Category: Walks

Clapham Treasure Map

The Clapham Treasure Map is one of a series that I've created to help visitors (and locals) enjoy all that some of our most beautiful communities have to offer.

Rather than tell you exactly what's where, mystery 'star sights' are marked on a simple map, so you can discover some of Clapham's best spots and most interesting features for yourself.

Download the Clapham Treasure Map here and you'll be able to find:

Peace and tranquillity next to Clapham Beck
Ingleborough Cave
Beautiful bridges and crossing points
Home of the Cave Rescue Organisation
Shops, cafes and pubs
Ingleborough Nature Trail
Story of Reginald Farrer
Thwaite Lane footpath

Not far away are more delights to be discovered, including Robin Proctors Scar, the Norber Erratics - amazing balanced rocks in interesting formations, and the delightful village of Austwick.

If you'd like to cheat a little before you explore Clapham with this simple Treasure Map, you might like to read this longer blog about Clapham and why it's so special.

Heather

Image by Guy Carpenter

A large part of the upland areas in the Yorkshire Dales is moorland, open uncultivated land, often covered with heather.

For much of the year you might not really notice it, and then it suddenly blooms and the whole landscape changes colour and feel. It’s a very hardy, wind-resistant plant so thrives on the open moorland, often living over 20 years, where nothing much else survives.

The first heather to bloom, around the end of July, is bell heather.

Most of the common heather you’ll see in the Yorkshire Dales is ling, flowering between August and September. The flowers grow on a dwarf shrub, often interspersed with bilberries. Look closer at the dry wriggly stems and they might remind you of something? They were once used to make witches' brooms or besoms. Ling was also used in the Dales to thatch roofs.

Heather is often considered a lucky charm. This idea came about when Queen Victoria's servant Mr. Brown spotted a piece of white heather and gave it to her for good luck. White heather is less common and is associated with stories of battle victories so that may account for its popularity. In Scotland heather has been used for centuries to make ale and other drinks. Heather tea is reputed to be good for coughs and soothing nerves. Heather's other uses include making a yellow dye. The dry stalks can be twisted together to create a sort of rope which doesn't deteriorate in sea water. It was once used to make primitive mattresses.

Nowadays honey from bees kept close to the heather-clad moorland is highly prized. Heather is also an important habitat for grouse and useful nest sites for ground-nesting birds.

Over time the heather becomes quite woody with fewer flowers. Every winter fire brigades receive call outs telling them the moor is on fire. Usually this is because gamekeepers burn small patches of older, stick heather to rejuvenate it, causing new green shoots to grow. The fires are supposed to only be lit when there are no nesting birds and when the soil is wet so the fires can be controlled. This is why you might have seen patches of moor that look like a patchwork quilt as they’re burnt in rotation. The new green shoots are also welcomed by sheep and other animals.

Image: Guy Carpenter

Settle to Carlisle Railway

Image: Thomas Jones The Dales Photographer

Some transport is about getting from A to B. Some is so dramatic, it's an attraction in itself.

With 20 viaducts, 14 tunnels and 72 miles of track, the Settle to Carlisle Railway is an incredible feat of engineering and one of the most scenic transport routes through England.

The Settle-Carlisle Railway line opened in 1876, after 6,000 men worked for 7 years to construct the railway line. This was achieved almost entirely by hand.

The line followed the natural pathways through the Pennines so some of its route isn’t entirely logical but it is very beautiful, travelling through outstanding scenery. By 1970 all local stations except Settle and Appleby had closed and by 1981 there was a plan to close the whole line, partly because Ribblehead viaduct was in a terrible state and considered too expensive to repair. It was eventually repaired, and now attracts thousands of visitors who come to marvel at its incredible awe-inspiring structure. After public protests and an increase in passengers, the government decided in 1989 that the line should stay open.

The very memorable journey starts in Settle, which is also the gateway to the Yorkshire Three Peaks of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. You can still see the (now private) Station Master’s house and water tank.

The next station is Horton-in-Ribblesdale where a curiosity awaits you in the waiting shelter on the northbound platform: a lithophone. It’s a keyboard, a bit like a xylophone made from limestone from Horton Quarry. From there it’s onward to Ribblehead where can see the famous viaduct spanning Batty Moss. Ribblehead station now has a small, award-winning visitor centre where you can learn more about the history and importance of this iconic railway line.

