A 90 mile walk across the glorious high country of the Yorkshire Dales
A Dales High Way
News Archive 2019
Ingleborough Summit Shelter Repairs
The cruciform shelter on the summit of Ingleborough is to be
rebuilt next year, with the bronze toposcope plaque at the
centre being replaced.
The shelter can prove vital to walkers in the cold, wet and
windy conditions that are often prevalent on the top of the
iconic mountain - a favourite for Dales High Way walkers.
The overall structure of the summit shelter is in need of
repairs and the plaque is almost illegible, due a combination of
visitor damage and weathering on Yorkshire’s second highest
peak.
Funding has been secured from the Yorkshire Dales Millennium
Trust to repair the summit shelter and replace the bronze
toposcope plaque with a new replica plaque, built within the
structure of the shelter.
The original shelter was constructed by by Ingleton Fell
Rescue (now CRO - the Cave rescue Organisation) to commemorate
the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
A specialist drystone walling contractor, Lambeth Stonework,
has been tasked with dismantling the structure and rebuilding
the summit shelter as close to the original as possible. A
replica of the bronze toposcope plaque is to be produced and
built within the structure. Materials will be helicopter
airlifted in March 2020 with the repairs expected to be complete
by Easter 2020, ahead of the busy Three Peaks Season.
The original plaque is expected to be displayed outside the
CRO's depot in Clapham.
Photo shows the original toposcope plaque being installed in
1952 (Yorkshire Film Archive).
The drivers of four off-road vehicles were stopped last week
as they drove along a public bridleway from Weets Top, along the
route of A Dales High Way.
The vehicles were spotted by eagle-eyed National Park ranger
Rob Ashford as they illegally made use of tracks reserved for
walkers, cyclists and horse riders. Rob alerted the police at
Settle, who intercepted the four vehicles as they made their way
down towards Gordale, above Malham.
PC Harry Carpenter, of Settle Police, said: "Both the
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and ourselves welcome
responsible use of the rights of way within the national park
but we will not tolerate inconsiderate and inappropriate use and
will take positive action against offenders especially when
damage is caused, as in this instance, to maintained paths."
All four drivers have been reported for motoring offences.
Off-road vehicles are permitted on tracks marked as Byways
Open to All Traffic (BOATs), but the use of "mechanically
propelled vehicles" (such as 4x4s) on footpaths, bridleways and
restricted byways is banned under the CROW Act 2000.
Ultra Marathon runners are preparing to tackle A Dales High
Way non-stop in the New Year.
Runners and fast walkers are being invited to take on the
90-mile
trail in a time of 36 hours or less.
Up to 200 participants are expected to sign up for the race,
which is being run on the weekend of May 9th and 10th, 2020. For
the ultra-hardy, an optional additional 10 mile run up to High
Cup Nick and back from Appleby is on offer at the end, to make
up a nice 100-mile marathon.
The Dales High Way Ultra Marathon is being organised by Ryk
Downes, who has been running such events since 2017 under the
Punk Panther banner.
Ryk organised a similar race along the 80-mile Dales Way last
year, with the winner finishing in under 15 hours! The event
raised over £2,500 for the Dales Way Association and DalesBus.
The races are professionally organised, with established
checkpoints along the route and qualified medical support. Each
runner also carries a tracker so that their progress and
position can be followed throughout.
Ryk said "The Dales High Way makes for a very good
ultra-marathon course as it is a very challenging route, with
lots of climb and off-road terrain. It goes to some very remote
places, and has some great scenery with wonderful views of the
dales. It is also very easy for runners to recce as it largely
goes along the route of the railway line from Settle to
Appleby."
A Dales High Way has proved a popular challenge with
long-distance fell runners. The current women's solo record was
set last year by Catherine Bradley-Richardson in 35 hours and
the men's record in 2016 by 3 runners in just 26 hours.
An essential footbridge crossing Hoff Beck on the final
stages of A Dales High Way has had an upgrade that has almost
doubled its length!
