Discover Great Asby

Great Asby brings together the history of several churches with landscape and nature themes in the surrounding area. For planning a stay, it is helpful to distinguish between them: places of worship and local history sit alongside nature watching, Great Asby Scar and cave-related attractions. The Sustrans Route 68 is another distinct point of interest for trip planning. This helps you decide whether local history, nature or activities in the area will shape your stay.

Churches and local history

St Peter’s dates back at least to Norman times; evidence of an earlier Saxon building points to an even longer history. The Church of St Peter in Great Asby was rebuilt in 1866 by Hay in the Gothic Revival style. This distinguishes the church’s long history from its 19th-century reconstruction. Several of its stained-glass windows depict St Peter. The lych gate west of the Church of St Peter was also built in 1866 and was probably designed by Hay.

Other dates add to the picture of the places of worship: Asby Baptist Chapel was dedicated as a Baptist chapel in 1862; the Methodist chapel in Great Asby was built in 1859. The churches in Great Asby hold joint services regularly, usually on the second Sunday of the month. As dates may change, check the schedule if attending a service is part of your trip plans.

Spring and nature watching

St Helen’s Well is a spring set within a low, rectangular enclosure. Its water rises through a large rectangular opening and flows down steps into the stream. Another natural feature can be found in the churchyard of St Peter’s: red squirrels live there, although sightings may vary by season. The well and the squirrels offer different glimpses of the area’s natural features: one through the visible form of the water, the other through its wildlife.

Great Asby Scar and its surroundings

Great Asby Scar is nearby and contains some of the best-preserved intact examples of limestone pavement in Great Britain. Because of its limestone pavement and plant species, the Scar is a National Nature Reserve. The Knott, at 412 m (1,352 feet), is the highest point of Great Asby Scar; the Scar can be climbed. These details give the landscape a clear reference point for elevation, while distinguishing the name of the highest point from that of the Scar as a whole.

Castle Folds is another notable feature of the Scar: it is an ancient fortified settlement high in the limestone uplands of Great Asby Scar. This brings together the geological feature of the limestone pavement and a historic settlement within the same landscape. For trip planning, it is worth considering this area as a distinct topic alongside the churches and village character of Great Asby.

Cycle route, walk and cave-related attractions

The Great Asby Walk uses Google Earth imagery and ground-level photographs. Great Asby is also on Sustrans Route 68 (Walney to Weir) of the National Cycle Network. This means trip planners can consider both a locally published walk with different image formats and a named connection to the national cycle network.

Pate Hole near Great Asby is a rare example of a cave in this area. Pate Hole Mouth is the entrance to Pate Hole in Asby Gill. Pate Hole is offered as an adventure activity with challenges and a strong sense of discovery; the activity is listed as operating in the 2026 season. Check the arrangements before travelling.

Regional setting

Great Asby is part of the Westmorland Dales extension of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. This setting adds a wider regional landscape context to the specific themes in the village and around Great Asby Scar.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Garrigill, Drigg, Mealsgate, Lowick, Elterwater, Waterhead, Crosthwaite, How

For the wider travel overview: Cumbria.