Date walked: 15th September 2014

Distance: 13.5 miles

Map used: OS Explorer OL2 “Yorkshire Dales – Southern and Western areas”.

A High Dales Way Companion by Tony and Chris Grogan

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I had stayed the night in the excellent Seed Hill Guest House in the most comfortable of rooms. Most unusually  a “low fat” cooked breakfast was on offer, where the bacon was grilled and the eggs poached. Which is just how I like it, and very good it was too.

There were three of us men in this small dining room with seemingly not a word to say to one another. This struck me as a most awful indictment of our gender. I tried an exchange with the chap nearest to me but we managed no more than two sentences each about the weather. There was probably 180 years of life experience in the room. Dreadful. I should have tried harder.

Bob’s intended itinerary was to climb up Whernside from the south and to make the long ridge walk to its summit, before dropping down to Dent. A good plan, but it was another cloudy day and I wondered about whether I would see much for my efforts.

The railway line that once used the viaduct that dominates the village has a fascinating history; it is said to have been the shortest railway service in history!

This is a great part of the world for viaducts

Taking a road down to the lower part of the village and after crossing the river, I turned right up  Oddies Lane.

According to my map this is the River Doe, which is joined immediatly before the viaduct by the River Twiss and it then becomes the River Greta!

Over to the right were some sheep of an unfamiliar appearance – time, I think, to get to know more about these most prevalent of pasture dwellers.

By the time you read this I’ll have my “Know your Sheep ” book

Towards the top of the lane, just by the side of the road,  a chap with a car and a tent was packing up; a strange spot, I thought, to have chosen for the night. Over to the left, a farm called Scar End sits at the foot of Whernside, the footpath taking a route up though a small wood.

There’s mist on them there hills

On the right a quarry, still in use despite the map’s indication to the contrary.

It has permission to quarry again to 2018

The sky was still pretty cloudy so I made the decision to keep on this Roman Road for the next three miles to Chapel-Le-Dale.

The architecture of the house of Beezleys Farm  looked like it would contain an interesting interior but the place was really shabby outside.

And those curtains could do with a wash

The farmer had thoughtfully left some old vehicles in the nearby fields to add Picturesque interest to this otherwise far too attractive landscape.

The Picturesque aesthetic was made for farmers

Over to the left, and running perfectly parallel to the road were the Twistleton Scars, their limestone face being favoured by rock climbers (but not today).

Nicely illuminated by a brief shaft of sunlight

Over to the right, but out of sight, the River Doe ( and hidden by walls the B6255) runs through this most perfect of Dales valleys.

Well placed tree, don’t you think?

Not a single car passed me until I got to the church at Chapel-le-Dale, where a bloke parked his car in the lane, dashed into the church and came straight out again, ignoring my greeting.Very odd. Rude even.

That bell “tower” looks like an afterthought to me

 I popped into St Leonards church which was as simple on the inside as it was from the outside. Grogan’s Guide says that there are graves for 200 people who worked on the construction of the Settle to Carlisle Railway bwetween 1870 and 1877 and who died through accident or disease.

At Chapel-le-Dale I was re-united with the Dales High Way which then follows a track out of the hamlet and climbs up towards Whernside’s lower eastern flank.

Hidden by the trees was a deep Shake Hole called Hurtle Pot and on the left of the track was a piece of dodgy sculpture by Charles L’Anson that had been chucked into this hole in 1983 and had subsequently been found in 30 feet of water.

I think I may have left it in the pot

At the top of the lane, Whernside’s highest point was still shrouded by cloud, reinforcing my decision to opt for this low level walk.

I was surprised to see that the Dales High Way route also shuns Whernside and follows instead this very pleasant track that  runs along the valley bottom for the next couple of miles. Looking back, those climbing Ingleborough that day would have been even worse off.

Ok, so I have exagerated the dark sky for effect

As I ambled along, I gained further advantage for my lack of adventurousness through being given the most splendid view of the Ribblehead Viaduct.

As I got nearer so my view of it improved, though I was irritated by a track that climbs the hill behind it and cuts across the its perfect line.

Some might have eliminated that white wiggle in Photoshop

In the end I was able to get one shot that satisfied my non-Picturesque preference for perfection in form.

Though this might be more perfect without the sheep

The path passes under the railway and then runs alongside it for a mile, passing by Bleamoor Sidings.

Despite the railway, this felt a wonderfully remote place; the wide grit track seemed intrusive somehow, artificial and out of proportion.

(We travelled this line from Bingley to Carlisle and back one day with Anne’s Father – a  great way to see the countryside and a  journey that can be made on a steam train if you choose your day right)

As the path crosses back over the the railway line, the Force Gill Beck is channelled over a small aqueduct with the most beautiful stonework.

 Just after this point the railway passes underground through the mile-and-a-half long Bleamoor Tunnel.

A series of spoil heaps and ventilation shafts marks the tunnel’s progress under the moor

Still climbing, I was joined by a group of a girl and three guys in their 30’s. Their pace was only slightly faster than mine and we had a chat. They were doing the Three Peaks that day not for itself but as an endurance practice for the ascent of Kilimanjaro (just short of 20,000 feet)  that they were doing in 2 weeks time. I didn’t hold up the chances for their fourth friend who was struggling. Perhaps he’s better at altitude.

His mates had a rest while this chap caught up

According to the Grogans this route from Chapel-le-Dale to Dent is an ancient packhorse route. This moorland is now shooting territory and a large sign announced that shooting was in progress (it wasn’t). Several wooden pitches (probably the wrong word) mark where the guns would stand, little white sticks limiting their inclination to track the birds too far to left or right.

“Emplacement”?

Whernside’s summit was clear now and over to the right were fine views over Dentdale to the surrounding moors.

Craven Wold becomes Craven Way (on the map) and passes though some stone-built sheep pens….

…. before widening out briefly to a wide grassy highway, the lush tree-studded valley of Dentdale now just a couple of miles away.

The Cravan (high) Way

The descent to the valley, though stony, was easy enough.

With gravity’s assistance I was soon crossing a little lane where The Dales Way (where I had walked last year) joins the Dales High Way and follows the banks of Deepdale Beck.

It’s a popular place for walkers

Someone had pulled the plug on the beck, though, its bed was completely exposed.

Has it been that dry up here?

It was not until its confluence with the River Dee that there was any flow of water to be seen.

Dent is an utterly charming place. It was certainly one of the nicest that we passed through when we walked the Dales Way the year before. It could not sit more comfortably in the landscape. With several pubs and cafes it would make a great base to get better aquainted with this idyllic countryside.

See what I mean?

 I was booked into the George and Dragon which was in the main street opposite the Sedgewick Memorial. My bags were waiting for me and I had earned a snooze. What a smashing day.

 My bags were being transferred each day by the excellent Brigantes walking holidays.