Pennine Journey - Greenhead to Appleby

Day 13: Monday  29 April 2013

Greenhead to Slaggyford (11.2 miles 1450 ft ascent)

After a gap of over six months we resumed our 247 mile walk on Wainwright's Pennine Journey . This time all six of us were present for this four day, 42 mile section from Hadrian's Wall at Greenhead to Appleby Railway Station:

Jen, Phil, Geoff, Yvonne, Judy and Chas outside The Greenhead Hotel

We parked our cars at Appleby Railway Station the previous day, paying the £8 fee for five days.  We then caught the train up to Haltwhistle (via Carlisle), Haltwhistle being the nearest railway station to Greenhead, where we left off on Pennine Journey last October. 

At Haltwhistle Station we were met by Gary, the proprietor of Diamond Taxis of Haltwhistle  (Tel: 07597 641222). Gary transported us to the Greenhead Hotel, which we can wholeheartedly recommend for accommodation, friendly staff and good food.  He also took the above photograph! 

So what you do you in Greenhead on a Sunday afternoon? You go walking of course, before retiring for a drink at the bar. I chose us a short circular route from the hotel. It was a showery day, but we filled our time well and only got a little damp:

Our circular walk from Greenhead 

Returning to the hotel late afternoon I set about preparing for the next day's 11 mile walk to Slaggyford.  As a keen member of the Pennine Journey Supporters Club (PJSC) I was approached by Jill King, the Route Coordinator of Pennine Journey prior to our departure who asked if I was prepared to inspect the route and report on any footpath problems encountered. This I was happy to agree to, and I was also carrying David Pitt's excellent guide book to the route and looking for any changes made to footpaths since the book was published.  We found that Pennine Journey Waymarks had started to appear on most sections of the route displaying the distinctive logo. 

On Monday morning we left Greenhead for our 11 mile walk at a deliberately late 10.30am. There was a reason for this - we would normally get away just after 9.00am, however our friendly taxi man Gary was assigned to a school run and could only meet us at Slaggyford at 4.30pm, when he would return us to Greenhead for a second night in the hotel.

The weather was pleasant as we crossed the A69 and made our way over Blenkinson Common on what was a mixture of cultivated grazing land and boggy moorland - typical Northern Pennines country. We joined the Pennine Way once again through to the A689 road near Lambley, an old coal mining area in the South Tyne Valley.   By early afternoon we were walking under the 260m long nine arched  Lambley Viaduct, which once carried the Haltwhistle to Alston Railway. The railway operated between 1852 and 1976 and carried mainly coal trains north from the Alston mines. 

Lambley Viaduct through the trees - the South Tyne River passes underneath

As we used the steps down to pass under the arches of the viaduct I made a note that one of the wooden steps was rotten, this information was sent on with other footpath observations to Jill King who would bring these issues to the attention of the highway authority. Once under the viaduct the Pennine Journey shares the South Tyne Trail for the four miles to Slaggyford.  The way is relatively flat as the trackbed of the former railway line is used and good progress can be made. We arrived in Slaggyford near the old Stationmaster's house at 4.15pm in good time to meet our taxi. 

Slaggyford Station - the platform is still there

Lovely stained glass windows in former Methodist Chapel in Slaggyford

Slaggyford no longer has any amenities, although we noticed it does have several quality holiday cottages to let and a large caravan / camp site. Taximan Gary arrived right on time at 4.30pm on a sunny afternoon to transport us back to the Greenhead Hotel. 

Day 14 Tuesday 30 April 2013 Slaggyford to Garrigill (10.5 miles 1300 ft ascent)

We had an earlier start today - our friendly taxi driver Gary of Diamond Taxis collected us at 9.30am after his school run and deposited us at Slaggyford where we continued following the South Tyne valley down to Garrigill.  We were walking by 10.00am.  On this section we left the trackbed of the railway as the railway actually exists again up to Lintley, where there is another marvellous viaduct. The heritage line is the South Tynedale Railway which is run by the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society. 

