Blubberhouses Moor

Monday, 25th April

11.7 Km (7.2 miles) - 2hr 55 mins

Only 6 miles from our front doorstep and you feel like you are in the wilderness !! This walk is on the opposite side of Ilkley's more famous Cow and Calf Rocks and affords great views both back down the Washburn Valley and across to Ilkley's more famous location. 

The walk started at Trimble itself (GR SE179529). This small hamlet if a favourite starting point for many ramblers, not least because the Timble Inn used to offer refreshment after one's exertions.  Sadly, in the current economic climate it only has limited opening times and (strangely) Bank Holiday Monday isn't one of them !!  Bah ! I was quite looking forward to a pint!

After a short stretch of road walking the routethen heads past Sourby and climbs towards Ellescar Pike (GR SE159522).  Here the true moor walking begins as we followed High Badger Gate - a path!  Apparently,and  according to the guide book, a badger was a corn merchant and the moors are criss-crossed with route used by these merchants. 

Our next port of call was finding Geocache GC1K2KP This was easier than expected as the heather had all been burnt leaving the rock, under which the cache was hidden, more exposed than it would have been.

A stride further on took us to the high point of the walk at Lippersley Pike (GR SE143524).  From here it is a quite strenuous stretch (although, thankfully a short one) across Gawk Hall Ridge to Gawk Hall Gate itself.

Here, I'm sad to say, the guide book did not really help and the way is quite confusing across Blubberhouses Moor itself.  However, we managed it and landed (eventually) at Anchor Farm.  From here it is a short stretch through Beecroft Moor Plantation and back to the starting point.

Another good day's walking (apart from the confusion across the moor).  The weather was mixed, starting with bright sunshine but becoming cloudy and breezy on the way.  Still, a good way to spend a Bank Holiday.

Set of pictures available from this link

Twisleton Scars

Friday, 22nd April

11 kms (6.84 miles) - 2:35mins

A glorious day (Good Friday) with hardly a cloud in the sky, although there was quite a haze, as Gill and I got into some training for our Diabetes WellWalk which is due to take place at the end of May.

Chapel Le Dale, where the walk starts from, has long memories for me.  My mother went to school here.  Sadly, the school is now a bunk barn but in the early 1940s she would walk some three miles from home near Blea Moor Tunnel to attend school. Secondly, in the early 1970s I was part of the Skipton (Congregational) Scout Group.  Each year we would man a checkpoint at the Hill Inn for the annual Dalesman Axe Walk.  I can't find any mention of this competition now, so can only presume it no longer takes place.  Anyway, we would arrive on the Friday evening to pitch camp and then spent the night in the Hill Inn.

A group of hungover men would then stand around waiting for the competitors to descend from Ingleborough to be checked in before the set off up Whernside.

Enougn reminiscence, the walk starts at Chapel Le Dale (GR SD 737771) and the first port of call is St. Leonard's Church.  Here lie the bodies of a number of navvies, killed whilst working on the Settle to Carlisle railway and, in particular, Ribblehead viaduct which is only a couple of miles away. The route takes a path by the church and climbs away to Ellerbeck, one of those distinctive Dales farms that looks idyllic in warm April sunshine but must take on a different complection in January and February.

Here the route turns away and heads straight across the moor, with spectacular views back across to Ribblehead and Ingleborough which looms large throughout the whole walk.

Ewes Top (GR SD705760) provided a welcome stop for some lunch before descending Twisleton Scar End and briefly joining the long string of walkers on the Ingleton Waterfalls Walk. Whilst they headed for Beezley Falls, we turned left onto the old Roman Road that leads under the Scar back to Chapel Le Dale and the walks end,

Superb weather, if a little hazy and a good start to a month that gives four Bank Holidays and the prospect of more walking to come.  

Set of photographs from the link

John O'Gaunt's Castle

Sunday, 10th April

10 Miles (16.4Km) - 3hr 26 min

Well, it's been a while.  For various reasons I haven't been able to get out and about (well, walking wise) since the middle of March.  However, with bright blue skies and the temperature reaching the high teens I felt it was time to get back into the routine, although I probably wouldn't have chosen a 10 mile hike - but that's part of the story !

The walk starts from a Forestry Commission car park (SE 236522) on a sharp bend on the road between Norwood and Beckwithshaw.  The first section is on metalled roads that leads across some fairly barren moorland before skirting Scargill Reservoir and then drops down into the valley before a short climb to Long Liberty Farm and the second reservoir known as Beaver Dyke. This is swiftly followed by John O'Gaunts Reservoir.

