Howgills and Limestone Trail

Kirkby Stephen – Horton in Ribblesdale, 11^th – 14^th March 2014

 

Introduction

As the weather began to pick up, I grabbed a few walking guide books out of the library. The very next weekend, the weather man started his forecast with the words ‘on the weather map appears a word you will not have seen for 3 months “HIGH” ‘. I dropped everything, rang around a few b&b’s and packed a rucksack. The new book by David & Heather Pitt began to fascinate me. The route from Kirkby Stephen to Settle followed the railway line and provided easy access. It was also linked with Wainwright’s Pennine Journey, a book that deeply influenced me so many years ago. 

Tuesday 11^th March 2014       Kirkby Stephen Station – Ravenstonedale

A Multiplicity of Viaducts

I just had time for a mouthful of muesli before I picked up my rucksack and began the walk to the station. The fast train into Manchester was spot on time on what was a cool but magnificent morning, the like of which we had not experienced for months. There was a moment of panic when the Leeds train hit signalling problems, but it eventually got up to speed and left me less than 10 minutes to locate and board the Settle & Carlisle service. On a poor day this is a great trip but on a morning such as this, beneath a cloudless sky and between sunlit hills, it was truly memorable. The crossing of the Ribbleshead Viaduct was the highlight, before the dramatic crossing of Ais Gill Summit and the descent below Mallerstang.

 The station at Kirkby Stephen is so far out of the town that it is as though one has been dropped in the middle of the countryside. It was almost 2 miles to the church, with its paving stone dedicated to Alfred Wainwright and his Pennine Journey. I went first down to Frank’s Bridge and then back into town for some lunch. As I had already walked a couple of miles, I decided to leave out the guidebook’s loop round the Poetry Path and head straight off along the coast to coast route. This took me out through Greenriggs Farm and onto some vast open fields. Here I had great difficulty finding the correct line. I did not realise I would need my compass so early in the walk. I had packed it deep in my sack. Eventually I found the stiles and made my way round to Waitby and Smardale. Another navigational mistake here reminded me of the need to concentrate. I walked alongside another viaduct on the mainline, which I thought was Smardale Viaduct. Then it was a long drag down the old railway line now designated as Smardalegill Nature Reserve. Butterflies were flying already. This brought me to yet another viaduct, known as Smardalegill Viaduct, a lovely curved structure in a dramatically steep-sided valley. Here I met a couple who filled me in with local knowledge such as how the older locals pronounce Ravenstonedale. The man indicated a permissive route along the beck as an alternative to the dreary old railway. This was a delightful narrow path above the stream and through some disused quarries. This led to a path descending from the fell and heading down to Smardale Bridge. If I was to repeat this route I would next time take the high level route over Smardale Fell directly from Greenriggs.

From here it was a pleasant but muddy riverside path that eventually turned away from the river and headed over the fields and across the main road into Ravenstonedale. I arrived at my b&b at exactly the time I had estimated, finding my host unloading her car after a shopping trip. Just time for a hot shower and it was back though the village to the pub.

Kirkby Stephen Station dep. 12.30, Frank’s Bridge 13.05, lunch (13.10-13.50), Ravenstonedale 17.00

GPS 10.47 miles in 3hr 55m 07s.

I stayed at Westview, Ravenstonedale, Cumbria, CA17 4NG, Tel: 015396 23415. I ate in the Black Swan; chicken, haggis and bacon pie followed by bread& butter pudding and custard. The beer was Black Sheep Ale (4.4%).

Wednesday 12^th March 2014     Ravenstonedale  – Sedburgh

Crossing the Howgills

It was very cold at 9am when I left the my b&b and walked back through the quiet village under a cloudless sky. I regretted packing my gloves deep in the rucksack as I started on a 4 mile westerly journey to get to the foot of Bowderdale. Some of this first section was on roads, very quiet moorland lanes. Then there was a a nursery and garden centre to pass through in a most remote spot. My mobile phone began to pick up a signal and I was able to phone home and report in. At last Bowderdale Foot was reached and I turned south once more onto a bridleway into the Howgills.

