WALKING IN WENSLEYDALE

VIEW FROM SITE

 Monday 23rd August 2021

Drove our newly bought Kia Sorento car with caravan to Blackburn Farm Campsite Gayle near Hawes for four nights.

A beautiful day, campsite very small and quite basic but had electric hook up, toilets and shower but no TV signal.

Had a walk into Hawes which was very busy, and booked The Crown for a meal for our last night.

DAY ONE HIKE UP GREAT SHUNNER FELL - 9 MILES

Cloudy day but warm, we did a walk Roy has wanted to do for a while, me - never again!

We took the Hearne Cole road up from Hardraw where we parked and spent an hour and a half ploughing up boggy land and lack of track, finally we connected with the Pennine Way and the rest of the climb to the top was fine. Good views of the Three Peaks and the distant Lakeland hills. 

A long walk down on the Pennine Way to the finish, we missed out on looking at Hardraw Force as I seemed to have an ache in most parts of me! 9 mile hikes are not for me anymore!

FUNGI TIME

TINY BUTTERFLY/MOTH

UP ON THE HEARNE COAL ROAD

TOP OF SHUNNER FELL

AND FOOD!

DISTANT THREE PEAKS

DOWN ON THE PENNINE WAY

DON'T KNOW WHY I'M LOOKING SO CHEERFUL, KNEES LEGS ETC ACHING!

DAY TWO SEMERWATER CURCUIT AND SNAIZEHOLME SQUIRRELS

 

A  lovely relaxing day, four mile walk round Semerwater , the second largest natural glacial lake in Yorkshire, Hornsea Mere the first.

Remote from civilization as the only way to it follows narrow and tiny country lanes that climb and descend steeply through grand Yorkshire countryside from Bainbridge.

Back early so we headed to Snaizeholme,  a Red Squirrel viewing area created by Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and local landowners. A two and half mile circular trail through beautiful woods to a viewing area in the wild.

They were such fun, watching them feeding, then chasing each other up and down the trees.

A good day!

STALLING BUSK RUINS CHURCH

SEMERWATER

VIEW FROM RED SQUIRREL ROAD

MY MAN AND HIS ICE CREAM

DAY THREE WETHER FELL AND BARDALE WALK 7 MILES

A cooler day with a north wind but sun still popped out a times. We drove to Marsett and hiked high up to the High Cam road, a Roman road leading all the way to Wether Fell. We didn’t actually get to the trig point, but the route took us back down into Bardale with its beck and mini gorge. Another good day!

No cooking tonight! we're off into Hawes for a meal!

Home tomorrow to go to see Olly Murs!

WETHER FELL ON THE RIGHT LONG WAY TO GO

HIGH CAM ROAD, A ROMAN ROAD LEADING UP WETHER FELL

LUNCH SPOT AT BARDALE HEAD

ON THE WAY DOWN BARDALE

BARDALE BECK

BARDALE BECK FALLS INTO A MINI GORGE

BARDALE BECK AND THE FELLS WE'VE JUST WALKED 

A SHORT TRIP TO AUSTWICK NEAR SETTLE

 A late getaway, heavy traffic and finally we arrived at Orcaber Caravan Park near Austwick, Settle for 5 nights. Glorious weather and a lovely big pitch at this clean new site. £25 with electric.

Only one slight problem, the water pump decided to give up on us despite Roy trying for an hour to see if he could mend it. No problem though as we have water, just not at the tap! And we have TV signal! 

Next morning Roy went off to a local caravan parts place and got us a new pump!

DAY ONE   A WALK ON THE WHERNSIDE

A sweltering day to walk up Whernside temperatures reaching 29oC but it was a great hike. Two and half hours up and two hours down, roughly 8 miles Whernside is the highest of the Dales Three Peaks.

We drove to Ribblehead viaduct and did a circular hike going up the toughest way, I found it quite hard at times due to the heat but at the summit we got the best seats in the shade and enjoyed lunch. A leisurely hike down and headed straight to the Station Inn beer garden for shandy and cider then to ice cream van. A perfect day!

ORCABER CAMPSITE

RIBBLEHEAD VIADUCT

ON THE WAY UP WHERNSIDE

WHERNSIDE SUMMIT

PANORAMA FROM SUMMIT

ROY RESTING!

THE WAY DOWN

WHERNSIDE TARN

VIEW OF WHERNSIDE ON WAY DOWN

PENYGHENT, INGLEBOROUGH AND WHERNSIDE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

CARLISLE TO SETTLE RAILWAY DISAPPEARS INTO THE HILLS

ROY COOLING OFF

CHEERS! 

PERFECT END!

DAY TWO - RIVER RIBBLE AND LONG LANE HIKE

A more sedate hike today, drove to Helwith Bridge and did a 3 and half hour circular walk of 6 miles. Fine views of Penyghent and Ingleborough along the way. The old Inn at Helwith Bridge built in the 1820s as a canteen for local quarry workers, pretty but we didn't stop. Long Lane is one of the Yorkshire Dales classic green roads. Lunch at the side of the River Ribble in Horton in Ribblesdale, with hardly any water in it. Stopped in Settle on the way back for the obligatory ice creams. The weather was superb with a cooling wind at times.

LAST NIGHTS ALMOST FULL MOON

LUNCH AT RIVER RIBBLE, HORTON IN RIBBLESDALE

RIVER RIBBLE REFLECTIONS

PENYGHENT IN THE GAP

BIG BOY AND HIS GIRLFRIEND

QUOTES ON A CAMPERVAN

HELWITH BRIDGE

DAY THREE -  PIKEDAW HILL AND MALHAM COVE HIKE 6 MILES 

Cooler weather today but no rain and sun came out very briefly mid afternoon.

We drove to Malham and left the crowds, climbed up Pikedaw Hill which challenged Roy's map reading skills but found it, a pile of rocks as the cairn and then took off over trackless moor to find the trail down to the top of Malham Cove, and the stunning limestone pavement. A steep track down to the bottom of the Cove and back to the car after the ice cream shop stop!  A beautiful hike, with stunning views.

FULL MOON

THE STILE TO PIKEDAW HILL

PIKEDAW HILL

MALHAM TARN IN BACKGROUND

BANDED GALLOWAYS ON THE HIGH MOOR

WHEATEAR

THE WAY DOWN TO THE COVE

LIMESTONE PAVEMENT AT TOP OF MALHAM COVE

LOOKING DOWN FROM PAVEMENT

MALHAM COVE AND ROY

MALHAM COVE

PANORAMA FROM MALHAM, LOVE THE STONE WALLS

OH NO ANOTHER ICE CREAM!

DAY FOUR  - THE TURBARY ROAD AND KINGSDALE HIKE  7 MILES

Drove to a lay by near Thornton-in-Lonsdale and walked up to the high level track of Turbary Road used centuries ago by peat cutters. An easy flat road including several pot holes. we saw the main one Rowton Pot which extends for 17 miles beneath Kingsdale, it looked quite scary to go down!

After lunch had a little look in Yordas Cave, a former Victorian showcave. We could hear water running in the depths.

Down into peaceful Kingsdale and back to the car. 

TURBARY ROAD

ROWTEN POT

ROWTEN POT

BLURRY LUNCH SPOT

YORDAS CAVE

KINGSDALE

 THE END OF A SUPER TIME IN THE DELIGHTFUL DALES!