The footbridge has suffered erosion on its eastern bank for a
number of years, washing away the steps that led up to it. The
footings are vulnerable to the regular annual flooding that the
beck experiences and finding a solution has been an ongoing
problem.
Rangers at Cumbria County Council (CCC) have come up with a
novel solution. Making use of an old footbridge that was still
in good condition but no
longer in use, they chose to extend the length of the original
footbridge to solid ground and add new concrete steps.
Geoff Fewkers, Countryside Access Officer for CCC said: "It’s
quite a simple yet effective, solution to the ongoing problem of
the watercourse eroding the bank when in spate, by casting a new
abutment and then using the old bridge section to span across
the relief channel."
Bones found inside an ancient burial urn found over a
century ago on Baildon Moor have just been radio-carbon dated to
around 1700 BC - the early Bronze Age - over 3,500 years ago.
The decorated burial urn was found in 1904 by workers as they
dug the seventh green on the moortop golf course at Pennythorne
Hill, on a popular early alternative section for walkers of
A
Dales High Way.
Rumour had it that the workers wanted to dump what they found
in their wheelbarrow and say nothing, but someone spotted what
was afoot and alerted the council. In the hasty excavation which
followed, the man’s cremated bones, crushed but not powdered,
were discovered inside a complete decorated burial urn, along
with a copper or bronze knife, a flint arrowhead, and a
perforated bone tube.
Dr Keith Boughey, a retired science teacher and amateur
archeologist who lives on the fringe of the moor, persuaded
Bradford
council to release samples to a radiocarbon dating
laboratory.
The results, he said, “nailed down the period”, proving that
the artefacts were from the very cusp of the new Bronze Age.
"This one is special for a few reasons" said Dr Boughey. "It
contained metal. For a long time it was the stone age. Flint was
the big one and they made really amazing things. Bronze is the
first metal that was discovered."
The bones were those of a high-status man aged about
25.
Baildon Moor is one of several local moors which abound with
prehistoric artifacts, including the nearby Dobruddon Stone
which carries cup-and-ring markings from the Neolithic or New
Stone Age - over 4000 years ago.
From November the Cremation Urn will go on display at the
Bracken Hall Countryside Centre on Shipley Glen, Baildon. It
will be displayed alongside the Heygate "cup-and-ring" stone.
The centre is open Saturdays and Sundays, 12 to 4 pm. Admission
is free.
Walkers along A Dales High Way were
treated to a rare sight on Saturday, when the steam train
Tornado crossed the Ribblehead Viaduct under strormy skies on
its way from London to Carlisle.
The North Briton steam train was run by the A1
Steam Locomotive Trust as part of its regular private steam
train outings. The Tornado is a regular visitor to the
Leeds-Settle-Carlisle line - in February 2017 it ran a daily
mainline return service over 3 days, carrying 5,000 passengers,
following repairs to the line which had seen it closed for a
lengthy period.
The Leeds-Settle-Carlisle Line runs regular daily train
services, using speedy diesel pacers. But commercial steam and
diesel services are operated by railway comapanies regularly
along the line, including services from The A1 Steam Locomotive
Trust, The Railway Touring Company, Statesman Rail, West Coast
Railways and Saphos Trains.
Two more steam trains are expected this month: -
Saturday 5th - Pennine Explorer (A1 Steam Locomotive
Trust);
Saturday 12th - The Cumbrian Mountain Express (The
Railway Touring Company);
Riding the train is a great way to see the beautiful
Settle-Carlisle Line, probably the most beautiful railway
journey in England. But watching the trains pass over the
Ribblehead Viaduct from the route of A Dales High Way
is a special pleasure.
The annual Saltaire Festival starts today and runs throughout
the next 10 days.
It offers a real treat for walkers arriving to set off on
A
Dales High Way.
Saltaire Brewery Beer Festival will help the district unwind
over the first weekend, serving up beer and street food.
Live music will play around the village, including hotspots
like Caroline Social Club, Flash Cassette and the Buskers
Bandstand in the park. The festival will also bring a
weekend-long vintage home and fashion fair to Victoria Hall.