Dent station is England’s highest mainline station, with amazing views over Dentdale. It's a little odd because it's several miles from Dent and feels like it’s been randomly stranded over 500 feet above the village! Garsdale near Hawes comes next, then Kirkby Stephen in the Eden Valley, Appleby and finally Carlisle.

You can download free audio guides with a commentary synced to what you’re seeing from the train window

Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line organise guided walks from time to time, and you can also download some great self-guided walks from the Settle-Carlisle Railway website. Look out too for the Ride2Stride Festival, with a packed programme of walks, talks and music along the famous Settle-Carlisle railway line.

Castleberg

Image: Steve Amphlett

Imagine being so wealthy you could afford a large mansion with its own pleasure grounds (sounds so much grander than just a garden!), filled with exotic trees and plants. Castlebergh Plantation was part of the grounds of Town Head in Settle, owned by a succession of rich families.

One owner was so well-off he built a walkway from the house under the High Road so he could enjoy the gardens in complete peace and privacy.

Town Head was eventually demolished and the once beautiful grounds became neglected until the woodland was restored some years ago. However, the years of neglect were good in one way though: they created a haven for wildlife.

Town Head’s most famous inhabitant was Tot (short for Thomas) Lord, a well-known archaeologist who excavated Victoria, Jubilee and Attermire ‘bone caves’, discovering a harpoon head, skull of a bear, and mammoth bones.

Nowadays anyone can enjoy parts of what was once Castlebergh Plantation, by following the Tot Lord Trail out of Settle market place up Constitution Hill (you'll see why it's so named once you've puffed up it!), through the woodland and to the top of Castleberg Rock, a limestone knoll with fine views over Settle and beyond. You'll be able to enjoy a birds-eye view over the town, and see the Settle-Carlisle railway line which looks more like a model train set from that perspective.

Image: Steve Amphlett

Dales Way

Fifty years ago, the West Riding group of the Ramblers' Association decided they wanted to create a new walking route.

After some discussion it was decided that it would start in Ilkley and much of the route should follow the River Wharfe, right up to its source on Cam Fell.

That walk would have ended in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, leaving walkers either stranded or turning back on themselves, so instead the route was extended to follow the River Dee through Dentdale, and then on through Westmorland to end at Lake Windermere.

After many meetings with many organisations and much discussion about recording footpaths, creating signage and rights of way by some very committed volunteers, the Dales Way was born.

Linton Falls

What makes the Dales Way so cherished?

It's an 80 mile long route which is well signposted and relatively easy. The Dales Way Association suggest it's an ideal introduction for less experienced walkers to long distance walking.

The route passes through some truly gorgeous parts of the Yorkshire Dales: Bolton Abbey, Burnsall, Linton, Grassington, Kettlewell, Buckden, Hubberholme, Cowgill, Dent and Sedbergh before moving on to the Lake District National Park.

Image: Bolton Abbey

Many of us love the tranquility and wildlife to be found by a river or stream, and that's perhaps one of the reasons that the Dales Way is so popular. It's effectively a series of river walks. Some of the tracks it follows are ancient routes, used by walkers, drovers and traders for centuries.

Rivers are calming and forever changing, different in every season.

The Dales Way is rich in geological features and birdlife - expect to spot kingfishers, dippers, oystercatchers, and curlews.

Image: Skyware Press

In May 1969 Tom Wilcock and Colin Speakman created the first Dales Way leaflet, eventually leading to Colin Speakman's publication of a guidebook called The Dales Way originally published by the Dalesman.

It's become a very popular guide to the beautiful riverside route, and is now in its 11th edition, published by Skyware Press.

I wonder how many feet have trodden this beautiful route over the last 50 years, probably not even aware of all the work that went into its creation?

If you love the Dales Way you might be interested in joining the Dales Way Association.

Scar House Reservoir

I'm not particularly fond of reservoirs: I know they're essential but I don't like the idea of huge man-made structures being plonked into the countryside, sometimes even flooding small communities.

Scar House Reservoir near Middlesmoor is very beautiful though, set in stunning Upper Nidderdale within the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, close to Pateley Bridge.

The walk around the reservoirs is just 4 miles and offers a chance to spot curlews, lapwing, and ring ouzel and to marvel at the feat of engineering that built the reservoir that supplies water to Bradford.

You'll also be able to spot two lost villages. The first is Lodge on the north side of the reservoir, the atmospheric remains of a 13th century settlement, with views toward Angram Reservoir.

