A Taste of Hadrian’s Wall Path
Filed under: OtherDistance: 11 miles
Map : OS Explorer 315 – Carlisle, Brampton, Longtown & Gretna Green
Start: Lanercost Road end of Brampton
Click to View Start Position on Google Maps
A cold damp day with a sea fret and cold east winds and the promise of a sunny day over the Pennines made for an easy decision where to go and with only limited discussion there was total agreement that we should head for the sun! As usual in these circumstances the weather improved fast as soon as we got through the Tyne Gap and at Brampton we got out of the car to the promised sunny weather.
We decided to walk the section of Hadrian’s Wall from outside Brampton to Greenhead and then get the hourly express bus back (currently no. 685) from Greenhead to Brampton. Hadrian’s Wall Path is not a particular favourite of mine, although it attracts thousands of visitors, but it does have its moments and to me this stage is arguably the best. It has fine views throughout, is in good open country and is generally much quieter than the next section east which it shares with the Pennine Way and Wainwright’s Pennine Journey as well as many one-day visitors. The opening section of Hadrian’s Wall Path from Bowness can be pleasant albeit with a substantial amount of quiet road walking but the extensive views across the Solway and the big skies plus the abundant birdlife make this a good day for many, even though there is no Hadrian’s Wall to see. The second section from Carlisle to Hayton Gate where we pick up the National Trail today is a peaceful walk through arable countryside and it is just after Hayton Gate that the Roman interest really becomes visible.
There is an excellent route out from Brampton which starts at where the road to Lanercost leaves the A6071 at the eastern end of town and a footpath here heads initially north to a cottage and then east up onto the ridge. This section has fine views north to Scotland and passes through superb beech woods with many fine trees owned by the Woodland Trust, before descending diagonally down across a field to emerge at a road and the route is waymarked throughout. There is a footpath sign where you emerge on to a road which directs you to the right to Quarry Bank Burn and Lanercost. This was not marked on our Explorer map as a right of way but all the signs say it is a right of way, and indeed this is a very nice old path which follows the burn, again through superb beechwoods. After passing the small quarry specialising in the red stone of the area the path rejoins the road at Lanercost Bridge, built by four stonemasons in 1724 and which was in use to 1962 before being replaced by the new one alongside. The old bridge was refurbishes in 1998 by Cumbria County Council with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund but it is worth mentioning that it was replaced because of its lack of width and not its capacity to carry heavier loads.
Lanercost Bridge
Ahead of you is Lanercost Priory which is worth a visit and also boasts a good tearoom. Sadly the Bridge Inn which was at the side of the old bridge, and in the past had very good food, is no more and is now a bed and breakfast establishment. Just after the abbey the road turns sharp right and here we leave it and have a choice of a footpath to Hayton Gate. This is in fact a surfaced road leading to the farm and there is an alternate bridle way a shade further west from the same point which passes to the west side of Abbey Gills Wood to pick up the Hadrian’s Wall Path.
Turrent 52A near to Banks
I do not propose to put much here on the route as this is well covered by the various guides to the Hadrian’s Wall Path although you pass the highest standing part of the wall at Hare Hills soon after joining the trail. It is generally thought that this was reconstructed during the 19th century. There is an excellent seat for lunch near the top of the hill at Banks with fine views of the Eden Valley and the more distant Lake District hills. Leaving Banks you have wide views on either side noting the end of the Pennine Chain to the south and its highest point hereabouts which is Cold Fell. Birdoswald fort, known to the Romans as Banna, is top class and the new bridge at Willowford is in a superb setting. This was the first bridge to be erected on this site since Roman times. Equally interesting, close to Gilsland which is passed by the south, is Poltross Burn milecastle which has been well preserved, including a surviving flight of stairs in spite of the construction of the nearby railway in the 1830s.
Hadrian’s Wall at Birdoswald
After this the path follows close to the Vallum and after Longbyer farm you reach the B6318 road. Go right along the road and after 200 yards you will see the Pennine Way coming down over the golf course to your right and joining the Hadrian’s Wall Path. Turn in front of the row of houses to cross the river and here you leave the Hadrian’s Wall Path and Pennine Way and follow the cycle way into Greenhead.
I have not included the bus times as they are liable to change. However take care as the express bus does not enter the village and stays on the A69. This is reached NOT by taking the road up higher up from the pub but instead going along the street to the left which has a “no exit” sign. This takes you along a path to the A69 and the bus stop east. To get back to Brampton use the underpass to reach the bus stop west. The timetable is on the wall in the Greenhead Hotel which not only serves good local real ales but also does good bar food and is open all day. The trip back to Brampton is all on the A69 and at 50mph takes about 10 mins. It is worth mentioning that during the summer there is a special bus for walkers which goes at least to Birdoswald and east of Greenhead past all the honeypot places such as Crag Lough and Housesteads. For those who want a lot more of the history of the wall there are several books but the best is the classic of 1863 called “The Handbook of the Roman Wall” by J. Collingwood Bruce which is beautifully illustrated. My copy is a newer version which is the seventh edition dated 1914.