Ros Garside, events co-ordinator for Saltaire Festival,
explained this year's event will have a "nice, calm, family
friendly, community feel".
She said: "The first one (weekend) is more about community
and heritage and the second one is the big markets and music in
the park.
"Our key event is an exhibition called Weaving The Future
which is building on the fact this village was built on
textiles. We are hoping to see lots of people in the village."
The full programme for Saltaire Festival, including free
children's and young people's events, is available online.
Victoria Square in Saltaire, at the very start of A Dales High Way, was transformed into a
Victorian Lancashire street scene earlier this month for the filming of
a new TV series The English Game.
Saltaire has become one of the top film locations in the
region, due mainly to its remarkably preserved Victorian streets
and the iconic Salts Mill. It has, of course, enjoyed World
Heritage status since 2001.
The new 6-part series tells the story of the invention of
football and how it quickly rose to become the world's game by
crossing class divides. Produced by Netflix and written by
Julian Fellowes, the series is expected to be shown next year.
For several days shops were transformed in Saltaire, with one
becoming Darwen Post Office and others becoming greengrocers,
butchers and family homes. With a huge cast of extras the whole
exercise was an entertaining and impressive feat of logistics.
Darwen, a town in Lancashire near Blackburn, was home to the
first football club in the world to have paid professional
players, and was an early pioneer of professional football in
northern England.
Filming also took place in and around a house on the cobbled
street of Saltaire's Albert Terrace, and in Bradford city centre
where horse drawn carriages and more actors in Victorian
clothing were seen filming outside City Hall.
An off-road enthusiast who illicitly drove his Landrover
Discovery on a restricted byway in the Yorkshire Dales, suffered
a double whammy last week.
Firstly his vehicle got stuck when he slipped into a sink
hole. Then his pleas for help via social media were quickly
answered - by the local National Park ranger and a local
policeman.
The 20 year old had taken his vehicle onto Gorbeck Road - a
green lane that runs from Langscar Gate near Malham to
Langcliffe and Settle. It forms part of the Pennine Bridleway
Settle Loop and is subject to a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO)
banning its use to motorcycles and four by four vehicles.
The first section from Langscar Gate is also part of A Dales
High Way.
Off-road access to Gorbeck Road has a chequered history. When
the original TRO was imposed in 2008, it was initially
succesfully challenged by the Motoring Organisations’
Land Access & Recreation Association (LARA) and
overturned. The track was soon turned into a rutted, muddy mess,
but the TRO was reinstated in 2010, since when the track has
recovered.
Pc Harry Carpenter, of Settle Police, together with Malham
based Yorkshire Dales National Park ranger, Rob Ashford, located
the man and his vehicle at about 10am the following morning, and with the
help of a farmer and his tractor, pulled the Landrover out of
the hole.
PC Harry Carpenter said: “The circumstances were quite
unusual in this case. A lot of green lanes can be used
legally, but we do have the odd rogue vehicle user who chooses
to ignore restrictions on sensitive routes. In this case
the route runs through a Site of Special Scientific Interest and
it was adjacent to the route where the vehicle got stuck .
We encourage people to come forward and report cases such as
this, and we will endeavour to prosecute.”
It’s expected that the Bradford man will be summonsed to
appear at Skipton Magistrates’ Court to face charges of
breaching a Traffic Regulation Order.
Walkers celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Dales Way in
style yesterday. A recreation of the first public Dales Way walk - which took
place in 1969 - was topped off with a return journey from Bolton
Abbey to Ilkely in two vintage 1960's buses.
The single decker bus was identical to the one that ferried
over 120 walkers back to Ilkley on Sunday March 23rd 1969.
Leading both walks was veteran West Riding Rambler Colin Speakman.
Over 70 walkers gathered at Ilkley Old Bridge yesterday for
the historic event. Stewarding was provided by volunteers from
theFriends of A Dales High Way, along
with Friends of DalesBus, and Friends of the Dales.
