Michala Breckova

The beautiful Yorkshire Dales village of Kettlewell Kettlewell is a beautiful small village in the heart of Yorkshire Dales situated in Upper Wharfedale. It is a perfect base for walkers and cyclists. The village has three pubs, a hostel, a village store, a small petrol station and a primary school. Kettlewell has a population of about 322 and many of the village houses are used as a holiday accommodations, especially in the spring and summer. The stunning area of Southern Yorkshire Dales offers lovely and long walks nearby the village, you could visit Bolton Abbey, the hoary Ruin, Simon's Seat, Barden Moor, nearby villages of Burnsall and Thorpe and many more. It is situated close to the town of Skipton and nearby villages such as Treshfield, Grassington, Buckden and others. Kettlewell has also become known for the filming of Calendar Girls, the filming took place in the summer of 2002, mostly in the village and surrounding areas. The village name in the film was fictionalized as the village of Knapely. The plot of the film is quite simple as the Yorkshire women would like to make a calendar to raise money for patients with leukaemia and a new hospital wing for patients with such a condition. The calendar discreetly poses nude women during day-to-day activities, in front of them is for example a vase or flowers. The calendar later gains national and international attention. Based on the true story of John Richard Baker, who died of non-Hodkings lymphoma in 1998. Starring Helen Mirren and many more. The name of the village Kettlewell is Anglo-Saxon and comes from Chetelewelle and it means bubbling spring or stream, later the market was established outside the King´s Arms, later in the 13th century a watermill was built on the river Wharfe to grind corn.The remains of the smelting mill are just a stone's throw from the village. In July 2014 Tour de France Stage 1 from Leeds to Harrogate passed through the village. Another traditional event is the Kettlewell Scarecrow festival in August and it is a great day out for the whole family, there are plenty of refreshments along the way and the event has a 30-year-old tradition. This tradition raises money for the local community. If you would like a break from the busy day-to-day life or even only a nice meal, Kettlewell is an excellent choice with plenty of accommodation and refreshment choices.