Calton

It had rained all morning and the sky was still full of rain clouds.  Not a day for up on the moors – I’ve been caught up there before in summer storms. It was also quite late when I finally set off so I decided to do a low level walk not too far away.  I headed off towards Airton to do a walk around Calton.  Not a walk I’d done before which is always exciting – you never know what you might see or come across.

The roads were pretty busy on the way there I’d forgotten the Art Exhibition Art in the Pen was on in Skipton this weekend.  Finally parked up by the side of the green in Airton.  Boots on and off I went.  The first part of this walk I was familiar with I’ve done it quite a few times before when walking to Bell Busk.

  However on reaching Newfield Bridge instead of carrying on I turned left and then took the narrow road to Calton. It was pleasant walking along this road quiet and tranquil although when I looked up the sky was still dark above me and every so often I kept thinking I felt a few drops of rain.

 It was very warm and had to take my body warmer off and back pack it.  I was so busy just wandering along I missed the gate on the left I was supposed to take through a field it took 10 minutes to retrace my steps back to the dip in the road.  To be fair the gate was more obvious to spot walking this way.  It definitely hadn’t been opened for some time as the latch was seized up.  I had to climb over and once in the field the grass was knee high.  The walk along the field by the stream was hard going. Eventually I came to the farm bridge across the steam.  The walk continued to follow the stream coming to a large barn and another gateway.

Turning left onto a rolly stone access path along here on the right was a huge beautiful barn, a small notice on a post stated that a planning application had gone in for it to be converted into two properties.  The access road would need some work on it.

  This track took me down into the small hamlet of Calton itself – a small secret place hidden away from the rest of the world just beautiful. Apparently Calton Hall was the home of John Lambert one of Cromwell’s leading Generals during the civil war.

                                                  

I took a gate on the right which took me down a track to a gate and into a field crossing over a ford and following a stream around the field to a stile under some trees. 

 The path then sloped down to join the Pennine Way.  I think I ignored the book directions here as I knew where I was and so I walked back along the way I knew.  Next time I need to read the directions more carefully and follow the alternative route that was described.

Good walk, although by my calculations I walked 4 ½  miles not the 3 ¼ the book said. One to do again probably.