Category: Walks

Thornborough Henges

Image: A M Hunt from Yorkshire Archaeological Aerial Mapping

There are plenty of stunning places in and around the Yorkshire Dales that are not well-known despite their unique features. Thornborough is on the fringes of the Dales, between the A1 and Masham and yet barely anyone has ever heard of it.

The name may be familiar to a few thanks to Thornborough Cider, but hardly anyone knows of one of England's most significant and mysterious prehistoric sites - the Thornborough Henges.

Called by some the "Stonehenge of the North", this site is very different to its Southern cousin. There are no stones to see and neither are there any crowds.

The Thornborough Henges are thought to be over 5000 years old and consist of three circular mounds, ditches and banks.

You can see and feel some of the scale of these curious landmarks by wandering around the site but these aerial images by A M Hunt of Yorkshire Archaeological Aerial Mapping give a much clearer indication. It's one of the largest ritual religious sites in Britain.

Image: A M Hunt from Yorkshire Archaeological Aerial Mapping

The Thornborough Henges are thought to be the world's only triple henge complex.

Unlike some prehistoric sites where your imagination has to work harder than your eyes to discern any traces of the past, at Thornborough it's still possible to see the ditches and banks, particularly the northern henge.

The structure is apparently in alignment with Orion's Belt in the night sky, something they have in common with Egypt's Great Pyramids. Some believe the Thornborough Henges were built even before the pyramids. If so, what made man so many miles apart decide to build these great works in line with Orion?

Outdoor clothing

As Wainwright said, 'there's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing". Considering that he wrote that in around 1973, I imagine he just meant put on your Big Coat and Shoes, as all the hi-tech outdoor clothing available now is a relatively recent innovation.

Interestingly, Wainwright was writing just as husband and wife Paul and Sarah Howcroft were sitting at their kitchen table in the Yorkshire Dales starting to use the emerging advances in textiles to create hard-wearing clothes for climbers and walkers. Their company, Rohan, still has a shop in the Yorkshire Dales in Long Preston which also has a clearance section.

We've all got waterproof skin so I'm never really sure why people get so worked up about rain. I will admit that we did have one barbecue when we continued eating outdoors in the rain and it wasn't so pleasant: the broccoli was actually floating in a half inch of water on the plate. Without rain, the Yorkshire Dales would not be so lush and green so we should be grateful really...

Getting back to the need for suitable outdoor clothing, I recently asked for some recommendations for the best outdoor clothing shops in the Dales.

Castleberg Outdoors in Settle got recommended again and again. The staff were praised for their knowledgeable approach, fact they're all keen walkers, runners and bikers and that they make sure they offer a personalised service, matching kit to individuals and their needs.

Other recommendations for good outdoor clothing shops in the Yorkshire Dales:

Three Peaks Outdoor Leisure in Hawes
The Mountaineer in Grassington
Cunningham's Outdoors in Hawes
Sleepy Elephant in Sedbergh
Mad about Mountains in Kirkby Stephen
Inglesport in Ingleton
Sypeland Outdoors in Pateley Bridge
The Walking Shop in Leyburn
Three Peaks Cycles in Settle
Stage 1 Cycles in Hawes

Drover & packhorse routes

Image by Paul Harris

I've written before about the 'lazy lanes' that thread their way through the Dales countryside, often ending up at the end of the road. Other equally fascinating and beautiful tracks include the old drovers' lanes and packhorse routes, sometimes called 'green roads'. They all offer a wonderfully diverting way to enjoy the countryside, with fine views and plenty of history. Walk along these tracks, and you're essentially walking in the footsteps of Romans, monks and traders.

The Romans built a garrison at Bainbridge, with routes to forts at Ilkley and Ingleton. Some of these routes are still evident, but the biggest impact was made by the monks whose large estates were founded on wealth made from trading wool and woollen goods. Their trading routes were used to transport ewes-milk cheese (the monks were the first to make Wensleydale Cheese) and other goods from as far away as the Lake District to Fountains Abbey. One of the best known routes is Mastiles Lane from Kilnsey across Malham Moor.

For centuries, drovers walked with their cattle, pigs, sheep and even poultry, miles and miles to market. They supplied the developing towns, sometimes walking all the way from Scotland to London, so most drovers' routes run vertically from North to South in the Dales. Some of our pubs and inns date back to these times. Tan Hill Inn was one of the many inns used by drovers when cattle were traded at fairs in Askrigg. Some place names are testament to these times, such as Drover Hole Hill, as well as pubs with names like The Black Bull. Places with names like Halfpenny House probably date to when charges were made to graze animals en route.

