Not much of a TR but I thought I’d share a few photos of a recent short trip to the Dales. The idea was just to have a bit of a change of scenery, and to ease back into hill walking after a fairly sedentary year with one thing and another.
I stayed in Settle and enjoyed some gentle strolls in the limestone country around the town. I really like it around here; not the most dramatic country, no, but there is something very restful about the rolling grassy hills and white stone and sheep quietly grazing, and in the soft evening light especially it was just so lovely. Surprisingly quiet despite this being a “busy” year for UK holidays; maybe everyone was on the Three Peaks, which I’d decided to avoid this time!
Dales Way above Settle
Limestone country
Scaleber Force, not looking very forceful on this occasion
Venturing a bit further afield I got the bus out to Cowan Bridge (a little village on the road to Kirkby Lonsdale, apparently where the Brontë sisters went to school) and walked up the valley along Leck Beck. This was a very curious and quiet valley, not a single person to be seen and no livestock or wildlife either – until I surprised a pair of pheasants – it seems it’s a shooting estate. Very green and pretty, though. There’s a fairly ill-defined path up onto the open moor and across to Bullpot Farm (where I encountered the only other walkers I was to see all day), and from there I headed up onto Barbon High Fell, following a wall.
The original plan was to go right over the summit of Crag Hill and down into Dentdale, then up to Dent station – this was abandoned as a bit too ambitious, as it was pretty rough underfoot and I was tired and not making great progress (and also a bit worried about whether it would actually be possible to get off the hill on that side without too visibly trespassing) – so came back down onto the quiet little Barbondale road and had instead a long road walk back to Kirkby Lonsdale for the bus.
Leck Beck and its verdant valley
Heading towards Bullpot Farm, slightly moody sky developing
The eponymous “Bullpot”, a rather alarming pot hole if you dislike that kind of thing
Barbon High Fell, possibly Crag Hill beyond with its head just in the cloud
Barbondale. Would be lovely for cycling, this road
Another day I got the train up to Dent (on the way noticing dozens of cars parked at Ribblehead and a constant stream of people heading up the “motorway” path to Whernside, which somewhat confirmed my earlier hypothesis). However, Dent station was its usual quiet, desolate self, perched above the valley, and I headed up the Coal Road a little way and onto Great Knoutberry Hill.
Had never been up here before, it always seemed too small a hill to be worth bothering with, but it was actually the most enjoyable walk I’ve had in a long time. Maybe not the most exciting hill in itself, but the great thing was the views of the surrounding hills and down along pretty Dentdale. Mostly pathless, somewhat rough moorland, imagine it could be boggy at times but not today. Absolutely deserted as well; again, I didn’t see a single person after leaving the road.
There are two tarns to the north-east-ish of the summit which I thought would be interesting to see. The weather was gorgeous, gentle breeze and sunshine, and I found a perfect spot to lie in the heather by the water’s edge and felt I could have stayed there all day (if not for having a train to catch). Just goes to show it’s a mistake to overlook the unglamorous “little” hills.
Hazy view down into Dentdale
Interesting cairns on the side of Great Knoutberry Hill, and Whernside looming
Widdale tarns (one with a curious grouse butt in the middle – clearly this is shooting country again)
Two areas I would have really liked to visit were the Howgills and Forest of Bowland - had some glimpses of both from a distance, I think - but unfortunately they were a bit impractical for day walks given the restricted public transport this year. Maybe next time!