Skip to main content
Group Escape HousesGroup Escape Houses home

Local area guide · Westmorland and Furness, Yorkshire Dales

Group-Friendly Pubs, Restaurants & Things To Do near Howgills House

Howgills House is at Beamsmoor on Garsdale Road, east of Sedbergh, within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. We’d use Sedbergh for a nearby meal and short outing, with Farfield Mill close to the house and the Howgill Fells beyond.We’d book a restaurant that can genuinely fit the full party, then choose an activity with a shorter alternative. A bookshop browse and an arts visit are easy to organise; a waterfall climb needs more thought about ability and weather. Leave an evening for eating together at the house, especially when guests have travelled a long way.

Where to stay in Sedbergh and Garsdale RoadAdd an experience at the house

Where to stay

Group houses to rent in Sedbergh and Garsdale Road

Whole-house rentals on our books in and around Sedbergh and Garsdale Road — exclusive use, booked direct with the owner.

Bring it to the house

Group experiences at your house in Sedbergh and Garsdale Road

These six travel to any house we list, Sedbergh and Garsdale Road included. The host turns up with everything needed, so nobody has to book a table or a taxi.

Staying at Howgills House? Give us the house and your dates when you ask for a quote and we’ll price it for that address, travel included.

Want something else? The full list is on our group experiences page, though some of those need a local venue, so check the area on each one.

See every experience

Eating & drinking

Where to arrange group meals in Sedbergh and Garsdale Road

A full Howgills House party can outgrow a café or a pub’s smaller private room. We’d confirm the actual room and table layout, or use the owner’s catering arrangements for a meal at the house.

  • The Black Bull, Sedbergh

    On Main Street, about five minutes’ drive away, the Black Bull’s Stables space takes private dining and celebration enquiries. We’d ask about using it for the whole party, with catering and seating agreed beforehand. Its Three Hares café now also operates in the courtyard Stables setting for daytime food, so confirm which service and space your enquiry covers rather than assume a private event is available during café trading.

  • The Dalesman Country Inn

    In central Sedbergh, about five minutes’ drive away, the Dalesman has several dining areas and handles family gatherings. Its Chase Room alone is smaller than a full Howgills House party, so ask the team about the appropriate arrangement rather than reserve that room by name. We’d discuss a shared menu and pre-order for a celebration, making sure the seating plan suits guests with limited mobility.

  • Farfield Mill Tea Room

    About five minutes’ drive away on Garsdale Road, the mill offers group catering by prior arrangement, including light-lunch and tea options. We’d organise this directly with reception for a daytime outing, giving dietary requirements with the booking. Ask whether the party needs timed or staggered seating. It’s a useful meal alongside the galleries, but a group lunch doesn’t reserve a guided tour automatically.

  • The Cross Keys Temperance Inn, Cautley

    About fifteen minutes’ drive away, the Cross Keys serves home-cooked meals in a small dining room with additional verandah seating. We’d use it for a smaller subgroup or only after the team confirms a practical arrangement for everyone. Don’t assume the whole house fits one room. Book ahead because food is prepared for reservations, and ask about the temperance inn’s drinks policy before planning a celebration.

  • The George & Dragon, Dent

    About twenty minutes’ drive away, the George & Dragon has two dining areas and explicitly caters for birthdays and other events. We’d enquire about a group meal when the party wants a Dentdale outing, agreeing seating and dietary requirements together. Booking is essential under its published arrangements, and its food service is focused on later meals; check current times before promising lunch after a village walk.

  • Sedbergh Golf Club restaurant

    About ten minutes’ drive away, the club welcomes non-golfers as well as players into its bar and restaurant. We’d ask about a group table and current food service, particularly if only part of the party is playing. Follow the club’s suggested approach from Sedbergh towards Dent rather than trust a shortcut over narrow bridges. A restaurant booking and tee times need separate confirmation.

Menus, opening hours and group policies change — always confirm directly with the venue.

Things to do

Things to do in Sedbergh and Garsdale Road for large groups

Choose an outing for your party and confirm any operator booking or access requirements.