Closer to the car park are the foundations of what was once a bustling little temporary town, housing around 1000 people in the 1920s. This was the community that built the reservoir.

Unlike some other temporary communities, such as the one that built Ribblehead Viaduct, the one at Scar House Reservoir seems to have been very law-abiding and happy.

There were strict rules for behaviour but in turn residents were treated well, with some facilities that were not yet available to residents in nearby Pateley Bridge, such as inside toilets, and baths with hot running water.

Around 50 houses and bungalows and several hostels housed the huge workforce and their families. In their leisure time, they could use the shops, large concert and cinema that were built on site. Once the reservoir building was complete in the 1930s, each part of the temporary settlement was auctioned off and dismantled.

The reservoir is a lovely serene place to visit in Summer, changing completely in Winter when it becomes incredibly windswept, seemingly always cold. It's well-worth visiting on a stormy day, to walk over the bridge and look down at the water rushing down the stepped hill onwards to Bradford. It's an awe-inspiring sight, especially when the reservoir is really full and the wind whips the water in every direction.

Building Scar House Reservoir took 15 years to complete. It was hard and dangerous work with over 1 million tonnes of masonry to transport and build and one man was killed during the construction. The reservoir now provides 21 million gallons of water each day.

River Wharfe

One of the most popular areas of the Dales is Wharfedale, thanks in part to its many stunning villages and also its proximity to towns in West Yorkshire.

The River Wharfe winds (the origin of its name) its way through some of the Dales' best-known villages and acts as the boundary between North and West Yorkshire.

The river flows for 65 miles before joining the River Ouse. Its source is in the centre of the Yorkshire Dales National Park - where Oughtershaw Beck and Green Field Beck meet in lovely Langstrothdale. From there it flows toward Hubberholme, home of the wonderful George Inn and landlord Ed who has the gift of remembering an astonishing number of names.

From there it's on to Buckden and then Kettlewell, which many people recognise from the Calendar Girls' film. It passes Kilnsey Park, an excellent place to visit to learn to fish, where you're almost guaranteed a catch. The market town of Grassington is also home to one of the Yorkshire Dales National Park's visitor centres where you can pick up books and leaflets about the area, and discover lovely walks such as the one to nearby Linton. Linton falls are a focal point for many visitors, worth going to see after a good downpour.

After this the river Wharfe makes it way towards the popular picnic spot of Burnsall and then Appletreewick, which sounds totally different when a local pronounces it and is home to the Craven Arms which hosts ferret racing each year and has a superb cruck barn.

As it flows through the Bolton Abbey Estate, there a chance to see The Strid waterfalls and to cross the river just as the monks did centuries ago, using the stepping stones.

A wonderful way to experience Wharfedale is to walk the Dales Way, which follows the river Wharfe from Ilkley all the way to its source on Cam Fell.

Bridges & river crossings

Image by Paul Harris

With over 50 dales, and at least that number of rivers and streams, we constantly move across bridges and river crossings in the Yorkshire Dales, sometimes without even noticing.

Some are not just useful, they're beautiful and historic.

Many settlements grew up close to rivers, with important bridges or other crossings nearby.

The expression 'we'll cross that bridge when we come to it' probably came from the fact that rivers can be dangerous and changeable things and crossings were not always in the state you'd hope for when travellers reached them.

Bolton Abbey photo Devonshire Arms

There are essentially three different kinds of river crossing still in existence (apart from boats...): stepping stones, fords and bridges.

The stepping stones at Bolton Abbey are probably the most famous, but you'll find many others through out the Dales, some half-hidden by the flow of the river.

They would have been a hazardous and unreliable way to cross, often only passable with a wooden staff to keep one's balance.

Ford in Coverdale

Fords could only be built where rivers ran quite slowly and were shallow.

You'll notice some over streams which were paved for more frequent use, often leading to a house or settlement.

After the Romans, one of the most common reasons for travelling around the Yorkshire Dales was to trade wool or sheep, something at which the landowning monks were adept. They're likely to have built some of the earliest bridges.

One of several bridges in Linton

As I write this, the memory of a primary school history lesson has popped into my mind, together with the smell of the clay we used to make a clapper bridge and then a packhorse bridge. I remember learning about the keystone, the differently shaped stone in the middle of the bridge that kept all the others in place.

You can see clapper bridges in Austwick, Malham and Linton. They were mostly built using slate for the convenience of locals across narrow and shallow rivers or streams.