Commondale and the Quakers Trod
Filed under: OtherDistance: 10 to 11 miles depending on route taken
Map : OS Explorer OL26 – North York Moors – Western area
Start: Charltons village
Click to View Start Position on Google Maps
There was a wet November forecast for the Pennines with the rain to arrive about 6.00pm on the coast so it took little time for us to decide to go to the east side of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park for our day’s walk and in less than an hour we were parked in the small mining community of Charltons which is on the A171 about 3 miles south of Guisborough. This village is basically only two terraced rows of houses and just off the road and by walking a short distance north on the minor road out of the village (crossing Wiley Cat Beck) you pick up the Cleveland Way which here turns along the road to Slapewath and the Fox and Hounds pub on its way to the coast. However, our route is the reverse through the wood and eventually westwards on to the moors. It is a pleasant walk, parallel to the road, through deciduous woodland where you reach a point overlooking the Fox and Hounds at Slapewath. The Cleveland Way was the second National Trail, opened in 1969 and stretching from Helmsley to Sutton Bank then along the old droving route and following the Cleveland escarpment to Charltons. It then goes over what is now farming country passing the sites of many old ironstone mines to Saltburn and then along the constantly eroding cliffs through Whitby and Scarborough to finish at Filey – a distance of 108 miles. When the route was being established it included Saltburn as there was a Youth Hostel there (now closed some years past) as the YHA were very much involved with the establishment of the route. This way also included Hunt Cliff and the Roman Signal Station which more than justifies the decision as Saltburn is an interesting place to visit.
When I first visited here in the 1970s many walkers, myself included, took a shortcut over the ironstone slag and alum shale tip to arrive directly to Slapewath but in retrospect this was a poor decision as it omitted the woodland walk to Charltons. In mitigation this was not then an attractive area as the slag bank over which the route passed was being processed for roadstone which was the business I was employed in. The two earlier books on the Cleveland Way are “The Official Guide” by Alan Falconer (1972) whose father is generally credited with the idea of the Cleveland Way and Bill Cowley’s 1975 Dalesman book. Both writers knew this area intimately and both comment on route-finding in this vicinity. No such problems now as you continue past Slapewath and pick up the concrete road heading steeply upwards towards Round Close Farm with Spa Wood on your left. This area is a mountain bike activity area and looks very strenuous. On reaching the end of the wood turn right over the stile to enter open moorland and follow the Cleveland Way westwards climbing gradually upwards. The views here, following the felling of many trees, are excellent – looking north up the Durham coast much of which is in the hands of the National Trust and east out to sea. Currently the path leaves the hard track for a distance to avoid forestry work and this gives your feet a rest from the hard surface. After a distance of about a mile and a half at GR 624144 we leave the Cleveland Way and head south. This is on a landrover track which soon turns right but our way is straight ahead south to the visible stile leading on to the open moor.
The two books mentioned previously on the Cleveland Way by Alan Falconer and Bill Cowley are worth seeking out if you can find them in a second hand shop as you see how time has made some changes and quite recently there have been two new additions to go along with the Official Guide. One is on Cicerone by Paddy Dillon and has the advantage of also including the Wolds Way as well as the link route back to Helmsley via the Tabular Hills.
Looking towards the coast from Guisborough Moor
Immediately on entering the moor, which is open access, you will see the trig point 299 metres to the west. Our target is Penrod Hill so follow a trod through the heather to the tumuli and then aim for the highest point. In bad visibility set a bearing as there are numerous minor tracks hereabouts. There are glorious views to the east over towards Runswick Bay. This is grouse territory as will be noted by the shooting butts and the associated land rover track which is taken from near Penrod Hill to the south-east for half a mile to some cairns at GR633123 to a junction of tracks. Take the route on the left which heads a shade north of east for just over a quarter of a mile to a T-junction and a further cairn. Turn right descending slightly. On the left are two prominent tumuli at Hob on the Hill GR 646125. It is worth the diversion from the route to this point and follow the earthwork shown on the Explorer map from GR 645121 to 645124 to Hob on the Hill where there is a cairn with the engraving RC 1798. This was erected by Robert Challoner who was the Lord of the Manor and MP for York. This cairn signifies a boundary and a further one with the same inscription can be found at Hob Cross GR 646134 (not visited on this walk). Compared to the ancient Bronze Age tumuli already seen these are of recent origin.