The trek up Bowderdale was another 4 mile stretch, this time however in increasing dramatic scenery. The peaks of Randygill Top and Yarlside began to dominate the left-hand side of the valley. I passed two mountain bikers resting beside the waterlogged path. The trod had become a runoff for water draining down the hillside. Just before Bowderdale Head the main path forked right and started to climb up to the main crest. The guidebook suggested that the route should continue down passed Cautley Spout and on to the Cross Keys but I was intending to run two days into one and found no temptation to descend to a temperance pub. I therefore turned uphill and slowly gained the tops near the Calf. 

There followed a glorious traverse of the main ridge round to Bush Howe and Fell Head. I met a couple who had been in the Black Swan the previous night and we spent a few minutes chatting in the sunshine. A cool wind was blowing that made this ridge not the place to stop for a break. So I descended steeply down into a more sheltered spot on Whins End before getting out my bag of nuts and energy drink. I was soon on my way downwards  through Beck House and down to the River Lune. I dropped onto the Dales Way through the farm at Crook of Lune. Another disused railway viaduct dominated the westerly side of the valley. I followed the Dales Way until Bramaskew, then I set out over the fields to Height of Winder and thence onto Howgill Lane. At I descended the lane into the outskirts of Sedburgh, I saw a footpath not marked on the map which was signed to the cattle market. As this looked a short cut onto Station Road, I set off down and soon found myself at a new supermarket. I asked a lady if she knew where my b&b was and she guessed correctly as I was soon ringing the doorbell of Holmecroft, Station Road, Sedbergh, Cumbria LA10 5DW. Tel: 015396 20754, my accommodation for the night.

Ravenstonedale dep. 09.05, lunch on Whins End (14.00 - 14.11), Sedburgh arr. 16.46

GPS 18.58 miles in 7hrs 28m 26s plus the 11 min lunch stop.

John, my host, made me a nice cup of tea and advised me on the eating houses in town. So I soon put on my sandals and walked the half mile into Sedbergh. Here I looked at each of the recommended pubs and settled on the Dalesman where I had fish and chips followed by Bakewell tart and ice cream. The beers were Lancaster Amber, Lancaster Brewery (3.7%) and Main Line, Settle Brewery (3.8%).

Thursday 13^th March 2014    Sedbergh – Ingleton

Pot Holes on the Route

It was a very foggy morning. This seemed to add to the low morning temperature. My landlady told me that the forecast was for the mist to burn off by 11am, so I did not get my gloves out but wore my fleece as I went round passed an old church and the school playing fields. At Birks I crossed the river and then followed it through a wood and over a golf course. This led onto a narrow lane that climbed onto a moor where a bridle way led left across the grass. I needed a compass to find the correct line across the open moorside. In the next lane a large truck came menacingly towards me and I had no alternative but to climb a bank and hang from the hedge whilst it edged passed. Just as this lane came out onto the main road, the track to Fellside Farm set off upwards and eastwards. The climb onto the next range of hills went on for miles. But, as I climbed, I slowly came out of the wet clammy fog into a sunlit landscape of green hills and blue sky, with all the surrounding valleys filled with white cotton wool.

For six miles, I was above the weather in glorious sunshine and high level walking; one of the best sections of hill walking I  had done for a very long time. Eventually the ridge began to descend and by the time I was on Eskholme Pike, I was back in the mist and searching for my compass. Down at valley level, the mist had not as promised burnt off but had left a grey murky day. Rather than drop into Barbon village, I cut across Barbon Park and set off on the next section of the trail through the woods to Blindbeck Bridge. Here I crossed the beck and cut back down the road to find the start of an awful stony bridleway up to Bullpot Farm. Off road vehicles, maybe rescue teams from pot hole accidents, had left the track rutted and waterlogged. I stopped briefly by the farm to have a few nuts and some water and then set off down an equally muddy path into pothole country. Years ago I had descended Lancaster Hole, now out there somewhere on the nearside moorside. My own present day excitement was still to come. The path continued up and down until I was suddenly faced with a steep grassy descent. A path zig-zagged down to a stile which led into Ease Gill Kirk, a dark and spooky cleft of rock in a predominantly dry valley. The Ease Gill cave system was below. I tried to go through at valley level but found the rocky and slippery gorge increasing threatening. I was eventually confronted by a smooth rocky chute into a deep pool. The only alternative, without retreating, was to shin up a steep grassy scramble with led up to a narrow trod high up on the wall of the gorge. A delicate traverse brought me out into sunlight once more and a gate led onto the open fell.

