The Yorkshire Dales – a magical land of geological wonder, Industrial magnificence, waterfalls and a breathtakingly peaceful atmosphere. In its heart is the protected area, The Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is for these reasons that I decided to plan a weekend away with our group to explore and discover the magic that existed in these parts.
The plan was for the group to be based in the village of Dent which is located not in Yorkshire as you might expect but in Cumbria but is still within the Dales itself. The village itself is situation within the valley of Dentdale, just south of Sedbergh; a farming community with scattered homesteads spread far and wide. A single cobbled street was the centrepiece of the settlement. There were a few options for people to be based in hotel/pub accommodation while a campsite within a two minute walk up the country lane from the village centre proved a perfect spot for many of us. The views we had in the morning (and in the afternoon and evening for that matter) were absolutely splendid.
In total we had eleven of us booked on the trip. That included two friends from the West Kent Walking Group who we were delighted to welcome along and who knows perhaps help them inspire a trip for their own group. For the second weekend away in 2015 the campers outnumbered the non campers. As a camper myself I was hoping for fine weather, we were not disappointed although a little bit chilly on a couple of evenings.
The group arrived on the Thursday afternoon/evening at various times with a few of us teaming up to car share to reduce costs and minimise our carbon footprint, something that I always like to encourage, where possible. For the early arrivals at the campsite we had a few hours to eat up before the planned evening social in the village was due to begin. With the sun beating down, we decided to pay the magnificent viaduct at Ribblehead a visit. This wonderful structure is located right in the shadows of the magnificent Yorkshire Three Peaks of Whernside, Pen-y-Ghent and Ingleborough, the mountain we would climb on the Sunday. There is pub here which is where I based the group for the previous weekend I organised in 2010.
However before we got to the start point of our late afternoon amble we were rudely stopped in out tracks along the country lane out of Dent. A herd of cows were being moved from the green and pleasant fields that surround us all round to the milking shed. It held us up for a good ten or fifteen minutes but it was a joy just to marvel in the idyllic rural life of this farming community. Before long we arrived at Ribblehead and made a short stroll up to the aqueduct near Bleamoor tunnel, passed the old signalman’s house and signal box and returning to have a close inspection of the viaduct itself. Ribblehead viaduct took four years to be built, completed in 1874 and took around a thousand navvies to build although a hundred or so died through disease or industrial accidents. I have been to the viaduct many times since I was a kid and I don’t think I have ever seen it as magnificent as these mainly due to the gorgeous setting sun.
Stroll completed, we ate at the Station Inn before we returned to the village where we met the others in the pub for the evening social.
The first official walk of the weekend began on the Friday. I had made the decision to provide an opt out option with approximately 4/5 miles before end of walk and drove my car and parked up at Dent station. I don’t recall anyway else in our country where the station is so far detached from the centre of the village. The group gathered at the campsite where a few of us were camping – it had been a mild but slightly damp night for us campers – and got the hike started at 9.30am, allowing us plenty of time to complete the walk in daylight hours.
Initially the walk didn’t start so well as I initially struggled to locate the footpath from the campsite, the start was a slightly different (but not much!) route from my recyy in March. However there was no real panic and before long we were up and running and we soon made steady progress through the various rather narrow and very springy miniature gates. This initial footpath links up various barns through Dentdale but it is not always that easy to spot the gates so made navigation slightly tricky at times. After we came off this path and onto the road near Howgill Bridge it was noted by one person that we could have simply have just walked down the road rather than make the climb and squeeze our way through the gates. However, that would be far less exciting.
The next stage of the walk was on flat land but even here it took a moment or two to pinpoint the next style or gate to continue our progression. We soon followed the spring that we hugged the path to our left knowing that fairly soon we would have a fairly arduous climb. Before we did that we had our first field of cows to overcome having taken the path over Bigholme Bridge. Thankfully the cows were on the best behaviour, including the bull that was sitting down and possibly hiding as I decided not to mention him to the group who seemed completely unaware of his whereabouts. Its possible people might still be unaware that there was a bull in the field until they have read this article!
Then arguably the toughest part of the walk was upon us. We had to ascend what is known on my OS Map as “Tough Hill”, a climb of maybe 180 metres in a third of a mile over thick and occasionally boggy grass. The group made steady progress and ensured that we took in the magnificent scenery that circled all round us every step of the way. In March this stretch was harder as underfoot it was so much wetter but it was still not easy for us by any means. To compensate for this the next stage (perhaps 2 miles) was on easy soft ground which gave plenty of opportunity to look around at the wonderful beauty of the Yorkshire Dales wilderness. During this period of the walks we spotted a small dip in the lie of the land that provided us with some shelter away out of the wind which was perfect for us to settle down and have our lunch. We continued on, walking past shake holes, a number of springs and the odd remains of a stone buildings perhaps giving a glimpse of what life may have been like for those who lived and roamed these lands a century or two ago.