  • Farfield Mill arts and heritage visit

    About five minutes’ drive away, the restored woollen mill has galleries, craft displays, studios and industrial heritage across several levels. It welcomes groups and has a lift and accessible toilets. We’d contact reception for an organised visit, checking current exhibitions and any demonstration arrangements. Artists’ studios are working spaces, so don’t assume every maker is present or able to host a full party on demand.

  • Westwood Books, Sedbergh

    About five minutes’ drive away, Westwood is a large independent bookshop with stock over two floors. We’d let the group browse in smaller clusters, agreeing a meeting time rather than keep everyone in one aisle. Ask ahead if a whole-house visit needs special arrangements or particular access. The bookshop admits assistance dogs only.

  • Cautley Spout waterfall walk

    About fifteen minutes’ drive to the usual walking approach near the Cross Keys, this is a choice for a group prepared for an outdoor walk. We’d keep the lower valley view as a valid destination for less confident walkers. The ascent beside the waterfall is very steep; reaching the top shouldn’t be a compulsory part of the day. Check weather, parking and the route before leaving the house.

  • Dent village and Dentdale

    About twenty minutes’ drive away, Dent offers a shorter stroll through its cobbled streets, with longer walks available for those who want them. We’d agree a village meeting point and keep the outing flexible. Cobbles and narrow streets need thought for mobility aids. Dent station is well outside the village, so don’t tell rail-arriving guests they can simply step off the train into the village centre.

  • Sedbergh Golf Club

    About ten minutes’ drive away, the course welcomes visiting golfers, small groups and societies by arrangement. We’d book linked tee times directly, discussing experience levels, equipment and any society package rather than assume everyone can start together. It suits guests who actually want to play golf; leave others free to choose a separate outing. Check course conditions and current visitor availability before travelling.

  • KendalWall

    About thirty minutes’ drive away in Kendal, the climbing centre offers instructed sessions for beginners and experienced climbers. We’d contact it for a big party and agree the appropriate instruction, age requirements and equipment before booking. A mixed group may need several sessions or instructors. Don’t treat ordinary walk-in access for competent climbers as permission to supervise a large group of novices yourselves.

Check current tickets, group availability and access directly with the operator.

Good to know

Practical tips for a big group in Sedbergh and Garsdale Road

The big shop, getting around and the things worth sorting before everyone arrives.

Good to know

  • Use Howgills House’s Garsdale Road arrival instructions and confirm parking with the owner. Share them with every driver so guests don’t head to another Howgills accommodation address.
  • Ask the owner about catering partners and prepared meals before organising suppliers independently. Confirm kitchen use, delivery times and who will receive the food at the house.
  • Reserve return taxis for group dinners, especially trips into Dentdale. Short rural distances don’t guarantee an available large vehicle late in the evening.
  • The owner says Sedbergh is less than a mile away. Check the walking approach and lighting with them before choosing to walk home after dark, particularly with children or mobility needs.
  • Bring boots and waterproofs for waterfall or fell outings. Agree a shorter route before leaving and download maps; the least confident walker should be able to finish comfortably.
  • Check current times, seasonal services and access before travelling. Keep an indoor option ready and confirm restaurant numbers, allergies and cancellations in writing.
  • Howgills House doesn’t accept pets under the owner’s current policy. Confirm assistance-dog arrangements directly if needed.

Plan with current information

Official visitor sources

Use these sources for current routes, access information and visitor arrangements.

Local planning references checked 30 October 2026. Confirm prices, opening times, access and group capacity directly before booking.

More local guides

Other group-friendly area guides

The same format for other UK towns and villages that work well for a big group.

Keep planning the trip

Once the house is settled, the rest of it — dates, the food shop, which experience to book, who is paying for what — is the part that usually drags. Our free group trip planner keeps the itinerary, the budget and the group in one place, and you can share it with everyone on a single link.

Still choosing where to go? Browse every large group house on Group Escape Houses, or look at Browse group accommodation in Yorkshire Dales.

Bring the whole group to Sedbergh and Garsdale Road

Exclusive-use houses, booked direct with the owner — no commission and no hotel corridors.

Browse group housesPlan your group trip