortable mattresses.

We love: The guest rooms spread across the main building and the tastefully converted coach house. Rooms 3 and 6 are both corner rooms offering original features and large bay windows overlooking the gardens and beyond (Room 6 has its own telescope). 

The Choose Your Room service is available at our UK country houses, allowing you the option of choosing and confirming a specific room for an extra charge of £30 per room. This is subject to availability. Upgrade supplements apply. 

Check in & check out
You are welcome to check in from 4:00pm at the earliest. On arrival, you’ll enjoy a complimentary cream tea and get to meet your fellow guests, our HF Holidays Leaders, and the rest of the friendly team.  

On the day of departure, we kindly ask all guests to check out by 10:00am. You’ll be asked to settle your bill prior to leaving. You may, of course, make a charitable donation to our HF Holidays Pathways Fund if you wish. Please note that we only accept card payments.  

Room supplements

Superior Premium single Premium double/twin Choose your room
£25 pppn £20 pppn £20 pppn £30 per room

 

*Views and layout reflect each properties unique character and location 

About your stay

A warm welcome
We want you to feel comfortable from the moment you arrive. You’ll find a welcome pack in your room with guest registration forms, menus, order forms for dinners and picnic lunches, the Wi-Fi password, and the front door code. Our houses are locked at night, so we recommend noting the Duty Manager’s number on arrival in case of an emergency (or getting locked out). 

Evening entertainment
While evening entertainment varies from house to house, the HF Holidays Big Pub Quiz held after dinner on Wednesdays is a weekly staple. Your HF Holidays Leader may be around for tips on guided and self-guided walking routes as well as visit-worthy local attractions. 

Walks talks 
Our HF Holidays Leaders host guided walking information briefings before dinner on arrival days. This is followed by a group Walks Talk for information on the following day’s walking delights (held before dinner every evening). Self-guided walking guests are, of course, welcome.  

The walking day
Prior to setting off on walks, your HF Holidays Leader will run you through a short safety briefing. There’s also an up-to-date weather forecast on display at the house to ensure you have appropriate clothing and footwear. If you choose to do your own walks or are on a self-guided walking holiday, we ask that you please complete an Independent Walker Card each day. These can be found near the Discovery Point in the house. 

Food & drink

Led by experienced chefs, we serve a wide range of dishes made with fresh and seasonal ingredients. We always aim to source the best produce available and use home-grown herbs and vegetables from our own gardens whenever possible. Additionally, we have a licensed bar with beers, soft drinks, and a superb selection of spirits. Full-board comes as standard and includes a cream tea on arrival and a hearty breakfast on departure day.

HF Holidays understands the importance of managing allergens effectively to ensure food is safe for guests with food allergies. Whilst we are always able to confidently inform guests which allergens are present in our ingredients and dishes, we are unable to guarantee absolute freedom from the 14 main allergens in our kitchens. Vegetarian and vegan menu choices are available. If you have allergies, food intolerances, or any special dietary requirements, please inform our reservation team at the time of booking.

Accessibility

For accessibility and assistance information, please contact our expert team on 020 3974 8865 or view the accessibility information online for Newfield Hall

10692_0009 - Newfield Hall - Exterior

Getting to Newfield Hall

Find out more about this location including travel details and room types.

More Information

Newfield Hall Calendar

  • Guided Walking
  • Self-Guided Walking
  • Special Interests
  • Unavailable to Book

Guest reviews

Duration:
4 nights
Interests:
Navigation skills

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

For group bookings of 10+ guests click here

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Carbon Footprint 69Kg of CO₂e

Average carbon footprint per person Learn More