Immaculate Yorkshire village where people move to for cycling and solitude

Airton, a pristine village in the Yorkshire Dales, is often overlooked by the thousands of tourists who pass through daily. Located just 2.5 miles south of Malham, which one local woman refers to as the 'Blackpool of the Dales', Airton doesn't see the same influx of visitors.

Malham, with its natural attractions such as Malham Cove, Malham Tarn, Gordale Scar and Janet's Foss, is a hub for tourism, boasting pubs, cafes and curiosity shops. However, Airton and its slightly busier neighbour, Kirkby Malham, don't share this appeal.

"There's nothing to stop for," says the local woman, who wishes to remain unnamed. "We get walkers passing through, but we don't get crowded with tourists because there's nothing to entertain them. People are looking for entertainment and it isn't really here."

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The lack of tourists and entertainment doesn't bother her, though. She enjoys the tranquillity of the village near the top of Airedale and its surroundings without the noise of coachloads of visitors.

Emily Warner, who moved from Ramsbottom, Lancashire to Airton seven years ago, agrees. She and her husband relocated for the cycling opportunities and solitude, reports Yorkshire Live, who visited last summer in 2023.

"There's nothing happening here because there's no pub," Emily explains, shedding light on why cars and coaches continue to pass without stopping.

But it's not a problem for Emily - apart from the road to Malham she calls it the 'Malham Superhighway' which passes her house. On a Wednesday afternoon the 'Superhighway' isn't too busy although the odd holiday coach passes every so often.

Emily, 67, and originally from Clydesdale, Scotland, says: "We like it. It's generally very quiet. You can go out walking and never see a soul."

So we've established Airton is largely quiet most of the time. But is there anything to see and do apart from walk and see nobody? Yes, actually. "We've got quite good local facilities," says Amanda Worthington who moved from Nidderdale to Airton four years ago.

Super-friendly Amanda, 65, points me to the Stuart-era Quaker Meeting House which is now a hostel as well as a community centre of sorts. Amanda, who is originally from Pembrokeshire, Wales, also recommends Town End Farmshop and Tearoom on the edge of the village.

She's right it's a great place for lunch. What else is there to do? Well, there's the triangular village green - it's grade II-listed and entirely free of litter and dog poo.

Sit on one of the benches with your sandwiches and a brew and it's all rather zen. Then head downhill to the River Aire.

It's the same River Aire that meanders through Leeds, yet here, close to its source, it remains untouched by urban debris like rusty bikes and stolen shopping trolleys. At the end of Foss Gill, a beck that merges with the Aire near the imposing Airton Milla converted early 19th-century cotton mill now housing flatsthere's a charming little waterfall.

Airton may not be the liveliest spot in the Dales, but that's precisely the point. It offers a tranquil retreat where you can enjoy peace and space while others jostle for parking spots in Malham.

Seasoned explorers Roy Thistlethwaite and Janet Quiney, who've journeyed from Trawden, Lancashire by bus, agree with this sentiment. Roy, aged 68, shares: "For me it's a bit more attractive than Malham. It's picture perfect and you don't get the crowds."