Having just passed the footpath that walkers take to ascend one of the Yorkshire Peaks, Whernside, and a lovely waterfall to our right we soon arrived at Force Gill aqueduct located near Bleamoor tunnel. A nice spot where I have been many times over the years, ever since I was first introduced to this area as a child in the mid 1980’s. In those days the land was not managed as well as it is now. A well maintained footpath can be picked up here and take the rambler through to Ribblehead viaduct maybe 2 miles away although we would be returning back to Dent.
We had arrived in North Yorkshire. Our stay in this county would not last long as we started our return journey over and beyond the three air shafts that serve Bleamoor Tunnel. Originally there were seven air shafts which helped enable the tunnel to be constructed in the 1870’s but four of these were subsequently filled in while he other three were maintained for ventilation purposes. The North Yorkshire/Cumbria border resides along the tunnel somewhere.
As we descended down the hill, the glorious sunshine that we were enjoying had relented somewhat which even for mid September came as a welcome relief to us. The walk was almost totally exposed to the weather and there is so little tree cover in these parts. Having said that, after we stopped for a short break we soon heading through Hazel and Mossy Bottoms which included a couple of tree plantations. Moving on we arrived at Dent Head farm where we could see a viaduct, one or two small waterfalls and as we continue to progress a range of farm animals; sheep, chickens, goose, different varieties of cows, you name it. Red squirrels were also lurking about if you were lucky enough to catch one.
The walk was soon coming to its conclusion. My end of walk plan today was to leave the group at a pub whilst I go and pick up my car from Dent station and drive folk back to the village. However, that plan went out of the window as the hostelry did not open until 7pm. So plan B. We split into two groups; “A” group came back with me who included Paul whilst “B” company strolled on a bit further and later picked up by Paul. This ensured we all had a little bit of relation time in the village before we got showered and changed in readiness for a few drinks and dinner in the village pubs. And yes, I had a whisky! I think today’s exercise was worthy of such a tipple.
The next days walk was further afield and required quite a long drive to get to but it was certainly well worth the visit. Malham Cove is one of our country’s unquestionable beauty spots, in essence a curved limestone cliff at the head of a valley with a spacious area of limestone pavement at the top. We consolidated cars and most of us who were camping decided to depart the campsite a little earlier to take advantage of a cooked breakfast from the café in Malham itself. It certainly set us up nicely for the days walk.
Once the group got together we soon made our way along a well maintained footpath to Janet’s Foss which is nestled in a rather magical wood in Malhamdale, not far from Gordale Scar. Foss is the Nordic name for waterfalls (or force) while the name Janet is thought to reference an old folk tale that inhabited a cave at the rear of the fall. We stopped here for while to marvel at both the waterfall and the deep pool below. A few of us braved the stepping stones to get a closer look of the cave as well.
Earlier in the walk we made a decision to re-route the planned itenery and instead of taking the footpath prior to Gordale Bridge we decided to carry straight on to Gordale Scar, a great limestone gorge formed in the ice ages. Its shear size can only be fully appreciated once we had made our way through a field and campsite nearby. We were somewhat in awe of the ravine’s magnificence and stopped for a short while to fully appreciate it. However, we had to make a decision at this point as to progress further as it did involve some very basic scrambling. Fortunately, a member of the group knew the area very well and offered an alternative route for those that did not wish to proceed through the gorge. The two groups were to meet again maybe an hour or so later.
For those of us that ventured up the rocks and through the Scar we were rewarded with a waterfall to the right; yet another but we were not complaining and allowed for another of what seemed like endless opportunities for a photo. We stopped at the wall whilst we waited for the others who had made a bit of detour. It allowed us a good half an hour or so to lay back and bake in the glorious sunshine that was beating down upon us. The weather Gods were certainly being extremely kind to us this weekend.
Soon, the four who had left us were spotted sauntering down over the brow of the hill and before long the group had joined up and progress continued along flat land towards Malham Tarn where we stopped for lunch having briefly set foot on the Pennine Way. The Pennine Way is the United Kingdom’s first National Trail and in 2015 celebrated its 50th anniversary so it seemed appropriate to at least sample it. Here we took in the lovely views of what is England’s highest lake and is apparently one of only eight upland alkaline lakes in Europe. We circulated the entire lake passing Malham Tarn Field Studies Centre where a view boards provided us with some additional information of the area and a convenient bathroom was located. We then took a slight short cut over some rather springy boards through Malham Tarn National Nature Reserve, which is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
We continued to make progress in a southerly direction over some road but then on open land towards and past an isolated smelt mill chimney, standing as a relic of an Industrial past. The weather was still holding well but my navigational skills less so. We were continuing towards the highlight of the walk, Malham Cove itself and I was not on the footpath that I thought I was on. However, it turned out I was on the correct footpath so without further alarm we proceeded towards the Cove.
