A Dales High Way; March-April 2016
The sun shone in a crystal sky, reflecting off white limestone. Bubbles of lark song rose in the champagne air all around us, adding to the intoxication of such a perfect spring day…
We were enjoying a lunch stop at a sheltered spot on Long Scar in beautiful Crummackdale, being closely observed by a line of curious sheep, on our way up Ingleborough. It was Day 3 of our Dales High Way walk (tackled over 6 consecutive Thursdays in March and April 2016) and the morning had included a riverside ramble along the Ribble’s banks from Settle to Stainforth Force, then up to the dry, springy turf of limestone pastures below Smearset Scar to a coffee break at the excellent Elaine’s Café in Feizor. Next it was over to the hamlet of Wharfe before taking the ancient lane which climbed gently up Crummackdale.
The previous two Thursdays had seen us set off from Saltaire and traverse Baildon, Bingley, Ilkley, Addingham and Skipton Moors (all with plenty of mud) to reach Skipton, and then wander from Skipton over Sharp Haw, Weets Top, the limestone country of Malham Cove (and up the amazing Watlowes dry valley) to Kirkby Fell and the finish at Settle. Both of these stages made for excellent walking in varied surroundings.
As we sat enjoying flasks and sandwiches on Long Scar, we reflected on the vagaries of spring weather and how one week you might be wearing several warm layers and the next you were wishing you’d worn shorts! Although warm, the walk up to Ingleborough’s flat summit was a real delight, and a leisurely break was taken, enjoying the 360áµ' panorama stretching to the Howgills, Lake District mountains, Morecambe Bay, Pendle Hill and the northern Dales. The path down to The Hill Inn, though, was as hard work as it always is, engendering much talk about knees and the occasional expletive.
Stage 4, the following week, took us from Chapel-le-Dale, past St Leonard’s church and along Whernside’s eastern slopes to the Craven Way, which we followed over Whernside’s shoulder to bonny (albeit chilly) Dentdale and then along paths by the River Dee to Dent village, home of Adam Sedgwick (the “father of modern geology”) and location of the Stone Close café where we had a pleasant tea stop, before climbing over Longstone Fell to finish at Sedbergh.
The penultimate Thursday saw the steep pull from Sedbergh beside Settlebeck Gill and on to the summit of The Calf before taking the long ridge down to Bowderdale via Hazelgill Knott and West Fell. Quiet lanes then led to the finish at Newbiggin-on-Lune and the whole walk was enjoyed in glorious sunshine once again.
The Dales High Way’s final stage took us from Newbiggin-on-Lune up to the limestone landscape of Great Kinmond (with another great panorama), then through the village of Great Asby and by lanes and paths to a lunch stop by picturesque Rutter Force waterfall, before the final riverside sections alongside Hoff Beck to the end of the Dales High Way at historic Appleby, county town of old Westmorland, where we signed the visitors’ book at the Tourist Information Office before enjoying a celebratory afternoon tea at the Midland Hotel.
It was an excellent walk, ably planned and led by group members John Evenden and Ian Wardle, and one which 10 members completed all six sections of (with a further 8 members walking for two or more of the days). All those who took part would highly recommend it.
More detailed accounts of each stage, together with lots of photos, can be found by clicking the following links:
