Wasdale Head

This isn’t a walk as such but nevertheless I managed 5 miles over the day.  Today was all about being part of the support team for Joey D’s attempt at the Bob Graham Round.  

The view on the way to Hebden Bridge to meet up with the family.

We were to be at Wasdale Head for around 14.30pm all being well.  Joe had set off at midnight – atrocious weather for him, windy, and the rain coming down like a waterfall.  It was no better when we set off up to the Lakes.  We had a good run and the children were really good.

We finally got to the car park – after first going to the wrong one – thank goodness for OS maps on my phone.  We were lucky the clouds lifted and the day cleared for us.  We had lunch and went for a wander.  

The scenery was just so dramatic absolutely beautiful, although when you looked at the top of Scafell and Great Gable they were still hidden in cloud.  It was a terrible weekend to be doing this run, but all the work and effort of getting a support team together you just don’t want to miss the opportunity. 

We had a good wander and met up with the guys who were to be Jo’s navigator and pack carrier on the next leg.  All fell runners are the nicest people you could ever wish to meet, friendly supportive and always encouraging. 

We started looking at our watches and time kept going on – I even had a mini bus driver come and ask if we had set up a pop up café – I explained about the run and that this was for the runners and not a shop – he kept jingling the change in his pocket hopefully until he finally realised I wasn’t going to sell him anything.  We even met a guy who’d just swum the lake Wastwater and was looking for the camp site he tottered off bare-footed through the car park carrying his yellow buoy. 

Eventually the two Pete’s (the runners) saw Joe coming down and ran off to meet him.  On reaching the bottom he said he wasn’t carrying on – by now it was after 17.00pm and he knew he wouldn’t finish in the 24 hours.  We all thought he had done well in such terrible weather – he’d done about 50 miles.

We took him back to his tent and he would get some sleep before driving back home on the Sunday.  We all agreed this had been a good  practise run and was unfinished business to be completed later.

Leg 2 of Dalesway

This leg is Grassington to Kettlewell

The night before I had planned to Park in Grassington early enough to walk the 12 or so miles and then catch the last Dales bus back late afternoon.

The weather was pretty glum when I set off but my optimistic side said the day would probably get better. Parked in Grassington and got togged up.  The weather hadn’t improved but it hadn’t deteriorated either. 

So I confidently set off up through the village and the instructions were pretty clear.  As I walked along the lane I saw a path off to my left which indicated the Dalesway but my instructions said I could carry on and meet up with the Dalesway further along. Grand – I kept going it was a good path I was following so I wasn’t worried.

However after a while I kept getting a niggle in the back of my mind that I’d gone wrong – upt to my right I had seen a path over a wall but that didn’t look right so I kept on.  Wrong – eventually the path disappeared and there was no way out of the field at the other end. Nothing for it I had to turn around and re-trace my steps.  When I came to the path I had previously ignored I decided to go along it now.  The track was climbing up onto the moor until eventually an old derelict house appeared – at this point the path disappeared again – and now the there was damp mizzle and really low mist, I couldn’t see anything in front and decided it was time to admit defeat and go back to Grassington.

The weather had taken a turn for the worse now so I went in one of the cafes for a hot drink and sustenance.  On leaving the café and going back to the car park I called in the Information centre and bought a good all weather map.  On checking it out I’d been up to Bare House.  Lesson learnt – take a map. 

I will attempt this again – better prepared from today’s experience. I did manage 8 miles wandering around in the mist.

East Marton

Well I’ve never done this walk before and its slightly longer than my usual Saturday walks but its good to stretch yourself. This walk starts at Gargrave. It always surprises me how full the car parks are here.  I guess lots of people set off on walks from here. Well it was a lovely day.  Crossing the main road I headed off turning right along the riverside to then go left onto Marton Road then right onto Scaleber Farm track going over the railway line and joining the Pennine Way.  At a cattle grid I turned off the track into a field to a stake on the brow of a hill.

As usual I could see Pendle Hill – it doesn’t seem to matter where you go on a clear day it’s there to be seen. There were several fields to pass through now eventually coming out onto a slim path which led to a lane.

 Following the lane reaching Williamson Bridge at the canal at East Marton.  This is a beautiful hidden away hamlet.  The cottages were just chocolate box and one them had a lovely traditional cottage garden.  To make the picture complete there was a lady in a summer flowered dress wearing a huge straw brimmed hat sweeping the garden path. Just past this cottage was a lovely tea-room but I decided I’d call at a tea room in Gargrave when I got back.

From here the return journey was following the towpath. 

 

At first I thought I’d done half the walk really quickly until I realised that East Marton is not the half-way point and the canal meanders snake like through the fields and pastures.  At Bank Newton there are seven locks and as I got closer to Gargrave all the hustle and bustle of canal boats appeared.  

  At the end of the towpath just before I left the canal a huge barge was heading towards me, it seemed to take up nearly the width of the canal and was very long.  I’d never seen a barge so big, with people sat in sun chairs enjoying the day. As it drew alongside me painted on the side was the inscription Lady Teal – Barge hotel.

What a lovely end to the walk – made me smile. 6 ½ miles of walking in the summer sun.

Sunnydale

This is a lovely local walk – I always enjoy it and today was going to be no exception.  It was nice and warm with no need for coats and the ground was dry so there wouldn’t be any muddy parts, and good company Gail and Monica were with me.

Heading off Green end Road passing a large stone aquaduct on the right. 