In the afternoon walkers made their way to Ilkley's Manor
House, where an exhibition of 50 years of the Dales Way
was formally opened by John Grogan MP. The free exhibition runs
throughout August.
The Dales Way is one of Britains most popular long-distance
walks and its generally easy riverside walking makes it a
favourite first long-distance challenge for many walkers. It's
younger sister trail - A Dales High Way
- is an altogether tougher follow-up challenge.
Chris and Tony Grogan will be leading a walk from Dent
Station along the two Dales Ways this Thursday, July 18th.
The first part follows the Dales Way from Lea Yeat heading
west along the southern side of Dentdale, renowned at this time
of year for its colourful hay meadows. The Dales Way celebrates
its 50th anniversary this year.
At Bridge End, where the Dales Way meets A Dales High Way to
join up for a short riverside section into Dent, the walk will
turn to head southeast, following A Dales High Way as it climbs
above Deepdale and along the Great Wold before dropping into
Little Dale towards Ribblehead. A Dales High Way celebrated its
10th anniversary last year.
Chris and Tony, who created A Dales High Way, serve on the
committees of both the Friends of A Dales High Way and the
Dales
Way Association. They are leading the free public walk on behalf
of the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line (Foscl). The
moderately strenuous walk of 10 miles includes one lengthy steep
climb.
Chris said "We're really looking forward to this. They are
both beautiful walks and Dentdale is my favourite of all the
Yorkshire Dales."
No need to book in advance, just join the
Leeds-Settle-Carlisle train that departs Leeds at 09:17 and join
them on the station platform at Dent at 10.48. The return train
leaves Ribblehead at 17.42, allowing for a refreshments break at
the Station Inn.
A special souvenir booklet celebrating the first 50 Years
of the Dales Way - one of our most popular and cherished
long distance trails - is now on sale.
The booklet traces the extraordinary story of how the
enthusiasm, determination and dedication of a small group of
Ramblers 50 years ago turned their vision into reality.
It is beautifully illustrated with over 60 full-colour
photos, including some rare and exclusive historical images. The
special limited souvenir edition will be of interest to walkers
everywhere.
The Dales Way was the inspiration for its younger, more
challenging sister route - A Dales High Way.
The Dales Way Association is organising a number of events to
celebrate this historic landmark including:-
A recreation of the very first Dales Way walk, which
will take place on Saturday, August 3rd. Colin Speakman,
will lead walkers from Ilkley to Bolton Abbey. Meet at the
Old Ilkley Bridge at 10 a.m.
An exhibition about the Dales Way at Ilkley's Manor
House, which opens on August 3rd after the walk. Admission
is free.
An Ultra Marathon run along the full length of the Dales
Way is being staged by Punk Panthers and will feature up to
250 competitors, both runners and fast walkers. The race
will start on the morning of Saturday, 17th August 2019, and
will be run over 36 hours, starting in the Lake District and
finishing in Ilkley.
50 Years of the Dales Way by Colin Speakman and Tony
Grogan, ISBN 978-1-911321-04-0, 28 pages, full colour, £4.99.
Published by Skyware Press on behalf of the Dales Way
Association (DWA), the booklet can be bought online for just
£4.99 post-free, with proceeds going to the DWA.
The summer newsletter number 6, from the
Friends of A Dales
High Way, is now available to download.
The newsletter focuses on different approaches to walking the
90-mile long distance trail.
Chair of the Friends, Julia Pearson, reflects on walking
A
Dales High Way last summer in a traditional way, starting with a
couple of day walks, then finishing with a 6-day hike, using a
mix of camping and B&Bs.
Catherine Bradley-Richardson tackled the trail the hard way,
setting a new women's' record of just 35 hours!
Chris Grogan outlines how we managed to walk the trail the
slow way - as a
series of day walks, using public transport, as part of the
celebrations for the trail's 10th anniversary last year.
With careful planning it is possible for anyone to walk the
entire trail this way, making use of the train along the
world-famous Leeds-Settle-Carlisle line, along with an
occasional bus link and a local taxi service.