Drovers had to be licensed, with licenses only being issued to those who were married and over 30. Presumably this was because they were more trustworthy, given the value of the stock in their care. Sometimes they would be on the road for months at a time, with several hundred beasts.

Some drovers undertook other duties as well, perhaps carrying post between small market towns or knitting as they walked to supplement their income, like the Terrible Knitters of Dent.

Salt was another important commodity, essential for preserving meat. It was transported from both the coast on the West and Cheshire plans in the East, using drovers' routes.

Other routes were used by chains of packhorses, carrying lead or wool out of the Dales. One of these runs from Dentdale to Ingleton, the Craven Old Way. Packhorses were the best way to transport materials in more remote areas. Horsehouse in Coverdale owes its name to these times, when the small hamlet was on an important packhorse route. Many of the single arched bridges such as the one at Ivelet were used by packhorses.

Many of these routes are still public rights of way, enjoyed by many walkers and horse-riders.
Images by Paul Harris Photography

Janet's Foss

Malham is a magnet for walkers, geography students and anyone who enjoys stunning natural features such as the limestone pavement.

Most visitors head off towards Malham Cove, missing out on the delights of Janet's Foss, a very special, some say magical spot. Foss means's force or waterfall, probably an old nordic name. It's not a big waterfall but it does seem to hold visitors spellbound.

It's best to park in the National Park Car Park and then follow the signs to enjoy the approach to the woodland waterfall.

The pool was once used for sheep dipping. Now it's simply a lovely spot for wild swimming or just to sit and enjoy the beauty.

You may be wondering why it's named after Janet and who she was?

Janet is the Queen of the Fairies and she lives in a cave behind the waterfall. I think you can tell this is a special enchanted spot thanks to the vivid greens, mossy tufa screen and dappled light. This wooded area is rich in wildflowers, ferns, mosses and birdlife, making it feel like a magical gathering place for all that's most beautiful in the Yorkshire Dales. It's said that the cave was once inhabited by copper workers working a local mine. Their lives would have been a hard slog but given the beauty of this bewitching little spot, it's tempting to imagine them wearing brightly coloured outfits and singing as they went off to work like the Seven Dwarves.

Cow Parsley or Mother Die?

The Dales hay meadows are starting to fill with lush green grasses and colourful wildflowers.

Hedgerows and woodland edges are full of life and the Cow Parsley is suddenly tall and frothy with its delicate white flowers. At this time of year when the flowers are spread wide and flat, it's easy to see why it's also known as "Queen Anne's Lace".

When we were little we always knew it by its more threatening name, "Mother Die", although my memory of that was more once the flowers had finished and the distinctive seed head formed. I remember creating magic potions out of various seeds and desperately wanting to pick the cow parsley seed heads as they were so plentiful and interestingly shaped, but never daring to do so. We all believed that if we picked it our mothers may die. We could be forgiven for believing Cow Parsley has special properties: it's one of those plants that's barely there one minute and then suddenly grows like topsy and is everywhere.

The Mother Die name was probably deliberately used to discourage children from picking it because it can easily be confused with poisonous Hemlock and Hogweed whose sap causes nasty skin burns.

Cow Parsley is actually related to carrot and much enjoyed by bees and many insects so it's a useful plant. If you're absolutely certain that you've got the identification right, you can apparently add young leaves to salads. If you dare to pick it, the leaves have an aniseedy smell. Italian researchers have recently found that Cow Parsley may be useful as part of an anti-cancer drug. Sheep often love Cow Parsley, bashing the stems to release the juice on to their head so it acts as a natural fly repellent.

Cover Bridge to Middleham

There's something very reassuring about a walk with pubs at either end. If the walk itself is beautiful, so much the better. A pleasing link between the pubs, with some history thrown in? A perfect way to spend a few hours.

As the name implies, the 17th century Cover Bridge Inn sits right next to the bridge over the river Cover, a few metres from where it joins the river Ure and just down the road from beautiful Jervaulx Abbey.