Photo by Guy Carpenter

Over time some packhorse bridges have been altered to make them safer but you can still find some in their original condition, either without any sides or with low ones so packhorses carrying panniers laden with goods could easily pass.

Some bridges were initially built using timber but were replaced with stone when the wood rotted,

In the 18th century the Turnpike Trusts were given the power to collect tolls making it worthwhile to improve roads and bridges, making them better and broader.

Reeth Swing Bridge by Scenicview Gallery

Bridges were essential to travellers but not everyone wanted to pay for their upkeep. If you look at 19th century bridges you may notice small initialled markers at the side of the bridge, such as the one inscribed WR at the end of Grassington Bridge, showing that West Riding County Council had liability for its upkeep.

You might associate suspension bridges with Hull or other bigger cities but we have at least two in the Dales, one in Reeth, known as the Swing Bridge and the other across the river Wharfe near Linton.

The suspension bridge across the river Wharfe was created after a local man drowned trying to cross the stepping stones. It was designed and built by the village blacksmith using over 250 metres of old steel rope, bought from a mining company.

Reeth - a bakery, gallery & walk

I've admired the work of photographers Debbie and Gray from Scenicview Gallery in Reeth for a long time. Their location means they're well placed to dash out and get the perfect shot of the stunning surrounding landscape when the light is just right. But I recently saw they'd taken some very different images that caught my attention. Pictures of beautiful sourdough loaves, croissants with layers and layers of buttery deliciousness enticed me to Reeth to find out if it all tasted as good as it looked.

Hannah and David set up the Two Dales Bakery in Reeth this year, swapping their previous jobs for a new life of baking and passion for food. One of the reasons their bread and pastries are so good is thanks to Colin who's worked as a pastry chef in leading hotels such as The Dorchester and in Michelin starred restaurants in London. There's an attractive outdoor and indoor eating area where you can enjoy the quiches, tarts, pastries, excellent coffee and other lunch time dishes such as soups.

So how are the bread and pastries that had enticed me there?

In a word, delicious. My husband had a tea cake and declared it the best he'd ever tasted so he bought some more for later, to go with the sausage rolls and quiches I'd spotted.

After a while I stopped listening to him telling me all the reasons why they're so good, and focused on finding a picnic spot so we could eat and enjoy the rest of the goodies.

Image: Scenicview Gallery

There are plenty of walks from Reeth to enjoy the wonderful Swaledale vistas. One of the easiest is to head towards the Garden Pottery (definitely worth visiting) and then out of Reeth along the old paved way towards the swing bridge.

Scenicview Gallery is just down the road from Two Dales Bakery on Silver Street, so you can pop in to see and buy iconic images of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale captured by Debbie and Gray.

They've run the gallery for 16 years and in that time really perfected the art of showing the atmospheric beauty of the Dales. Even after all that time they're still excited to keep keep discovering new and inspiring places to photograph. All the images below are taken by Debbie and Gray. To see more, do go visit their gallery.

Hoffmann Kiln

Most of the posts on this blog are about the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales, but sometimes the most interesting or surprising places aren't really beautiful in the traditional sense of the word. They're awe-inspiring or perhaps challenging in some way. The Hoffmann Kiln is an old industrial feature which may not sound very appealing, but its sheer scale, hidden location and atmosphere make it remarkable.

Many people have no clue that the Hoffmann Kiln lies a short distance from Settle, or of its size and significance. It's not easy to find - drive on the B6479 out of Settle towards Langcliffe and it's opposite the quarry, then under the railway bridge. There's a small car park.

Don't think of a kiln in the usual small pottery sense - this is a vast feat of engineering, with interpretation panels to explain how it functioned.

Venturing inside the archways you'll instantly experience the eerie damp darkness of the huge tunnel. This incredible structure was built in 1873 for the Craven Lime Company using a patented system created by a German inventor to burn lime. There were 22 individual burning chambers working in a continuous circuit, taking around 6 weeks to complete the cycle. Considering how much effort went into the creation of this huge construction, it wasn't in use for very long, with the last firing in 1937. In 1951 there were plans to demolish the chimney but it fell down of its own accord the day before the planned ceremony, when no-one was looking!

A good way to experience the Hoffmann Kiln is to download this informative free audio trail. Park in the car park in nearby Stainforth and then walk along the river Ribble, by Stainforth Foss waterfall to Langclifee and then by the Hoffmann Kiln.

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Copyright Susan Briggs 2020
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Image; Guy Carpenter

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