Finally Bridget Izod takes a straw poll on the top 10 Dales
High Way snacks
people like to take with them on the trail. Is your favourite in
there?
Work to repair a 200 metre section of path on Whernside,
above Bruntscar, has now been completed.
The section of path takes a battering from thousands of boots
each year, as a part of the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge
route. It is also a popular alternative route into Dentdale for
Dales High Way walkers.
£46,000 was needed for the repairs, and an appeal was
launched by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA)
in November 2017, as part of the British Mountaineering
Council’s Mend Our Mountains appeal.
Rewards on offer to donors included copies of the new edition
of A Dales High Way Companion, provided by publishers Skyware
Press.
Kate Hildich, YDNPA Area Manager for the Southern Dales, said
"I am pleased to be able to let you know that not only have we
been successful in raising £46,409, but that the works have now
also been completed on site. The works will of course take a bit
of time to ‘bed in’ and for the surrounding vegetation to
recover, but all feedback has been incredibly positive about the
improvements that have been made."
Wildlife walk celebrates public transport champion
A celebration of the life and interests of Dr John Disney was
held on Saturday, with four walks around Settle followed by a
reception at the Royal Oak.
John was a passionate advocate of integrated public
transport, a keen walker and a co-ordinator of the Friends of
the Settle Carlisle Line public walks programme. He died
suddenly on Saturday 20th October 2018, aged just 58.
The walks took in sections of A Dales High Way,
including an 8 mile walk to Austwick via Oxenber Wood, rich in
wild flowers at this time of year. John had a passion for
walking, gardening, the countryside and rural affairs.
John, born in 1960, was educated at Ilkeston Grammar School,
Nottingham University obtaining a degree in Mathematics followed
by a doctorate at Trent Polytechnic. He went on to be a senior
lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, specialising in
Business and Quality Management.
John was active in many circles. He was a member of the Royal
Statistical Society, a board member of the Dales and Bowland
Community Interest Company and supporter of the Friends of the
Settle-Carlisle Line. He had a special relationship with the
Derbyshire and Yorkshire Dales and campaigned actively to
maintain integrated rail and bus services into hard to reach
public spaces. Frequently he was consulted as an expert witness
on topics including HS2, rural rail and bus services, road user
charging and workplace parking. He also contributed to radio and
TV regarding such matters and was shortly to give evidence to
the House of Commons Transport Select Committee Inquiry into the
state of rural bus services.
After a week of sunshine, grey skies greeted
The Friends of A Dales High Way as they
led a walk above Settle to Attermire Scar, Victoria Cave and the
Hoffmann Kiln on Friday. But the sudden change in the weather failed to dampen
spirits, and the entire troupe finished off the day with a
celebratory drink or two in the Lion Inn.
The walk, part of this year's Ride2Stride Walking Festival,
set off 30 minutes late due to a train failure at Leeds. A steep
climb to the southeast by Preston's Barn, onto Stockdale Lane
and up beside Sugar Loaf Hill was rewarded with a short coffee
break to enjoy the stunning views of Attermire Scar and
Warrendale Knotts. A further sharp climb then to Victoria Cave
itself, where excavations have revealed evidence of the earliest
modern human occupation in the area some 11,000 years ago,
together with bone fragments of lion, hippopotamus and elephant
from before the last ice age!
After a lunch break at Jubilee Caves, the walkers headed down
to Stainforth, stopping along the way to admire the spectacular
long drop waterfall of Cattrigg Foss.
The incredible site of the Craven Lime Works, with a walk
through the eerie cavernous Hoffmann Kiln, provided a further
stopping point, before an easy afternoon ramble on a section of
A Dales High Way alongside the
River Ribble back to Settle.
Walk leader Chris Grogan said "Thanks to everyone who came
along. It's good to see old friends and new faces enjoying A
Dales High Way together."
Ilkley Moor is now open for
Dales High Way walkers again
after firefighters began winding up their operations.
With rain expected later today, the immediate danger has
passed, though walkers should still take care.
