Marske Beck

Sunday, 8th August

13K (8.3 Miles) - Time : 2.57 hrs

Map : Ordnance Survey OL30 (Northern and Central Dales)

Oh, the joys of high summer - high temperatures, high level walking and high spirits.  This was another Jack Keighley walk, although it was extended from the 5 1/4 miles in the guide book and, although it was a long drive to get there it was well worth it.

After some 50 miles of motoring the walks starts just outside the hamlet of Marske (GR 102004) between Leyburn and Richmond. A hop over the bridge and a stile offers itself alongside the beck which take you through a wooded area to emerge, eventually, onto a path that takes you through Clints Wood.  This is seemingly, run of the mill countryside until you emerge from the wood into the glory of the Dales with a steep sided valley and views of the limestone Clints Scar above. 

A short while further on and you descend to the valley bottom and the chane to visit Orgate Force .  Whilst not the most spectacular of falls compared to some it is, nevertheless, a delight. Although a word of caution after rainfall (which we have had in abundance over the last few days) - the rocks and paths can be slippery as I found out to my expense when trying to find the perfect angle for a photograph.  Had it been published it would have been of the trees with the sky above !! Slightly sore back and grazed knuckles are the result og concentrating too much of what I wanted to see, rather then where I was putting my feet.

After the delights of Orgate the next setion is a slog along a rough track, heading for Telfit Farm.  If this section is a slog, the next is sheer delight as you round the brow of the hill and take a path which hugs the contours above the beck itself.  For a brief section the walk was in perfect tranquility - peace and calm with hardly a cloud in the sky. 

Luchtime was taken just above Helwith (GR 074029). One is always tempted to envy the folks who live in these isolated farmhouses but (as I always remind Gill and myself) what must it be like in the depths of winter?  At this point Keighley's walk turns it back on the beck to climb back over the moor.  I, however, carried on alongside the beck and past Prys House (complete with dead, rotting sheep) and then cut back up past Low Greenas and High Greenas.  This gave out onto fantastic heather covered moorland eventually joining back with the published route.

The last section of the walk is a straightforward descent from the moor down a steep, rocky path and then through pasture until you rejoin the outer route just past Pillmire Bridge and back to the car.

On a personal note, I did this walk on my own as Gill is in Florida to witness Hannah (my eldest daughter) getting married to Alex.  I wish both of them the most deep felt and sincere congratulations. I hope the future brings them both happiness and fulfilment.  Times will not always be easy but I hope the love and affection they have for each other will see them through difficult times and, believe me, they are soon forgotten and it is the good times that are remembered.  They both have my love.  By the way the "proper" wedding is next year !!

As I write this, slightly sore from my fall, I think back on a wonderful day, in glorious scenery with fantastic weather - my heart is soaring !

Usual bunch of photographs here (apart from the falling down shot!) 

Middleham and Coverdale

Sunday, June 20th
6.75 miles
Map : Outdoor Leisure 30 - Yorkshire Dales: Northern & Central




Glorious weather + glorious countryside = glorious day !! Another Jack Keighley walk that starts in Middleham. This is quite a drive from home - approximately 40 miles, but with the weather set fair the drive up to Ripon and then onwards to Middleham was a joy. Parking is easy enough in the centre of Middleham, although the area does get pretty busy. However, at 10:30 on a Sunday morning I managed to find a spot and donned my boots to set forward.

Middleham is horse racing country and after climbing out of the village the route heads out across the gallops. I have to say that I found this section quite difficult to follow. The printed route takes in Pinker's Pond and the OS Column on Cross Bank. Sadly, I found neither but did find the path that drops down from Fern Gill (past racing stables) to Tupgill Park. This is now "marketed" as "The Forbidden Corner - the strangest place in the world". Whether the actual park lives up to its reputation I cannot say. However, I did come across the strangest sheep that I have ever seen !!


I've no idea what breed it is and, despite looking around on the internet I'm none the wiser !

Anyway the route drops down to the floor of the valley and crosses the River Cover before heading on to the tiny hamlet of Caldbergh and eventually out onto a glorious green path that maintains the contour of the valley side. In his narrative, Keighley mentions that Coverdale is "not greatly frequented by walkers" and I can concur with that remark meeting only one other couple on the six/seven miles.

Eventually you again drop down to the river before crossing it at the wonderfully named "Hullo Bridge" , from there it is only a short distance to breach the top of the hill and the sight of Middleham Castle - a Norman structure with a huge keep - beckons you back to the centre of Middleham.

As I said it was glorious weather. Not too hot but just right for walking. The views, especially the section from Caldbergh are absolutely magnificent, well worth the drive !

Some photographs from this link - by the way, please let me know if you can identify the sheep !! It's beginning to bug me !