The day was absolutely glorious with hardly a cloud in the sky and temperatures rose pretty quickly (I left the car park at approximately 9.30 a.m.).  After skirting around the final reservoir you have the chance to leave the route and visit John O'Gaunt's Castle - in reality the ruins of an old hunting lodge.  However, I chose to stick closely to the route (I thought) until, checking my GPS I found I'd missed a turning and was probably a 1/2 mile off course !  Quick about turn and re-tracing steps time !

The route then cuts across fields eventually reaching Bland Hill (SE 2075310). After a few hundred yards of negotiating the busy B6451 the roadside is escaped to cut through fields and up the hill to Norwood Edge (SE208515).  Here I had my second set back of the day as I blindly followed my nose to nowhere !!  Once again it was a case of retracing my steps with the aid of the GPS to find myself back on some kind of track. 

In fact it was a rather delightful track through Norwood Edge Plantation and out of the (by now) quite fierce sunshine !  The end of the plantation offered the sight of Little Alms Cliff (SE 232522) in the (not too) distance, and, although the finish was in sight it proved the perfect place for a spot of lunch before heading back home !

A delightful walk with fantastic views at some points, especially across Haverah Park with its windmills and the golf balls of Menwith Hill in the background.

Selection of photos available from the link

Scotton, Brearton & Farnham

Sunday, 20th March

6.84 Miles (11 Km) - 2hrs 33 mins

Well, circumstances have meant that it's been a month since our last walk and, sadly, we will have another break as Gill goes to America to visit our daughter (although, I will try and get out whilst she's away).

This was a short(ish) ramble between three villages just outside Knaresborough and it was the perfect re-introduction to our regular walks.

We parked in the Village Hall Car Park at Scotton (GR SE326589) and after walking through the village headed off across the fields, just before we got to Lawrence Hall Farm, to the equally sleepy hamlet of Brearton.

After passing through this village the route took us along the traffic free Knaresborough Road past Walkingham Woods and Warren Farm.

Here we took a short detour to find a cache (GCZMG6) - situated underneath an old ash tree.

After logging our visit to the cache we re-traced our steps to pick up a delightful green lane that ran down to the third of the villages on the route, Farnham. 

Sadly, the route from Farnham follows the fairly busy Stang Lane, where you need your wits about you as the traffic moves at quite alarming speeds !

Thankfully, the road is soon left to go through fields before joining another green lane, initially called Rooker Lane which then becomes Smithy Lane and drops you back in the centre of Scotton.

Spring, it seems is late this year.  Although it didn't rain it wasn't a very warm day and gloves are still the order of the day.  It might be my perception but there don't seem to be as many daffodils out as there were this time last year - I may be mistaken, but, hopefully things will warm up over the next few weeks.

For anyone who reads this blog (and I've no idea if anyone does !), Gill and I have entered the Leeds Well Walk which is to be held on 22nd May at Temple Newsam.  The walk is organised by Diabetes UK and we are both looking for donations to help us raise some money of this charity.  I have been diabetic for three years now and this is my way of trying to raise funds to help find a cure for diabetes which is increasingly becoming more prevalent in our society.  If you can spare a few quid then please donate to us by visiting our page on the diabetes challenge website - THANK YOU !

Kirham Priory

Monday, 21st February

12.6 km (7.8 miles) - 2hrs 59mins

Having been away over the weekend I took the Monday off work and, after meeting the wedding photographers, we decided to walk in the Howardian Hills close to the delightful Kirkham Priory.

This walk is described in the Dalesman magazine way back in February 2010. However, we did not follow the route printed in the magazine but added out own variation to take us high above the river paths which would have been quite wet after the recent rain and snow.

We parked next to the remains of the Augustinian Priory (GR SE734658) at Kirkham.  Sadly, this is not open until April but our route took us up the hill which gave us good views across the remains.  We turned left onto Centenary Way next to the pub (can't remember it's name but GR 738658) and, instead of turning off carried along the road until we met Dark Lane (GR 746660) which runs up the hill and drops into the village of Westow. 

A short stretch up the road before we cut off and climbed to the top of Spy Hill (GR 750646). The drop down the other side of the hill took is into Howsham Wood and a good, clear path through the wood is obviously well used as evidenced by the number of boot marks in the mud!

The path eventually drops into the village of Howsham and, again, a short stretch along the road brought us to Howsham Bridge (GR 731625). Here, we joined the path next to the River Derwent before making a sharp turn and climbing up to Crambe Grange (GR 728631)- the home to a herd (is that the correct collective noun ?) of Alpacca!