The actual route of A Dales High Way is unaffected, though
the fire came right up to the track as it descends down from
Ilkley Moor to White Wells (see photo).
A man has been charged with arson over one fire on the moor. Crews were called to the West Yorkshire spa town on
Saturday, where they fought fires in two areas of the moor
covering 25,000 sq m.
On Monday evening West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
tweeted out a stern message, after fire crews reported that
people were still lighting barbecues up there.
A group of four women walkers who had arrived from the USA to
walk the trail were lucky to get down into Ilkley on Saturday
before the fire caught hold. On Sunday they had to make use of
their OS maps and guide books, along with helpful local advice,
to get back onto the trail beyond Addingham reservoir, but they
arrived safely in Skipton.
A fierce fire has devastated a section of Ilkley Moor
overnight and firefighters are still dealing with the aftermath.
Walkers have been asked to stay off the moor for the next
couple of days until the fire is firmly under control.
The fire, believed to have started accidently on the hottest
day of the year so far, took hold on the northern slopes of the
moor around White Wells, above the town of Ilkley.
A West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said:
"Twelve pumps are still in attendance at incident, currently we
are using seven jets and beaters, specialist wildfire units are
also in attendance and a helicopter will be assisting with
overhead water attack."
Walkers setting out on A Dales High Way should avoid the
first section over the moor between Saltaire and Addingham until
the all-clear is given. Those heading for Ilkley should catch a
train directly from Shipley or Leeds and follow the riverside
Dales Way path from Ilkley to Addingham.
Alternatively, the Leeds-Liverpool canal can be followed all
the way from Saltaire to Skipton (16 miles), with the option of
leaving it at Silsden (after 9 miles) to take a short bus ride
over to Addingham (Bus 62, hourly on Sunday, half-hourly
weekdays).
A Dales High Way can then be rejoined at Addingham.
Generally, if you come across a fire whilst walking on
moorland, you should turn around, retrace your steps and get
down quickly from the moor.
UPDATE: 24 April - the route of A Dales High
Way is now open again (see above).
The Friends of A Dales High Way are leading a walk
on Friday, 3rd May as part of the 2019 Ride2Stride
Walking Festival. All are welcome.
The 9-mile circular walk starts at Settle Railway Station at
10.22 a.m., meeting the train from Leeds, and will be led by
Chris Grogan.
Crags, Caves and Kilns is described as "an excellent walk
from Settle visiting Attermire Scar and returning via the
Hoffman kiln. "
The walk takes in sections of A Dales High Way
and is described as
"moderate", but walkers can expect some steep climbs, especially
in the first part of the walk.
Chris said "This is a stunning walk with some fantastic views
and lots to look at along the way. It's a long steep climb from
Settle to Victoria Cave but we think it's worth it and there
will be plenty of short stops for walkers to take a breather on
the way."
The walks are free, just turn up for the start on the station
platform.
There are 30 led walks in this years programme, with music at
various venues along the line every evening.
A viewpoint will open at Malham Cove on Friday for people to
watch the world’s fastest animal, the peregrine falcon, up
close.
The opening will mark the start of the 17th year of the
Malham Peregrine Project, a partnership between the Yorkshire
Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) and the RSPB.
The free public viewpoint is at the base of the Cove, where
Information Assistants and a team of volunteers will be on hand
to show people the birds through telescopes.
It will be open from 10:30 to 16:30 five days a week, from
Thursday to Monday (closed Tues and Weds), from Fri 5th April
until Mon 5th August.
RSPB Area Manager Anthony Hills said: ““We’re excited for
another season at Malham Cove. As the fastest animal on the
planet, the peregrines are incredible to watch. Each year there
is something new to discover about these special birds and it is
like a soap opera watching them raise their family on the Cove
face. And it’s not just the peregrines either, we get regular
views of other wonderful wildlife such as green woodpeckers,
redstarts, wheatears and kestrels.”
Next week marks 50 years since the very first public walk
along a section of our big sister trail - The Dales Way.