London & Dallowgill

London : 3.9 miles

Wednesday, 12th May



An added bonus in terms of walking this week with a trip to Twickenham and the RFU National U18 Executive Meeting. I decided to take a slightly earlier train and walk from Kings Cross Station to Vauxhall where you can pick up a train to Twickenham. The walk came from the superb walkit.com website. I simply chose London as the city I was visiting, put in my start and finish points and it produced both a map and directions from me which I could print out.

The walk had three distinct sections to it. Firtsly it took me through a number of small gardens in the environs of Kings Cross - a real bonus. I wouldn't have known they were there without the route. This also took me past Dickens House, although sadly I didn't have time to visit the museum.
The second section drops you onto the Strand and all the hustle and bustle of a London lunchtime, though I suspect it is busy whatever the time of day.
Finally, you end up on the banks of the Thames crossing the river by Hungerford Bridge and then walking along the embankment past the London Eye before things finally get a little quieter approaching Vauxhall station itself. Having said that this was the day that the new Government was being formed and Millbank, Conservative Party Headquarters was pretty busy as people were being constantly ferried to Downing Street.

It's nice to have some contrast in your walking and an "urban ramble" was needed after 2 1/2 hours on a train and the knowledge that you would be doing the same in a few hours time.

A few photos here

Dallowgill

Saturday, 15th May

6.5 miles Map : Explorer 26 - Nidderdale

Dallowgill itself is not acutallyNidderdale but a few miles East towards Kirkby Malzeard. This is another walk for Jack Keighley and his "Walks in the Yorkshire Dales" published by Cicerone.


I've never heard of Dallowgill before taking this walk and it certainly is one of the quietest dales I have ever visited (although there were a fair number of people out walking). The walk starts from a quiet pull in just off the Pateley Bridge to Kirkby Malzeard road (GR 204723). The first part of the walk takes you through some lovely green paths and across becks. Really lovely in the spring sunshine. The route takes you down Belford Lane and then on to green lanes that wind down and across the bottom of the valley before emerging onto a back road.

The middle section is a fairly long uphill pull which ends up on the edge of Kirkby Malzeard Moor and the perfect place to sit down and have some lunch. This actually takes you past Carlesmoor which, like many of the "villages" on the map is just a collection of two or three houses. Whilst the weather was sunny there was a stiff breeze, so being able to find some shelter from it made lunch even more pleasant. The final section took me off to Greygarth Monument and then dropped down to Dallowgill itself and through Stang Brae which was reseplendent with thousands of bluebells and the attendant heady perfume. The final stiff climb brings you out at Dallow itself - yes just two or three house, before a final drop down and across the River Laver, nothing more than a stream really. Here you rejoin the road for the final half-mile back to the car.

Another great day out. Pictures available here

How Steen Gorge & Nidderdale

Friday, 2nd April - 6 Miles

Good Friday and my 55th birthday. Gill and I set of reasonably early and drove the 28 miles up into Nidderdale for this walk that came from Jack Keighley. The book "Walks in the Yorkshire Dales" is an updated version of the one that I have but this walk entitled "The Caves and Gorges of Nidderdale" is included in it. I also had the Ordnance Survey Explorer 26 - Nidderdale with me, The day was less than promising with low cloud and mist when we set off but the countryside that we walked through soon let us forget that, although considering it is the beginning of April is was still pretty nippy. We parked near the small village of Lofthouse (GR 098734).

First on the intinerary was a visit to How Steen Gorge. Again, I have to admit that whilst I'm a born and bred Yorkshireman I've never visited this beauty spot before. It's a pretty hefty £5.50 per. person entrance fee and, if I'm honest, not worth it !! Why do we seem to charge so much for simple pleasures in this country ? Surely one of the pleasures of walking it that it costs nothing - or, are my Yorkshire instincts getting the better of me! Anyway, we paid up and tried to spend as long as possible in the gorge !

The walk proper can only be described as a pretty strenuous six miles. In particular the pull from How Steen up to the village of Middlesmoor and the stretch at the half way point by Manchester Hole really got the lungs and calves screaming for some respite ! Of course the pay back was some pretty stunning views along Nidderdale. Sadly, these probably don't come out too well in the photos as the weather was not conducive to photography.

After passing through Middlesmoor the walk hugs the side of the valley, pretty high up, until you drop down to the floor of the valley at Limley Farm. Just past the farm are the entrances to a couple of caves - I couldn't resist going down into Manchester Hole (GR: 101763), although the flowers laid at the entrance suggest that a full descent may be more dangerous than messing about in the entrance as I did. After the steep climb just after the pothole the return journey to Lofthouse is via. the Nidderdale Way, although it was a little muddy after the rain we've had recently. The final section takes you past Lofthouse and Middlesmoore Cricket ground - surely one of the smallest cricket grounds I've ever seen. I think that batsmen will certainly have the advantage, even though there is a pretty steep slope on one side of the wicket !

Despite the overcast and murky conditions this was a fantastic morning out in the countryside and well worth the drive! That's the first six miles of the month as Gill and I try to walk a "Marathon a Month" !

Photos of the walk are available from this link