  At a fork in the road we turned left then right on a good track heading away, as the track swings to cross the beck we continued on to the Sunnydale Reservoir.  Crossing the dam and up a steep we turned off to the left into a small woodland path.

 Along here is a small dam on the right, a family of ducks were dabbling there.  We continued on the path on the wood top to eventually come to a small waterfall at Sweet Well Dike.

Continuing on the path we came onto a cart track dropping towards some farm buildings, here we turned right to emerge onto Ilkley Road.  We turned left down to the crossroads. We continued down the road Past the chalets at the Park to go left down to some cottages  then dropping down again to the little hamlet of West Morton.  All this area reminds me of Dad.  He grew up in this area and I often wonder if he walked the same paths I do now.

 We went through stiles to an enclosed path which took us down to Carr Lane here we turned right to reach the canal and join the towpath taking us back to our starting point.

What a lovely leisurely Saturday saunter of 4 ½ miles.  Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Bell Busk

I seem to be having a run on walks around Airton.  Today I’m going to Bell Busk from Airton. Setting off in the direction I usually finish this walk – up past the telephone box then heading left along the road.  I then turned off on Kirk Syke Lane.  I stayed on this trackway following a track which eventually took me over Otterburn beck eventually popping out onto a road in Bell Busk. A century ago there were mills here spinning silk.

At the road I turned left going across the road bridge turning right onto a small lane. The lane went uphill towards Haw Crag I stayed on this lane until I came to a gate straight ahead of me to take me through a field to the Crag. 

As I was going through the gate two fell runners were heading down.  They said don’t worry if I saw a sheep laid on its back at the top they were on their way to tell the farmer as they were local. At Haw Crag is a trig point 676ft up from here on a good day there are all the main tops to see Whernside, Pendle, Fountains fell.  I’m getting so I can recognise them now.

At the top I took the stile into a field which somewhere near the centre crosses the Pennine way.  I then took a gate at the bottom of this which led into one of the biggest fields I have ever been in, it must have taken 10/15 minutes to walk across.

It was then straight to a footbridge over the river and following the river Aire back to Airton.

A steady 5 miles with a lot of fields and stiles.  Good walk.

Kirkby Malham

I have walked to Kirkby Malham from Airton before but today I’m doing a slightly longer route and in the opposite direction to the one I usually take.

It was a really warm day, glad I’d put my sun cream on and brought it with me for a top up. I set off up the road where normally finish this walk passing an old water pump by the side of the road. 

Leaving the village behind I turned off to the right – going through the fields catching a glimpse of Malham Cove.

 You can’t not love seeing it, even at a distance it’s dramatic. Eventually I came out onto Scosthrop lane.  Here I crossed over and took a path across a field walking past a small stone hut Dowber Laithe. Then following a faint track below an old quarry. 

From here is in an old waypath to Kirkby Malham called Kirk Gait. It goes from Otterburn to Kirkby Malham Church. This pathway brought me back onto Scosthrop Lane – I remember doing this before and thinking I might as well have just stayed on the lane and walked round to here. I took a stile which leads to a path taking me up the hill to the top of Warber hill.  On the right was a beautiful stone arch – part of an old quarry.

It was really hot now and no shade from the sun until I got to the top.  Here I had a rest and a drink.  The next part of the walk was past trees onto a farm track with Kirkby Malham in the valley below. Down the field and across a small stream at the bottom to emerge by the Church. 

I then followed the narrow road to Hanlith Bridge where there is a stile which took me onto the path by the river Aire.  The path follows the river for quite a way eventually meeting up with a mill race which was once used by Airton Mill spinning cotton.  The mill is now flats.  I eventually came back into Airton after a good 4 ¾ mile walk, which felt a lot further because of the heat.

Flasby Fell

I’ve done this walk before and I’ve been waiting for the right time of year to do this again. I parked up in the little hamlet of Flasby.  It is so small the road through it is one way only. There are only a couple of places to park so I was lucky to have a space.  It was a lovely day and I set out uphill  straight away.

As I got going up the track I looked ahead and saw a huge field filled with dairy cows.  My heart sank was I going to have to go through that field. What a relief as got up to the gate there was a track fenced off – me on one side, the cows on the other.  Thank goodness for that, I’d already decided if I had to go through there I’d just turn around and go for a different walk.  It was lovely walking up to the old hawthorn tree, which is the marker to bear left around the fell.  Even the boggy bits weren’t too boggy.

 

Once I’d turned off at the tree there is a dark indented track across greenways which gradually slopes down to a small road.

  Here I turned right down past Tarn House Farm.  Just past it is the footpath across several fields eventually coming to a stile which takes you into the plantation.

 I love this bit of the walk. Fir trees, lovely views and a peace and quiet you only find in these places.  At the beginning of the plantation is a bird hide but I didn’t really have time to stop half an hour bird-watching so I kept on the forestry track.  As I climbed up through the forest of Crag Wood there were scars in the landscape where there had been tree felling.

Eventually the path drops down and on a sharp corner bearing left there is a signpost and small footpath going right.  This was my way.  Here was was the reason why I was doing this walk in June.  Following the path down the forest is now Rhododendrons in bloom. Just beautiful. 

 

At the end of the woods there is a gate into a field taking me down to a bridge across Septeria Gill. This track is then just a steady walk back into Flasby.

Fantastic 6 mile walk – one to put in my diary for the same time next year.