The next two miles was a very enjoyable tramp over wet grassland above the beck. I noticed bubbles coming for a large puddle on the path in front. Closer investigation revealed a group of large light-green frogs swimming around and tending to their precious frog-spawn. A boggy traverse above a forest brought me to a grassy descent over well drained fields into the valley bottom near the village of Leck. The day was still not over however and a mile or so of road led to Ireby and a long section of field paths which, farm by farm, brought me eventually to Thornton Hall and the turn into Ingleton. The path came straight out into the bottom end of village for where it was a steep climb up to the centre and my b&b. This was entered through a front garden full of plants and I found my host for the night tending his bedding plants. The old farm was very basic downstairs but the bedrooms were lovely. Adrian had kept the old baths and toilets which added to the character of the place. I was soon lying in a piping hot bath foaming with muscle relaxant.

Sedbergh dep. 09.00, the Calf 11.45, Barbon 13.05, lunch at Bullpot Farm (13.57 - 14.10),

Ingleton 17.45
GPS 22.47 miles in 8hrs 31m 01s plus the 13 min lunch stop.

I stayed at Seed Hill Guest House, High Street, Ingleton, LA6 3AB, Tel: 015242 41799

I ate at the Wheatsheaf, Honey Cider Belly Pork and sticky toffee pudding. The beer was Threakston’s Best Bitter and Marston EPA.

Friday 14^th March 2014     Ingleton – Horton in Ribblesdale

Another Battle with Ingleborough

At dawn it had promised to be another sunny day but by the time (08.41) I left Seed Hill, the mist was collecting above the village. I had got an early start in the expectation of having a long and challenging last day. I had decided to go straight up the main track for Ingleborough summit rather than the extended loop suggested in the guidebook: this included three miles of road walking. As I gained height, I expected to walk out of the mist as I had done the previous day but the visibility seem to deteriorate and it got colder and windier. I was almost blown off the steep steps up to the summit plateaux and I had to pause to put on fleece and winter gear before venturing any further.

Ingleborough and I have history. The last time I ventured over the summit, at the end of a three peaks round, I had been hit by a blizzard and had messed up the navigation from the summit cairn to the start of the Horton path. I had come across on a bearing of 80 degrees but had hit the eastern cliffs and in the whiteout had not known which way to turn. This time I failed to find the summit cairn: it was a very thick mist. So I crossed the plateau on a compass bearing of 75 and still hit the east face. This time I knew I had to turn left and soon shot down a good path. Pausing once again to check the compass, I realised I was heading south and had descended onto the Clapham path. So it was back to the top once more for another push northwards. At last I was descending eastwards and after dropping through some rocks, traversed across grass to the main Horton path.

The long descent to Horton does not get any easier. In a cold gale blowing wet cloud across the fell side, the path was as stony, rutted, slippery and waterlogged as I remembered it from previous passages. It took an age to reach the final grassy fields and the last ridge over to the railway station. A peek at the timetable revealed that the next train was over an hour away. I was wet, cold and mentally tired from another battle with Ingleborough. I decided to abandon the day, go for a coffee in the café and forget about the continuation to Settle. There was no point. Visibility was poor, the weather was deteriorating even more and I suddenly wanted to go home. I changed clothes in the public toilets and walked on to the café. I was stunned to find it closed, even though the winter opening times were clearing indicating the opposite. So I walked back to the Crown, had soup and a coffee there, and then retreated back to the station waiting room. The 13.24 was running late and left little time to make a connection at Leeds. It was standing room only across the Pennines to Manchester. And this is the train company that will lose some of its rolling stock next year to a London train company. Virgin trains were experiencing delays at Piccadilly due to a fatality on the line so I was in time to catch a service that should have left half an hour beforehand. So I was back in Macclesfield by 4.30pm. What had started as a glorious sunny walk had ended in cold and gloom. The little glimpse of spring was over.

Ingleton dep. 08.41, Ingleborough summit 10.05, Horton Station (12.14)

GPS 8.78 miles in 3hrs 33mins.

End piece

 
I had based this walk on the new publication ‘Howgills and Limestone Trail’ but I did not stick faithfully to the suggested route. I found that the suggested stages had in some cases been extended to make 11/12 mile days by adding unnecessary loops (admittedly to places of interest). But by straightening out the route, I was able to do two stages a day without much problem and to produce a Pennine Journey of my own. Remind me though never to do that Horton path off Ingleborough again.