Some of the group make way under Lintley Viaduct 

The line is the highest narrow gauge railway in England with the main station being in Alston, where we hoped to have our lunch later en-route to Garrigill. It is the long term objective of the society to re-lay and reopen the line right up to Haltwhistle.  Fortunately the viaducts along the route have remained intact, however there are many obstacles to overcome if this idea is to be achieved. 

On the footbridge below Lintley Viaduct on Wainwright's Pennine Journey

We had an obstacle to overcome - albeit a minor one, caused by my navigational error. Referring to David Pitt's guidebook and my map we followed a clear route from the viaduct and this took us alongside the railway platform at Lintley Halt - no mention of this in the book or the map as it was new!  We turned around and walked back about 200m to rejoin our path which was now intending us to follow the route of the Pennine Way once again, the South Tyne Trail at this point being supplemented by a new railway line! 

Lintley Halt - the end of the line at present on the South Tynedale Railway

From Lintley we took to the fields and mucky farmyards of the Pennine Way route, crossing the A689 road to climb up and circuit the former Whitley Castle. We then proceeded to drop downhill into Gilderdale where we left Northumberland when we crossed Gilderdale Burn and entered Cumbria. 

Judy & Jennie climbing out of Gilderdale - now we are in Cumbria on our way to Alston

The A689 was again crossed at Harbut Law as we neared the former lead mining capital of the North Pennines, Alston. As we approached the town I was looking out for a dilapidated seat, which was mentioned in David Pitt's Guidebook, and we found it. 

The dilapidated seat near Alston

We entered Alston for our lunch after diverting from the "official route" at the riverside path. After passing a hotel and a garage we found our oasis - The Cumbrian Pantry Cafe where we enjoyed our lunch. I think everyone ordered something different, varying from jacket potatoes to scrambled eggs on toast! The chef, a young fellow, was diligent and produced for us a fine lunch at an economical price. 

The Cumbrian Pantry - lunchtime location in Alston

The main man in these parts in the lead mining days of the 19th century was Jacob Walton - a man loved and esteemed by his employees, so much so that a monument was erected in Jacob's name.  In 2000 money was raised to restore and re-erect the monument, and this was achieved in 2004.

Judy - Jennie - Yvonne - Chas - Geoff after lunch at the Jacob Walton Monument in Alston

Wainwright's Pennine Journey route continued to follow the Pennine Way south of Alston on an elevated path above the river. This stretch was beautiful and we once again saw Snipe and Dippers flying up and down  the valley.  We searched for a footbridge south of Sillyhall over the river and found that it had been washed away evidently, so we ventured further downstream a short distance to discover the main bridge near Dryburn which carries the Pennine Way was still in existence. The missing bridge was reported as part of my observations to the Pennine Journey Route Coordinator Jill King. 

The substantial footbridge at Dryburn which at present carries Wainwright's Pennine Journey

We emerged on to the public road half a mile north west of the village of Garrigill, a village now a shadow of its former self with many of the cottages used as holiday homes.  There remains a pub, the George and Dragon, which thankfully reopened in December 2010 under new management. Meals are now served, but there is no accommodation.  Garrigill is an important staging post for walkers and cyclists undertaking long distance routes. This brings visitors and money into the village and helps to keep the wheels turning. Judy and I stayed at East View B&B (en-suite). This was quite adequate for our needs, very comfortable, and there was free WiFi. The others in the party stayed at the rather quirky Old Post Office (no en-suite) run by Margaret.  Although I only dealt with Margaret on the phone I was told she was quite a character!

The food served in the George and Dragon was traditional pub grub which was thoroughly enjoyed in the rustic surroundings.  We were made very welcome there.  Well fed, we retired ready to face our ascent of Cross Fell from the north side the next day. 

Day 15 Wednesday 01 May 2013 Garrigill to beyond Milburn
(14.3 miles 2250 ft ascent)

Phil (Writer), Judy, Chas, Yvonne, Jennie, Geoff ready to leave Garrigill for Greg's Hut and Cross Fell

Although I had split the route into shorter sections which differed from the length of sections in the guide book, this was still likely to be our toughest day of the whole 247 mile walk.
Cross Fell at 2930 feet is the highest point in the Northern Pennines. I had climbed it twice before in lying snow and mist from the Great Dunn Radar Station access road, but never from this north side, and although the way was long the ascent was easy,  this route being gradual and on good tracks for the most part.  In the event, only the three men on the walk diverted to the summit, the ladies remained in the dry by waiting in the relative comfort of Greg's Hut, a mountain bothy on the north side of the mountain below the summit at a height of 2300 feet. It did start to rain once we climbed above 2000 feet, where there was still patches of lying snow.