From here the path runs straight and true across agricultural land, and the railway line, past Clay Hall and up Cramble Bank.  At the top of the bank a sharp left turn cuts along Cliff Lane to Cliffe House Farm (GR 724654).  Thankfully, the route turns right along a bridleway, rather than having to make an acquaintance with the incredibly busy A64. 

The end of the lane joins the tarmac road known as Onhams Lane which drops steeply down the valley, across the railway crossing (with an authentic "old fashioned" signal box!) and across Kirkham Bridge to the car park.

A good work out with some stiff climbs - although the Howardian Hills are, in reality, pretty easy.  Unfortunately, the weather was dull and overcast, in fact just as we got back to the car it began to rain quite heavily. I suspect that this walk will offer outstanding views on a clear days, particularly as it is close to Castle Howard. 

Usual selection of photos here

On another note we have just "cracked" the 50 mile mark for 2011 - not bad going for February. It's also a year since we started walking each weekend (or at least as often as we can).  In that time we've walked just over 350 miles - long may it continue !!

Linton, Sicklinghall and Spofforth

Saturday, 12th February

14.3 k (8.9 miles) - 2hrs 56 mins

A "spare" Saturday - well not really, I just fancied a walk rather than either (a) sitting and watching England v Italy (a mistake as it turns out) or (b) watching Aireborough v Baildon (full marks here as we were comprehesively beaten !). 

Linton is between Wetherby and Collingham and, recently, has become the village of choice for Leeds United footballers who have bought some pretty impressive properties in the village. We parked outside the Village Institute and did make the recommended £1.00 contribution through the door of the Institute !!

The walk was pretty easy going and the weather fantastic for mid-February as the route took us up Trip Lane before turning off just before the Woodhall Hotel and skirting Lime Kiln Wood and heading towards the village of Sicklinghall.

The walk was taken from my old friend www.walkingworld.com (walk 4980).  this turns right on reaching Sicklinghall, however, we turned left and headed up the lane towards Whin Lane Farm.  From here we simply followed the incredibly muddy path toward Spofforth.

If we thought the path was muddy, then the next stretch defied description as the gates between fields had been churned up by the cows and were "over the boots" muddy.

The path eventually brought us back into Sicklinghall and the first snowdrops of spring !  Is it me, or are they flowering very late this year. 

After following Sicklinghall Road for half a mile or so,

the track cuts off at Linton Spring Farm and cuts back through fields before re-joining Trip Lane and returning to the car in Linton.

A lovely sunny February afternoon.  If I have any criticism of the route it was quite featureless but,nevertheless, the idea is about exercise and not sight-seeing ! 

Small selection of photos avialable here

Saxton and Towton

Sunday, 30th January.

12Km (7.46 Miles) - 2hr 47 min

Although this was a 71/2 mile walk it was relatively easy with few inclines to cope with.  This was just as well as we had both had a "heavy" night the previous evening as we celebrated John's Retirement!! 

Saxton is a small village just off the B1217 Tadcaster to Wakefield Road. It's "celebrity" is shared  with nearby Towton as the scene of the Battle of Towton, described at the "biggest and bloodiest" battles fought on English soil. Fought in 1461 as part of the War of the Roses it is estimated that some 28,000 people lost their lives and part of the walk follows Cock Beck which is said to have flowed red with the blood of the slaughtered.

We parked in the village by the church (GR SE 475368) and soon left the village behind as we headed out on the track past farms and cottages whilst on the other side was the site of the battle and, in particular "Bloody Meadow" where the Yorkists coralled the Lancastrians and infilicted heavy casualties on them. The track then takes a sharp right had turn towards Newstead Farm and the only piece of uphill work on the whole walk.

Cresting the brow of the hill brings Hazelwood Castle into view and the long, straight path heads towards it before veering off in front of the haa-haa wall and cutting through Hazelwood Park before skirting Hayton Wood.

The final stretch drops down into the valley to join Cock Beck once again and this is followed before again turning off for St Mary, Lead.  

The history of this tiny church, which stands alone in middle ofa field, is written on the back of the door. The church was first built in the 12th Century and eventually fell into direpair befoe being rennovated and re-consecrated in the 1930s.  It certainly is small with only eight pews inside.

After visiting the church one strikes through the Car Park of the Crooked Billet pub (with some self control to stop yourself visiting it ) and up the banking before dropping back into Saxton, although our way was "barred" as the farmer had ploughed the field where the footpath was supposed to run! No problem really as we just skirted the field edge to get back to the car.

A grey and overcast afternoon but a gentle walk that cleared the cobwebs and a couple of bits of history to keep it interesting !

Selection of photos available