On Monday, March 10th, 1969, the Yorkshire Evening Post
carried a major news feature outlining “A new Dales Way …. from
Ilkley to Lakeland“.
The article began: “Leeds, Harrogate and Bradford may soon by
linked to the Lake District by footpath. It is all part of a
projected new Dales Way mapped out by the West Riding branch of
the Ramblers Association.
“If you are interested, if you have a longing for fresh air
after this long dark winter of discontent, now is the time to
polish your best walking boots and get out your rucksack.
“You can become involved in this wonderful scheme by
presenting yourself at Ilkley Post Office on Sunday March 23, at
10.15 a.m. On that day members of the Ramblers Association are
to walk along the first 10 miles of the new Dales Way from
Ilkley to Burnsall, and members of the public are invited to
take part.”
That cold March Sunday, over 130 people gathered to take part
in the first ever public walk along a section of the Dales Way.
Colin Speakman led them for the 12-mile trek to Burnsall, where
they caught pre-arranged buses back to Ilkley. It was a huge
success.
That inaugural walk has been celebrated every decade since.
In 2019 the 50th anniversary of that first walk will take place
on Saturday, 3rd August.
The popular riverside trail was the inspiration for it's
tougher younger sister - A Dales High Way!
The route that most Dales High Way
walkers follow out of Skipton climbs steeply up Park Hill and
quickly offers great views back over Skipton Castle and forwards
to the distinctive peak of Sharp Haw.
There is another way though, an alternative route below the
castle walls and up through Skipton Woods where walkers are
greeted by a huge willow sculpture.
Skipton Woods are an ancient woodland and the sculpture,
‘Spirit of the Medieval Hunter’ with her bow and arrow,
reflects their past as the hunting and fishing grounds for
Skipton Castle.
She was created last year by Anna and the Willow, a talented
artist from Ripon. Deeper in the woods is a willow pony.
Anna said "Ive been blown away by all the amazing feedback
and really pleased the sculptures sit so well in the ancient
woodland."
The woods are cared for by the Woodland Trust, and
their permissive trails make a great alternative escape from
Skipton. Follow the Sougha Gill track to make
your way up and rejoin A Dales High Way by the A65 for Tarn
Moor.
An increasing number of walkers tackling A Dales High Way are
taking in all of the Yorkshire Three Peaks along the route -
Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside.
The official Dales High Way route includes only one of the
Three Peaks - Ingleborough - but offers Whernside as
an option. However, Pen-y-ghent does not feature.
It is possible, though, to include Pen-y-ghent in Section
Three, which runs from Settle to Chapel-le-Dale. The
suggested Pen-y-ghent - Three Peaks Alternative adds 4 miles, with an additional 300 metres of ascent, taking
around 2 hours extra. However, it also gives the opportunity to
break the Section at Horton-in-Ribblesdale.
Typical of this group of walkers is Ian, who flew up from the Channel
Islands last summer to walk the trail and has just posted a blog
about his adventures. "It is a tweaked version of the DHW,
missing out the first few miles and instead starting at Ilkley,
but aiming to include all of the Yorkshire 3 peaks. That's the
plan anyway" he said.
The Pen-y-ghent - Three Peaks Alternative cuts from
the main Dales High Way route at Stainforth Bridge, heading up
through Stainforth to join the Ribble Way, climbing to Moor Head
Lane and continuing north along the ridge to join the Pennine
Way. It then follows the Pennine Way up to the summit of Pen-y-ghent and
down to Horton-in-Ribblesdale, before heading for Ingleborough
to rejoin A Dales High Way above Crummackdale.
Did Ian have a good time?
"What a walk it has been. I am a relative novice when it
comes to long distance walks but this must be up there as one of
the best trails in England. Many have highlights but also some
‘by the numbers’ sections, but here every day had something
special, a unique feature, an achievement, an icon" he said.
"The 3 peaks formed the main event, but the appetizer was the
Malham area and the dessert the Howgill Fells. That’s a
sumptuous 3 courses!"
The first real cold snap of this winter has finally taken
hold over the Yorkshire Dales, with snow blanketing Ingleborough
(see picture).
