With the Lake District to the west, and the North Yorkshire Moors to the east, the North Yorkshire Dales are the most central of three striking areas of natural beauty in the north of England. They are perhaps also the most quietly alluring of the three, and remain as unspoilt as they were when James Herriot wrote his memorable books about life as a vet in the area in the 1970s. The northern area is at its most beautiful at this time of year, with flora flourishing in the ruggedly beautiful, stepped valleys of Wensleydale and Swaledale. Both are dotted with hamlets of dark-brick, rose-fronted cottages and stone bridges over babbling streams.