Geoff now ahead of me on the track near Greg's Hut

After leaving Garrigill at 9.30am we reached Greg's Hut after 6.5 miles at 12.20pm. The hut is very well equipped with a raised floor for sleeping and a stove with material to light a fire. It had been left in a tidy state and we left it as we had found it. 

Doorplate on Greg's Hut

Geoff - Jennie - Judy - Yvonne - Chas - Phil at Gregs Hut

So after a bite to eat the three of us set off on a short 12 minute walk to the Yad Stone. This is where the path up to Cross Fell climbs a further 400 feet along the Pennine Way  to reach the summit of Cross Fell. The Pennine Journey continues straight on and we had arranged a rendezvous later with the ladies at the Yad Stone.  At this point in Pennine Journey David Pitt made reference to an engraved boulder which indicates the way, and this we found:

The engraved boulder at the Cross Fell path junction 

From the engraved boulder it took us 15 minutes to reach the Cross Fell shelter in mist and drizzle.  The object of the exercise was for Chas and Geoff to bag the summit, and for Geoff and I to operate on ham radio for Summits On The Air  (SOTA).  We stayed 20 minutes and made 12 contacts with radio hams around Cumbria, Lancashire and the Wirral using low power on VHF. We talked to Dave G0EVV on Great Gable and M0HIQ Derek on Pendle Hill. My callsign (since 1982!) is G4OBK and Geoff's callsign (new this year) in M6PYG.  

Chas and Geoff at the shelter on Cross Fell in the cold rain and mist

We met the girls back at the Yad Stone and made our descent into the Eden Valley with the weather steadily improving. By the time we neared Kirkland we were in full sun and down to tee-shirts, most pleasant after what we suffered higher up.  As we followed our guide book and OS map we realised that when we reached Wythwaite we would have to cross stepping stones at Crowdundle Beck, so we were pleased to see when we arrived there that Cumbria CC had provided us with a new bridge. Jennie isn't that keen on stepping stones after she came off the stones at Bolton Abbey last year whilst I was helping her across!

The new bridge at Wythwaite which is elevated well above the watercourse

Looking back up to Cross Fell it was full sun and a clear blue sky - pity we hadn't climbed it later in the day, but we had a strict schedule to stick to.  We walked through Milburn village with its enormous village green and 20m tall maypole which was not in use, even though it was May 1st. According to Wikipedia the tradition of maypole dancing has never taken place here, despite the pole being there for at least 150 years!  

Low Howgill Farm

We proceeded to what turned out to a most luxurious B&B at Low Howgill Farm, where our host Jane, treated us to home made cakes, scones and pots of tea - superb!  This of course like all the accommodation on our route, had been pre-booked. 

We had parked Geoff's car here the previous Sunday and used this to take us to a local hostelry for our evening meal - this was at The Masons Arms in Long Marston which was three miles from the farm.  We weren't made as welcome here as we were in Garrigill but we had a good meal at a reasonable price. 

Day 16 Thursday 02 May 2013 Milburn to Appleby Station
(8.5 miles 700 ft ascent)

We had left our cars parked at Appleby Railway Station which was our destination, making this an easy day of pastoral walking.  The weather was now settled as we made out way through the villages of Knock and Dufton.

Teabreak on Dufton Village Green in lovely weather

The route then took us down into Dufton Ghyll Wood, managed by the Woodland Trust and a beautiful place to walk.  We then followed field paths into Flakebridge Wood and so on to Appleby and the finish of our four day 45 mile section of Wainwright's Pennine Journey. 

We near Appleby on our last day

We intend restarting in July when we will walk from Appleby to Sedbergh over four days. We're really looking forward to continuing on our way.....