If you prefer to sit and enjoy the sound of the river and rich birdlife, there are plenty of riverside tables and chairs in the garden of the Cover Bridge Inn. At the front, a sign outside proudly proclaims 'Ham & Eggs'. That's certainly one of its claims to fame. Years ago, the pub had another: a much-loved landlord, Jim Carter.

His daughter, Sharon once told me about her father's casual approach to licensing laws - he didn't always close the pub when the magistrates thought he should, resulting in numerous warnings and fines. Eventually he was told he would lose his licence. More than 100 disgruntled pub goers wrote letters and petitions, but to no avail. Magistrates refused to renew his licence but transferred it to his wife. There was a condition attached: Jim Cater had to move out. He had to stay elsewhere for a few months before being allowed to resume his place behind the bar, and presumably to carry on entertaining locals and visitors as he always did. Just in case you're planning an after hours session - this was all years ago...

Next door to the pub is a narrow gap in the wall. Squeeze through it and you'll be able to follow the path for a very enjoyable walk up towards Middleham. It's a relatively easy and varied walk, meandering through woods and meadows by the river. When the river is low you'll see stepping stones and a mini limestone pavement on your way. There's also a really good spot for wild swimming.

In Middleham look out for the castle, the many racing stables and several pubs. Two of these, the Richard III and Dante (named after a Middleham racehorse that won the Derby) are both very welcoming 'real' pubs now run by Sharon Carter-Ward, daughter of the former landlord of the Cover Bridge Inn.

Walking in the Yorkshire Dales

There are miles and miles of footpaths for walkers to enjoy through out the Yorkshire Dales, whether you want to enjoy a short saunter by a river, stride out over the moors or climb one of the peaks.

There's no shortage of information to help you enjoy a walk in the Dales so I thought I'd do something a little different for today's blog and suggest some useful websites, blogs and companies to help you plan walks in the Yorkshire Dales.

Useful walking route websites
These websites have masses of walking route descriptions to download and use free

Where2Walk
Walking English Man
CountryFile
Dales Walks
Happy Hiker
Walking Britain
Walking in the Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire Dales National Park - short walks to download, including some without stiles

Long distance routes
We've got some excellent and well-marked long distance routes:

52 - 76 miles:
Herriot Way
Ribble Way
Dales Inn Way

80 - 100 miles:
Lady Anne's Way
Dales High Way
Dales Way

100 - 270 miles:
Pennine Way
Coast to Coast
Pennine Bridleway

Walking tour and luggage transfer companies
If you want to follow a long distance route, you might find it helpful to do a navigation course before you go, or to use a walking holiday company to make accommodation arrangements on your behalf and transfer your luggage to save you carrying it. Here are some companies that could help:

Brigantes Walking Holidays
Where2Walk
Mickledore
Inntravel
Contours Walking Holidays
Footpath Holidays
On Foot Holidays

Walking books
There's a huge number of books featuring walks in the Yorkshire Dales, including some that focus on short walks with children, those that cover longer distance walking routes, tea shop walks, pubs walks, history walks... Many of these are available from great independent bookshops in the Dales such as the Little Ripon Bookshop, Stripey Badger in Grassington, Castle Hill Bookshop in Richmond and Westwood Books in Sedbergh.

Pick up more information, advice and books from one of the National Park Centres at Aysgarth Falls, Grassington, Hawes, Malham and Reeth.

Walking with dogs?

Please note: there are many ground nesting birds in the Yorkshire Dales, between March to July. They can easily be disturbed by dog and likely to fly off, leaving their young behind. Please keep dogs on leads.

You may think your dog won't chase sheep but no-one really knows for sure and every year hundreds of sheep are killed either by dogs attacking them, or through the stress of having dogs run among them. During lambing seasons please keep sure you keep dogs on leads.

Skipton Castle Woods

England has many wonderful woodlands, but few of them are as easily accessed as Skipton Castle Woods, sandwiched between the medieval castle and the bustling High Street.

Nowadays we build houses and add a garden. When Skipton Castle was built it was the other way round - they almost certainly built the castle in that spot because the woods were there, providing fuel, building materials, a place to hunt for food and water supplies.
You can see the huge beams taken from oak trees in the Woods, in the banqueting hall of Skipton Castle. 'Locally sourced materials' don't get much more local than that!

Over the years the Woods have changed in purpose, from providing timber and limestone during the industrial revolution, to becoming a pleasure ground.

Skipton's first industrial mill, High Mill, was built at the entrance to the woods, using water power to spin cotton.