After a fairly dry summer last year the winter so far has
been quite mild. The current cold spell is expected to continue
through into next week.
Though winter conditions can make for some exciting walking
along A Dales High Way, great care is needed on higher ground
and in icy conditions underfoot.
On Sunday, January 27th a walker showing signs of mild
hypothermia was helped down from Ingleborough by the volunteers
from the Clapham based Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO).
On the following day another walker was injured on Malham
Cove. The CRO incident report states:
"A walker (m,72) slipped and fell on the limestone pavement
and sustained a suspected fractured right ankle. The team
responded and splinted the injured limb, and then put the
casualty onto a stretcher for a carry to the team vehicle. He
was then transported to a waiting road ambulance at Malham
visitor centre, from where he was transferred to hospital.
"Whilst dealing with this incident a team member slipped and
fell, injuring his right wrist. No treatment was required at the
scene, but a subsequent check at hospital revealed a fracture to
the lower right forearm."
A £2.27 million National Lottery grant has been awarded to
the Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership scheme,
with the aim to reveal, conserve and celebrate the rich geology,
wildlife, cultural heritage and spectacular limestone landscapes
of the Westmorland Dales.
The area lies to the north of the Howgill Fells in Cumbria,
extending over 200 sq km from Maulds Meaburn in the north to
Tebay in the south-west and Ravenstonedale in the south-east.
The final stretch of A Dales High Way
passes right through the heart of this area, which became part
of an extended Yorkshire Dales National Park in 2016.
A total of 21 projects will be delivered by a partnership of
organisations over a four year period.
There will be opportunities for volunteers to survey the
unique heritage and long distance routes of the Westmorland
Dales through desk and field survey with the Yorkshire Dales
National Park and other partners. Heritage routes include drove
roads, green lanes, and public rights of way; long distance
routes include the Coast to Coast, Lady Annes’s Way
and Pennine Bridleway. Volunteers will assess
routes for essential improvements, record features and research
each route’s unique history.
This remote and beautiful pastoral landscape has a unique mix
of habitats and remarkably intact pattern of historical
settlements and features. It has 79 Scheduled Monuments, 19
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and two National
Nature Reserves. However, it has been largely ’hidden’ for the
last 70 years, tucked away between the Lake District and
Yorkshire Dales National Parks.
David Evans, development officer at Friends of the Lake
District who are acting as lead body on behalf of the
Partnership said: “We can’t wait to get started on the delivery
of the scheme. We’ve worked with volunteers, community
organisations, interest groups, farmers, landowners and
businesses throughout the planning phase to help shape the
projects."
New Year's
Day got underway with the traditional cold water
bath at White Wells, overlooking Ilkley.
Volunteers signed up at the White Wells cafe before walking
next door and taking the steps down into the murky water. The
first to tackle the Ilkley challenge was Sandra Gale, who was
followed by families and people of all ages.
Charli Oliver, 19, from Perth, in Western Australia, was
joined by her boyfriend Matthew Lloyd and 15-year-old sister,
Amy (see photo (c) Bradford Telegraph & Argus)
"It wasn't as bad as I was expecting," said Charli, who
claimed the water was about six degrees centigrade. "My sister
said she couldn't breathe when she got in because it was so
cold."
White Wells is a spa bath situated on Ilkley Moor, on the
route of A Dales High Way. It was
built in around 1700 as an open air spa bath, later baths were
enclosed and a single plunge pool survives today.
The current tenants have been there for nearly 20 years, but
there are fears that the historic building could fall into
disrepair, following council plans to double the rent.
Previously the site stood empty for some time.
Town councillor Anne Hawkesworth said: "At that time the
cottage was empty because a tenant could not be found. The
security costs were exorbitant and a solution had to be found.
It was decided that the answer was probably to find a tenant who
would act as a caretaker on a nominal peppercorn rent- in
reality who else would live up there - I certainly wouldn't."
She said the arrangement also included a requirement to open
the cafe at specific times.