Link to next leg - Appleby to Sedbergh

Pennine Journey - Appleby to Sedbergh

Day 17 Saturday (PM) 06 July 2013 Appleby to Sandford
(5.75 miles 560 ft ascent)

Here we are at last - resuming our amble at our own pace on Wainwright's Pennine Journey....over two years since we first started the 247 mile walk! 

Geoff, Judy, Phil, Chas, Yvonne and Jennie resume the Pennine Journey from Appleby 

Once again we parked two vehicles at Appleby Railway Station for several days, leaving there at 1.30pm for a short walk to the Sandford Arms, a country inn in the village of the same name just off the A66 where we would spend our first night. The other hostelries which we had pre-booked were at The Nateby Inn and The Moorcock Inn at Garsdale, from where we would walk the following day into Sedbergh (at least some of us would - more on that later!).  We had also left one car at Sedbergh, where Yvonne and Chas have a caravan, and one car at The Moorcock Inn, Garsdale. Vehicles which were strategically placed to assist us at the end of this four day section.

We followed the valley along the River Eden for the next two days right up to the watershed in Mallerstang when we met the River Ure. Unlike on the last section of the PJ (as we have become to know it) I was not monitoring the conditions of the route or the waymarking, which on this section was looking complete. The work had already been covered by another volunteer. This fingerpost at Great Ormeside displays the attractive Pennine Journey Waymarker:

Chas, Yvonne and Geoff at Great Ormeside

As we neared Sandford late afternoon we were confronted by an unusual blockage of the public right of way. A barrier using a JCB and its buckets had been placed across the bridleway. This was temporary and was being used as a means to keep cattle in a specific part of the yard! We managed to negotiate it without problem. 

Route blockage at Blacksyke near Sandford 

At Sandford bridge we left the route to head up to the village to the pub where we stayed the night. We had enjoyed lovely hot weather on our walk from Appleby and it was set to continue for the rest of the week.  

Day 18 Sunday 07 July Sandford to Nateby

(13.5 miles 1250 ft ascent)

We left the Sandford Arms after breakfast at 9.45am

Our route continued to follow the River Eden through to top of the Mallerstang Valley. As we headed towards Brough where we were hoping to buy our lunch, we could see Nine Standards Rigg and Wild Boar Fell to our right. This was another hot day and we took our time on the paths, tracks and byways, skirting the village of Warcop and passing through Little Musgrave on our way to Brough.

Musgrave Church

The Mole Catcher had visited Hall Garth Farm at Great Musgrave

Brough Castle came into view and we were pleased to see it had its own tearoom - Brough Castle Farm, something we were not aware off. This saved us having to deviate from our Pennine Journey route - we thought we may have needed to cross the A66 to find a cafe.

Tea, sandwiches and a choice of ice creams set us on our way to Kirkby Stephen

The lady in the cafe thought it odd when we said it was a six mile walk to Kirkby. She said it was only 4 miles but failed to grasp that we were taking the scenic route via the villages of Kaber and Winton to Frank's Bridge in Kirkby Stephen.

Cricket  match in progress at Kirkby Stephen

The route then led us across the town cricket pitch (there was a match taking place) and then on to Nateby on a well maintained bridleway. The bridleway forms part of a poetry path here. Twelve short poems were written by the local poet Meg Peacocke and these have been carved on to blocks of stone by artist Pip Hall. You can find more details here.

One of the twelve sculpted stones on the Poetry Path near Nateby

My navigation went a little off south of Hartley Castle and we somehow found ourselves in a small wood having left the bridleway. We wasted around 10 minutes, but by retracing our footsteps we found we had gone wrong by not climbing a ladder stile. After crossing the former railway line we reached Nateby for a refreshing drink served by Hannah who warmly welcomed us to tThe Nateby Inn. She was in charge as the landlady who is called Gaynor, was away for the day with her family at Alton Towers. We met her the following morning when she served us breakfast, when she recalled a recent visit by David Pitt the Author of the guide book, so she knew all about Wainwright's Pennine Journey. 