Boundary Stone at Hob on the Hill
Returning to the main track heading south-east you soon come to a split in the tracks where either route can be taken to reach Commondale. Here is also a further cairn, of much more recent origin, which is dedicated to two shepherds who worked on the Gisborough Estate (note the change of spelling). They were Robert Leggott who died on the first day of the Somme offensive in 1916 and whose body was never found. He is commemorated on Lutyens monument at Thiepval. The other is Alfred Cockerill who received head wounds at Ypres and was sent back home. He never recovered and was at the Chalfont Colony which was an epileptic hospital in Buckinghamshire and died there a few years after. The monument is at GR 648117 and there are generally poppies to be found here. The track on the right is taken downhill to North Ings farm where there is no right of way through the farm. Note this if you have an older map. The diversion is to the left following the wall descending to Whiteley Beck which is crossed by a bridge. Take care on the other side whilst ascending on to the farm access road. It is then just under a mile of easy walking down into Commondale Village.
This is an interesting place. Note the houses and some of the buildings which are made of a superb brick. The terrace of houses on your left is known locally as Brick Row. These bricks were manufactured at Commondale from the 1860s to the 1950s and are very hard. Small quantities can be bought on the recycling market and command a high price. Commondale is on the Whitby line and has a station (stop) as well as a pub and a cafe. Note the War Memorial where I recommend you to stop on the nearby seat to enjoy your lunch.
Former Village Shop, Commondale. Built in distinctive red bricks
It is now steeply uphill to a sharp bend in the road where the track, which is initially a shade wet, heads off north-east at GR 666106. Following this you reach a minor road at GR671117 and immediately leave it now heading north-east along a route known as the Quakers Causeway. For much of the way this is flagged with rough flags and was used by the Quakers to reach their burial site from their Meeting House in Guisborough. It is of older origin and was a monastic route between Guisborough and Castleton and passes several tumuli on its way across Stanghow Moor. Whilst walking on this two mile section note the conical hill to the east called Freebrough Hill at GR 690128. This is very close to the A171 and every time that I pass it I still find it hard to believe that with the plethera of mounds and tumuli in this region, that this hill is natural!
If time is short when you reach Woodgill Head you can continue ahead and downhill direct to the start. A better way is to go north-east to the road and car park and go behind it on to open land called Low Moor. Until recently this was disfigured by motorised trail bikes but these are now prohibited and the area is pleasant. Head north downhill to the Stanghow Ridge minor road. Find the footpath at GR 656153 where you enter Margrove Local Nature Reserve and follow a lovely path to near the old school which is the centre for the local Wildlife Trust. It is now a very short distance along the road back to Charltons.
The weather forecast was spot on as no sooner had we reached the superb White Swan pub (West End) at Stokesley when the heavens opened. This pub is a regional winner of pub of the year and our visit coincided with a beer festival. It was a happy group who left it after our celebration pint or a shade more for the non-drivers!
Edmundbyers and the Derwent Reservoir
Filed under: OtherDistance: 10-11 miles
Map : OS Explorer 307 (Consett and Derwent Reservoir)
Start: Edmundbyers Village
Click to View Start Position on Google Maps
Edmundbyers is an attractive village with a large village green and a varied collection of old and new buildings. The oldest building is next to where we park and this is the church of St Edmunds after whom the village is named. This is a comparatively small church going back to Norman times which was much restored about 1850 and only the narrow windows in the south wall of the chancel are from Norman times. During the restoration, material from other churches was used from the Chapel of Bishop Auckland Castle, Durham Cathedral and as far away as Bristol for the panelling round the top of the church. The churchyard, with its shelter bank of trees is a pleasant place particularly when the spring flowers are out and the birds are active. One grave is particularly interesting as the occupant Elizabeth Lee who died in 1792 was reported to be the last of the long series of witches who lived hereabouts! Times must have become more enlightened as she was 87 when she died. The church history is partly maintained in the porch where all of the rectors going back to 1220 are listed.
Edmundbyers
Before leaving the village a walk around it is worthwhile, passing the Punch Bowl (now known as The Derwent Arms since 2022) to arrive at the site of what was the villages other pub which was called Low House. Since 1933 it has served as a Youth Hostel and is indeed the oldest hostel in the north of England. The building however goes back much further and records exist from 1772 and the building is also mentioned in the Muggleswick Plot from earlier times. Ann Elliot who lived here was murdered on the moor and although she was also buried in St Edmunds in 1785, her ghost reputedly haunts the hostel. She has never disturbed my sleep here on several visits but the Punch Bowl might well be the reason for that! The building passed into the ownership of Major Harry Barnes who was the Liberal MP for Newcastle East and it was him that sublet the building to the YHA. Inside the only remains of its former life as an inn is the beer rest where an enclave in the wall permitted patrons to put down their pint. Since 1933 the hostel has hosted around 200,000 bed nights and long may it continue. The Coast to Coast route has in recent years generated much needed income.
