Company information

Prentice Bell, the outdoor product company, is located in Richmond, the same beautiful market town as Altberg, the Yorkshire bootmakers. Prentice Bell's first outdoor product range comes from Altberg - a small range of walking boots, mountain boots, hiking boots and country boots.

Situated on the coast to coast long distance footpath at the gateway to Swaledale in the Yorkshire dales, Richmond is a busy market town with a thriving tourist trade and light industry. It is also the home to the largest military garrison in Europe - Catterick. It is in Wensleydale, Swaledale and the Yorkshire dales that Altberg developed their walking boots and country boots. High on the Swaledale fells, or the Yorkshire dales pastoral foot paths, Altberg walking boot and country boot manufacturers started to make their walking boots, trekking boots, country boots and gamekeeper boots in the late 1980s. Their aim was to make the best British walking boots and country boots for the worst British weather - and at times in Swaledale, Wensleydale and the Yorkshire dales the weather can be one of the best walking boot and country boot testing grounds in the world.

In winter in the Yorkshire dales you need hiking boots and outdoor footwear that will keep your feet dry and warm. The Altberg Mallerstang mountain walking boot is an ideal product for walking the high dales ridges especially in winter. The Mallerstang mountain boot is a comfortable walking boot that is also a lightweight walking boot for such a sturdy and supportive mountain walking boot of a similar type to the Scarpa SL mountain boot from the Mountain Boot Company. The Mallerstang is a crampon compatible mountain walking boot, a B1 boot that will take a C1 walking crampon. The Altberg Fremington lightweight walking boot is a trail walking boot ideal for the Swaledale moorland foot paths, hiking along the Wensleydale ridges and rambling on other hills in Britain and further afield. If your interests lay in country pursuits a country boot such as the Altberg Gamekeeper boot or Altberg Country Veldthog boot could be ideal as a shooting boot, hunter boot, stalking boot or country boot in general. The Altberg Gamekeeper boot is extremely hardwearing with 4mm thick waterproof leather called Gallusser, probably the best (and most expensive) boot leather of its type available, Sympatex waterproof lining and Vibram sole.

The awesome beauty of the Yorkshire dales and the remoteness that is encountered at the head of Swaledale, Wensleydale and Arkengarthdale makes testing walking boots and country boots one of the more pleasurable jobs that the Altberg boot makers - and now the team at Prentice Bell - do. Next time you look for a pair of hiking boots, outdoor footwear, walking boots and country boots, think of the Yorkshire dales. Picture Swaledale or the beauty of Wensleydale - imagine your walking boots on the remote trails and foot paths at the head of Arkengarthdale or shooting boots on the butts high up on the moors above Reeth and then think of Altberg walking boot and country boot manufacturers in Richmond in the Yorkshire dales, at the gateway to Swaledale and Wensleydale. Walking boots and country boots made by English boot makers - the best hiking boots and country boots - in the best place.