At the Nateby Inn at 4.30pm after walking 14 miles

We enjoyed staying at The Nateby Inn, the food was good. A tearoom for walkers and cyclists has been created at the rear of the pub and this doubles as the breakfast room. The bedrooms were quite small but adequate for a one or two night stay. The pub was formerly known as The Black Bull but Gaynor told us that changing the name gave the pub more of an identity. 

Day 19 Monday 08 July Nateby to Garsdale Head

(11.2 miles 1500 ft ascent)

Having driven down the Mallerstang valley many times on the B6259 since I took moved to Yorkshire in 1993 I was really looking forward to actually walking through it on our way to The Moorcock Inn at Garsdale Head. For Jennie and me the boots we were wearing were named after where we were walking - Altberg Mallerstangs!

Enjoyable it was to walk, in the company of my wife Judy and friends, on a lovely hot summer's day. But not everyone in the group found it so comfortable as we made our way up the valley....

Just as we were about to leave the Inn the voice of our friend Nick Langmead (Callsign G4OOE) came crackling through on our VHF radio (Geoff and I are radio hams). We both called Nick and made contact - he was on Cross Fell and was later heading for Nine Standards Rigg. 

Wild Boar Fell peeps out over the hill in the middle of the picture

The route

From The Nateby Inn we followed a bridleway through to Croop House on the west side of the Eden. From here we used a BOAT (Byway Open to All Traffic) which took us to a C Class road near the remains of Pendragon Castle. Cumbria County Council maintain this byway and on the day of our visit were busy installing a new cattle grid where the byway joins the tarmac road at grid ref NY 779030:

A work in progress near Pendragon Castle

Continuing on we reached The Thrang, crossing over the B6259 to join another BOAT which is in fact the old road which we followed for 5.5 miles across the side of the fells. This is known as The High Way and it also forms part of the long distance walk called Lady Anne's Way. 

Wild Boar Fell and the Settle - Carlisle railway line below it - seen from the High Way

We'd read about the Eden Benchmarks. These are a series of sculptures marking out the path of the Eden. We knew there was one such sculpture on the High Way called The Water Cut and decided that this would make a good target to aim for to have our lunch. We arrived there at 1.00pm for a half hour stop.

At The Water Cut - part of the Eden Benchmark Project

Continuing on we reached the derelict farm buildings at High Dyke just after 2.30pm. From here we descended to Blades and having crossed the watershed leaving the Eden behind, encountered the River Ure. From here it was a short walk to the Moorcock Inn where we stayed overnight.

The Moorcock Inn at Garsdale Head

The pub was very comfortable with large settee's. Food wise large portions were the order of the day, and the rooms were very fairly priced. Jennie and I chose from the Tapas menu and we ordered far too much, whilst Geoff stuck to one of his favourites, Steak and Ale Pie. 

Day 20 Tuesday 09 July Garsdale Head to Sedbergh

(14 miles 1750 ft ascent)

This was our last day and it was hotter than ever as we left the Moorcock at 9.45am. After crossing the railway we crossed South Lunds Pasture. Due to the heat most of us were wearing shorts and we managed to negotiate the nettle beds we were warned about in David Pitt's guidebook without too much difficulty. What followed was a most remote section of the walk - a five mile stretch of moorland before we reached Uldale House.

The remote Holmes Moss - the Howgill Fells in front

We followed broken drystone walls, old tracks and moorland for over two hours to reach Whin Stone Bridge where we stopped for lunch in the shade. The River Rawthey had been forming itself to our left gathering waters from Baugh Fell on our left and Swarth Fell on our right. At Whin Stone Bridge where we stopped, there is a waterfall.  

Lunchtime in the shade at Whin Stone bridge

Continuing on we reached the A683 Sedbergh to Kirkby Stephen road. The heat of the day was really getting to us now and the climb up to Murthwaite was a grueller. Jennie was starting to feel quite ill at this point but she soldiered on via what is an excellent bridleway to reach the Cross Keys Temperance Pub at ten to three. On account of how she felt it was wise for her to leave the walk at this point, so Jennie, Yvonne and Chas opted to catch the next service bus back to Sedbergh and to walk that final section on another day. 