You can still follow a walk along the watercourses that powered the mills. An offshoot of the famous Leeds to Liverpool Canal was built, called Springs Canal, which transported timber and stone. Water from Eller Beck was used to power a sawmill and corn mill.

In Victorian times, Skipton Castle Woods were a place to go to enjoy the peace and tranquility.

You can now enjoy access to the Woods thanks to an arrangement between the owners of Skipton Castle and the Woodland Trust who lease and maintain the woods.

It's easy to step away from the bustling Skipton High Street into the magical peace of the Woods, with entrances by the Old Sawmill, the Short Lee Lane entrance (this is the entrance to use where you're most likely to see the family of deer) or the Bailey entrance. The Bailey entrance takes you along a line of beautiful lime trees.

The Woods support many wildlife including badgers and deer, at least 28 species of bird, as well as butterflies, and five species of bat.

As you wander through the woods, you'll spot oak, lime and beech trees. Look more closely and there are over 160 different plants, grasses and herbs. Many have healing properties - at one time the Castle's herbalist would have used the Woods as their pharmacy.

If you have children with you, you might like to download the details of the geocache trail so they can look out for the treasures hidden in the Woods and find out more about some of the people who lived there. Can you spot the archer and horse willow sculpture made by Anna and the Willow, the bird by Dragon Willow and carved bench made by chainsaw artist Karl Barker?

Thanks to Hazel at Skipton Castle Woods for all images.

Clapham

Clapham is one of those small but perfectly-formed Dales villages that visitors return to again and again.

It feels quite remote but is easier to reach by public transport thanks to the railway station about a mile away. There's also a regular bus service between Skipton and Kirkby Lonsdale.

Many visitors come to Clapham to enjoy the nature trail and discover Ingleborough Cave, perhaps wanting to find out the story of the remarkable Reginald Farrar, the Edwardian plant collector.

Others start out from here to gaze in wonder at Gaping Gill or to climb Ingleborough, one of the famous Three Peaks.

The Pennine Bridleway, Way of the Roses and countless footpaths criss-cross Clapham so it's an excellent base for walkers.

If you prefer something more gentle you might want to wander up to Oxenber Woods or over to Austwick, passing the beautiful moss-covered drystone walls on your way.

As you wander around the village you might spot the headquarters of the Cave Rescue Organisation. Established in 1935, they were one of the first such rescue services in the world.

There's another organisation based here, which has had a profound effect on the Yorkshire Dales: the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, who describe themselves as "a small charity doing big things".

They help look after the Dales landscape and support rural communities, and are particularly known for the excellent Flowers of the Dales Festival.

Most of the village buildings are clustered around the beck, so there are some lovely places to sit and enjoy the views, perhaps with a picnic made of ingredients from the community-run Clapham Village Store. Alternatively you could pop into the Reading Room Cafe or The New Inn.

Knitters will love the range of wools on offer at Beckside Yarns, while nearby Tea Time Vintage has an amazing collection of curios and collectibles to browse.

Ride2Stride Festival

The Ride2Stride Festival is a simple but genius idea - an annual week long programme of walking and music events and activities in the Yorkshire Dales, each with a link to the splendid Settle - Carlisle Railway.

The Telegraph once described it as "Britain's best free walking festival".

The fact that it's mainly free isn't what makes it so good - it's the variety of events, opportunity to discover new places, celebrate the beauty of the landscape cut through by the railway.

Perhaps best of all is the fact that you don't need a car to participate. Most opportunities to walk anywhere in the Yorkshire Dales start with a car journey as public transport can be quite limited.

Each day during the Ride2Stride festival, walks start at a station on the Settle - Carlisle Railway. The festival programme even tells you what time train to get from Leeds and then which to get back again. There are walks of varying lengths from 5 to 15 miles, all led by experienced walking guides. There's an added dimension to many of the walks - a chance to learn about the local terrain, see some beauty spots and learn about other aspects such as the wildflowers. The programme also includes events such as a Ribblehead Viaduct tour, geology talks and a visit to the Courtyard Dairy.

In the late afternoon and evenings local pubs will be full of music and song. They're timed so walkers can finish at a participating pub after their walk, before heading home. Different venues in Settle, Appleby and Ribblehead will host some excellent folk musicians. The 2019 event takes place from 30th April to 6th May. For full details take a look at the Ride2Stride website.