For anyone who was not on the trip and reading this blog (thank you for spending the time in doing so) I would strongly recommend a visit to the great limestone amphitheatre that is Malham Cove. At the top the limestone pavement made up of small flat blocks and some narrow deep crevices in between. The view overlooking the valley is sensational. What made it more special for us was that we were walking in late afternoon sunshine. This blog cannot do this justice.
We descended the plateau over some well made steps to the foot of the cliff a distance of maybe eighty metres or so. At the bottom, we turn left to get a closer look and we saw a few hardy souls trying to ascend the cliff itself and another gentleman undertaking a more sedate passion of painting a picture. Soon we left the Cove behind us to return to Malham although I made the point to the group “Don’t forget to turn round” because the views looking back were rather special and unique.
Finally we arrived back at Malham at just before 6pm. The previous evening we made the decision to bring a change of clothes today in readiness of being a little cleaner and gave us the option of eating before we returned to Dent. A decision was made and we decided as dinner time had arrived we would relax in the pub in the Malham rather than the other option of on the return journey. I won’t mention here of the journey back to our village except to say it was rather eventful and meant the full group were not back together until maybe gone 9.30pm.
Sunday morning arrived and with it so did our final walk of our long weekend away. The plan today would be to climb Ingleborough, at 723 metres the second highest mountain in the Yorkshire Dales after Whernside. I had picked this climb to complete the triple set of ascending all three peaks, the other being Pen-y-ghent, after I had led the Berkshire Walkers to climb the other two in 2010. We would have a few people dropping out from the group so numbers were down to eight.
The route I chose was slightly unusual as most people tend to climb starting from Ingleton, Horton or set off from Clapham via the Ingelborough Cave. The later option was the trail which we would be returning from. Instead I took a slightly longer route heading south easterly from Clapham towards and through the sleepy village of Austwick. In getting there we had to head through a field of cows many that of which were laying out cold on the field still catching their forty winks. I have to say I have been through many fields of cows over the years and I can not honestly remember ever seeing any of them sleeping! I was slightly perturbed as the last thing we want to do was suddenly disturb them especially with young calves about as well. Thankfully we got through okay. One person commented on what they deemed a peculiar location to situate a park bench, in a field full of cows. I pointed out that cows regularly move from field to field and it is just pot luck on the day as we whether we would come across any or not. For what it is worth when I reccyed the walks I encountered no cows at all.
Leaving Austwick behind we gradually made progress over undulating fields passing more cows before making a small incline where we would be witness to the wonders of Crummock Dale. This dale is surrounded by high limestone escarpments. It was here that I took the group the last time I organised a weekend away and I certainly wanted to return. I was aware of the perfect spot where we could sit and have our lunch and took the group there. Bliss! There was barely a soul round other than ourselves, the weather was holding fine although bit more overcast than the previous couple of days and we sat back and enjoyed the views.
Lunch done we said cheerio to a couple members of the group who wanted to get on and make quicker progress as they were returning to leafy Berkshire later that same day. Our group was down to six and the ascent of Ingelbrough began in earnest. In fairness, the climb was not too bad. It started off being slightly rocky but soon enough we reached a marked footpath that took us all the way to the summit. We stopped briefly before the final push to fuel up with some extra sugar. However, I noted the weather was turning slightly and the cloud descended upon the summit.
We made the summit without alarm but alas as I suspected a little earlier any views were obscured by the cloud. Due to the weather conditions I abandoned hope of locating the trig point, visibility was down to a few metres only, and ensured the group left the summit as safely as possible.
Our descent took us via Little Ingelbough, taking the left and descended down to the natural cave at Gaping Gill, a one hundred metre pothole with a stream flowing into it. We stopped here for a few minutes and took advantage of another photo opportunity of the tallest unbroken waterfall in England although it must be said we could only view the top of it.
The final walk of the weekend was drawing to its close via the wooded limestone ravine at Trow Gill. This was slightly less impressive then it sounded. It was about here where we experienced a few drops of precipitation would you believe. The only rain to fall on us all weekend and it relented pretty much immediately. The walk concluded via a long straight lane back to Clapham past Ingelborough Cave in time to hear the village church ring out five o’clock chimes. We had returned to our cars all thoroughly worn out but I like to think satisfied of some splendid walks over the three days.
We returned the village of Dent, showered and changed before heading for the hostelry for dinner and sample more local ales reflecting upon our experiences over the weekend.
On Monday a couple of us headed to White Scar Show Caves just outside of Ingelton and joined a tour to discover the unusual features within that limestone labyrinth.
Tour completed it was time to head back and look back on what has been another fantastic weekend away with the Berkshire Walkers with memories to treasure for a long time ahead.