We all had plenty to drink at the Cross Keys at Cautley, some of us enjoying a few glasses of 'Owd Oldham's Sarsaparilla, produced by the Mawson family of Oldham. Geoff (who hails from Oldham) recalled visiting the shop in his youth where this drink was made and sold. The drink comes as a cordial, and here is Geoff negotiating the purchase of a bottle from the proprietor of The Cross Keys:

The three of us then set off to cover the four miles or so back to Sedbergh on the path and track above the River Rawthey. We met up with the others at their caravan just after 5.00pm. Jennie was feeling much better and was able to drive herself back home to York. She returned in August to The Cross Keys at Cautley to thank the staff for their hospitality on the day we passed through, and whilst there, walked the section of the Pennine Journey into Sedbergh which she had omitted.  

Link to the final leg: Sedbergh to Settle

Pennine Journey - Sedbergh to Settle

Day 21 Wednesday 11 September Sedbergh to Dent
(6.6 miles 600 ft ascent)
 

At last, after over two years, five of us are finally able to complete our final four day section of Wainwright's Pennine Journey.

Jennie - Judy - Yvonne - Phil (Writer of blog) - Geoff, Pennine Journeymen on this section
Here we are on Whernside the following day

We split this four day section into two easy, and two harder walks after deciding to base ourselves for three nights at the George & Dragon Pub in Dent. A combination or three cars and two taxis enabled this, and we returned to the hostelry in Dent each night in our own cars. 

Waymarking of Wainwrights Pennine Journey is now complete

After collecting Yvonne and Jennie at Settle Railway Station where one car was parked for the duration of the walk, we proceeded to Ingleton where my car was left. The five of us continued to Dent in Geoff's car, arriving at 1.00pm. From there we arranged for a Ladycabs Taxi (Tel: 01539 735086) to take us to Sedbergh to restart our walk from New Bridge, just outside the town, where we finished off in July. Our first port of call was lunch, so made for the centre of town to dine in style at Smatt's Duo Cafe Bar & Bistro. 

Sedbergh was quite damp as we departed the town

It was raining as we left the town, but not too heavily as we joined the Dales Way for a straightforward, easy six mile walk to the George & Dragon in Dent where we checked in at 4.00 pm.

A Pennine Journey Waymarker in Millthrop where we joined the Dales Way

We got a great deal on the cost of the accommodation, which was one advantage of staying at the same place for three nights rather than moving on each day, which we had previously done on the Journey. The food at the G&D was on the costly side, however it was of good quality, and we ate there on two out three nights. To be honest, there isn't much choice in Dent if you want a meal.

Day 22 Thursday 12 September Dent to Ingleton
(13.8 miles 2525 ft ascent) Departed Dent: 0925 am

Our plan today was to follow David Pitt's Guidebook and walk to Ingleton, where my car had been parked on the Community Centre car park for two days, by special arrangement with Craven District Council. Parking regulations dictated that the maximum parking period permitted is 23 hours, but the rules were waivered in our case provided two days parking and the overnight fees were paid. 

Leaving Dent at Church Bridge

Wainwright took a short cut in 1938 by using the road through Kingsdale, as his shoes were completely worn out by that time - they were old when he started the walk from Settle anyway, as were his old office clothes. He admitted this in his book suggesting that when paying for his lodgings his landlords took pity on him and charged him less as he looked "poor". He had also run out of handkerchiefs before he got to Hadrian's Wall and his nose still was streaming at this point, as it had from the beginning of the walk! 

So on to our walk....an ascent of Whernside from the west on a route up Whernside which none of us had walked before. The climb was gradual and we joined the Three Peaks Route at a stile 1 Km from the summit. This was my third visit up the hill this year and I suspect my last for some time. The same goes for Ingleborough which we will climb tomorrow. 

Leaving Dentdale

Leaving Dent at Church Bridge we again followed the Dales Way but only as far as Mill Bridge where we turned south. Leaving the public road on Dyke Hole Lane just south of Whernside Manor we climbed up towards a radio mast on the side of Rigg End. The track and route was well pronounced until we reached Boot of the Wold when we turned right on to pathless access land for the most part.

Arten Gill Viaduct at the foot of Great Knoutberry Hill

We followed the dry stone wall until it turned right. Eventually Whernside Tarns appeared abruptly, on the side of Knoutberry Hill at 645m and not to be confused with the slightly higher Great Knoutberry Hill at 672m, located four miles to the north east.

Three Peaks Route footpath improvement work September 2013

On joining the usual Three Peaks route up to the summit of Whernside we came across two workers and a digger who had been contracted to improve the eroded path by flagging it. The chap on the ground told me that they had started work on the Monday of that week and work was progressing very well.  I could see that was right. He told me that the digger had been driven across the moor from the Kingsdale Road - amazing!

The digger at work which came up from Kingsdale

I was bringing up the rear of the group with Jennie, whilst Geoff, Yvonne and Judy had forged ahead. Well before we reached the digger Geoff was already operating his VHF radio by the trig point and making contacts for Summits On The Air. I gave him a call myself when I was around 100m in vertical height from the top to claim my chaser points. At 12.45 pm we both arrived and joined the others in the shelter to eat our lunch, staying for almost 30 minutes.

Ribblehead Viaduct from the flank of Whernside

Army helicopter on manoeuvres around the three peaks  

I had a few more radio contacts myself for SOTA from the summit before we set off on the usual route off the hill south towards Bruntscar. Here again we noticed that the eroded path on the steepest section had been improved since we were last here in May, with more slabs laid. 

When we reached Bruntscar we usually head for either Ribblehead or Chapel-le-Dale, but today on Pennine Journey we went straight on for four miles following a bridleway through Kirkby Gate to Twistleton Scar End.

Phil, Judy, Yvonne, Jennie, Geoff west of Bruntscar

David Pitt's Guidebook mentions a fluted pothole on Page 192. You can't miss it as you pass it by on Ewes Top Moss at grid reference SD 707 764: 

Limestone pavements and a clear path led us to the top of the Ingleton Falls Walk at Beezleys (No charge as it was just after 4.00pm and the attendant must have finished for the day).  We found the steps and undulations hard work after one of the hardest days on the Pennine Journey and reached the town of Ingleton too late (4.50pm) to enjoy cake and tea in one of the café's which were either closed or were closing for the day. 

Huddled on a ledge at the Beezley Falls - Ingleton's Waterfall Walk which dates back to Victorian days

The hardest section of this 4 day leg now completed in good weather, we returned to Dent.

Tomorrow's target - Ingleborough from near to Bruntscar

That evening for a change, we dined in The Sun Inn, Dent. This was quite an experience - no nonsense pub grub served in "the locals local" by a pierced chef with tattoos in abundance. We enjoyed cheap drinks and a landlady who was far from welcoming, but who cheered up towards the end when we were paying.....!!

Day 23 Friday 13 September Ingleton to Clapham
8.85 miles 2300 ft ascent 

The George & Dragon Dent - our base for the last four days walking on Wainwright's Pennine Journey

On our penultimate day we had excellent weather. We motored back to the Community Centre Car Park in Ingleton, driving the longer route through Ribblehead rather than the gated road over the top into Kingsdale. Leaving Ingleton on foot back up the same road led us to Fell Lane, a bridleway which leaves the B6255 on the right just after a milestone. A track leads to a homestead called Crina Bottom and from then the track becomes more of a path.

Pennine Journeymen in the shelter on Ingleborough - the most visited mountain in Yorkshire

I hadn't climbed Ingleborough via this route and it proved to be excellent - and was more gradual an ascent than the march up from the Hill Inn at Chapel le Dale. We followed the same format as on the previous day with Geoff arriving on summit 30 minutes before Jennie and me.  After lunch in the shelter we headed down over Little Ingleborough to Gaping Gill and then on to Clapham. 

Looking into Gaping Gill

I knew this section of route having been up this way with my walking group in 2008. Trow Gill is never forgotten - a natural gorge of a few 100 metres long carved out of solid rock before reaching the sanitised footpath near to Ingleborough Cave.

This is Trow Gill just above Ingleborough Cave

After this we turned left to climb up to Long Lane which took us into Clapham. As we passed Thwaite Plantation near to Ingleborough Hall we wondered what the hidden dangers were lurking within the wood.....the most likely thing would be potholes I expect. The landowner clearly doesn't want people rambling in there as can be seen from the notice....

Signage on the fence around Thwaite Plantation

Walking into Clapham meant that we left the Pennine Journey route and used the tunnels close to Ingleborough Hall to reach the village. After enjoying tea and cake in a cafe in Clapham we missed the 3.46pm bus which would have taken us back to Ingleton.... the chap running the Post Office in the village was very helpful and suggested we phone for a taxi, providing us with the phone number for Austwick Taxis (01524 251364). The driver came immediately, enabling the retrieval of my car from Ingleton, which allowed all five of us to return to our base in Dent for our dinner at the George & Dragon. 

Day 24 Saturday 14 September Clapham to Settle
7.7 miles 870 ft ascent 

Our last section, and an easy half day walk to finish off, with lunch planned at Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe in Settle. I wondered if the Naked Rambler had ever paid a visit there? (See my Pennine Journey High Force to Greenhead blog for when we met him on Hadrian's Wall). 

Bound for Settle on our last day of Wainwright's Pennine Journey

Repeating the last section of the route from the previous day we walked down Thwaite Lane to Austwick. The weather had been improving each day and it was a beautiful morning on which to complete our long walk. After a drink break in Austwick we were delighted to see a family of Red Kite flying around the crags above us close to Meddings Barn. Then I photographed a shepherd near Feizor on his quad bike gathering his flock with his dogs :

Approaching Feizor

There were plenty of people out walking the route, you could tell it was Saturday. We joined the Ribble Way near to Settle and made our way into the town via the riverside path. In this blog I have mentioned the various things we have found along the way and today was no different. This time it was alive, as we came across a small, old and smelly distressed dog trapped at a gate on the path wondering where to go, close to the sports ground on the outskirts of Settle.  

A small dog to add to our list of finds

Found dog reunited with owner

All five of us are "doggy people" and so we walked on, carrying the small dog having decided to head for Settle Police Station to ask for advice. Five minutes later we found the lost dogs owner, but were left unsure if she was happy to see it having allowed it to venture so close to the fast flowing River Ribble.... 

Earlier in the day Geoff had announced he was carrying a heavier load than usual as he wanted to celebrate the completion of the Pennine Journey. Champagne! I was grateful he had thought about this as it was not something I had considered as the planner of our long expedition....

We crossed the Ribble, turning into the back streets of Settle which after passing Booths Supermarket (I never knew they had one) led us to the Railway Station. Our first task was to find the blue plate commemorating Alfred Wainwright's Pennine Journey, which we located in the waiting room of the platform on the town centre side of the station. 

A Wainwright = 210 miles..... David Pitt's Guidebook = 247 miles... Our route = 265 miles with 36000 feet of ascent!

So why did we walk an extra 18 miles? The distance and ascent were accurately measured throughout by GPS and copied on to computerised Ordnance Survey Mapping. David Pitt's guide book splits the route into 18 sections but we split the route into 24 sections. In some cases our accommodation was away from the recommended guidebook route, so extra mileage was walked getting to it. The other increase in the stated mileage of 247 miles was due to the occasional navigational error. It happens. We never got lost, just slightly misplaced, but not too often I am glad to say.....

Geoff opens the champagne on Settle Station assisted by Yvonne

After the waiting room emptied and the train departed we got on with celebrating becoming Pennine Journeymen and quaffed the champers:

Jennie, Geoff, Yvonne, Judy and Phil (Writer)

Then our friend Chas arrived with a present for his partner Yvonne. Chas had walked with us for nine days on the Journey but was unable to join us on the rest due to work commitments. 

Chas's present - a personalised T Shirt for Yvonne

The T shirt says it all and harks back to when we walked from Keld to Bowes via Tan Hill in April 2012 in torrential rain and Yvonne's new Paramo jacket failed to keep out the wet. 

Celebration over we made for Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe (or the Bare Bloke as it is also known) for our lunch before returning to Clapham in Yvonne's car, which had been parked in Settle for three days awaiting our arrival. 

My memories of Wainwright's long walk in 1938 will remain with me for ever......