Edmundbyers YHA
We leave the village on the footpath on the other side of the road from the YHA, a shade to the west and take the footpath leading to Pow Hill Country Park established by Durham County Council around 30 years ago. This footpath which heads north over pasture has fine views down to the reservoir and over to Cronkley and sadly is not as well used as it should be. The possible reason is that there is no path leading out from Pow Hill westwards and it is a pity that a route could not be established to link up to Carricks Country Park and then on to Blanchland where there are many paths. On reaching Pow Hill you descend down to the waters edge of Derwent Reservoir. In earlier times this was not permitted but over the years the various Water Boards have opened up access. A new trail has recently been constructed along the reservoir to the dam and this can be considered a bridleway as mountain bikes and horses are permitted to use it. There is also a footpath along the waters edge which moves according to how full the reservoir is. Work started on the reservoir in 1960 and was completed in 1966. It is 3 miles long and covers a surface area of 1000 acres. The material for the earth dam was all excavated from the area now covered by the water. Additional water can be supplied from Kielder but this does not flow into the reservoir itself. When full the reservoir contains 11,000 million gallons of water. The water is well stocked and attracts 15,000 anglers per year which makes it the best attended still water in Europe.
Derwent Reservoir
We now cross the dam itself and arrive at the Northumberland side where there is another car park. In late afternoon on a sunny day look east for a good long distance view of Hownes Gill viaduct. Another new path has been constructed along the north side passing under Cronkley and terminating for the time being at Millshield and we take this in order to eliminate road walking and to get a view of one of the better areas of birdlife which congregate on that side. Some years ago there were about 40 geese on the water but this number is now about 1000, of both Canada and Greylag. All of the normal species are seen and occasionally there are rarer visitors such as Osprey. At Cronkley Farm the access road is picked up or the lake path can be continued to Millshield where the same access road is met. Whichever route is selected, it involves a return back down the reservoir at a higher level.
Just before Birkenside take the footpath on the right which is well waymarked and arrives at Redwell Hall Farm where refreshments can be obtained at weekends. Here the road is taken east to the byroad to Muggleswick. Shortly after crossing the River Derwent and after the farm, the footpath on the left heading south-east is taken over pastures and in just over half a mile you arrive at Muggleswick. The population of this parish reached 1,677 in the 1871 census but crashed to 483 in 1881 no doubt caused by the closure of some of the lead mines. The church was built in 1728 on the site of an ancient Christian site and as was the usual practice the old stones of the original structure were utilised. The monastic grange at Muggleswick has recently received restoration work from the North Pennines AONB team. This building was built about 1260 and it is rare to find standing remains of monastic buildings. The graveyard contains the remains of Edward Ward who was an outstanding physique although his size was not recorded. Nevertheless he could be Durham’s answer to Little John of Robin Hood fame!
Muggleswick Grange – monastic remains
As a point of interest, less than half a mile further down the footpath is the missing crossing over the Derwent. Photographs exist of the old bridge which was washed away many years ago and it still remains a contentious issue. The problems are that the bridge crossed a county boundary and the Durham side is a footpath whilst the Northumberland side is a bridleway. The answer would appear to be to change the status of one of the paths and then build an appropriate bridge but with current constraints this looks a long way ahead,
Another more possible project for the AONB and Northumbrian Water would be the improvement of the Quaker Burial Ground at Winnowshill on the Northumberland side where there are 55 internments. A short distance downstream from Muggleswick the Derwent enters a gorge which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a large oak wood. This is a good place to find redstarts and pied flycatchers but the site is not open to the public.
Muggleswick is also well known for the Muggleswick Plot which was of potential national importance. In a similar way to the Covenanters in Scotland this involved changes in religious practice but in the end came to nothing. Fuller details of this can be found in books, notably Iain Browns “The North Pennines – Legend and Landscape” which I highly recommend. There is also in the same book a story about the Mosstroopers who raided Muggleswick led by Willie of Shotlyngton near Bellingham. This place is now known as Shitlington and there is a small crag there as well as a farm at the Hall and bunkhouse accommodation on the Pennine Way. The raiders were pursued and defeated which led to their execution. Hard times indeed!
Muggleswick Common
On with the walk, we now take the path from Grange Farm past Calf Hall to arrive at the road which is followed past Haverley Lodge and Shield Farm to where the road turns sharp left to Hisehope Bridge and the clear track up Strawberry Hill onto Muggleswick Common is taken. This is a wonderful place with lovely views. At a crossroads of paths on Muggleswick Park (at GR 031495) take the path south-west down to Lamb Shiel Farm. Here in 1843 was another murder when William Lawson who lived there was murdered by his brother Thomas over a financial dispute. A wandering Irishman, probably looking for respite from decreasing potato harvests, was immediately arrested at Edmundbyers but fortunately a local policeman was suspicious of the brother and found the evidence hidden. Thomas was deported to Australia where he died soon afterwards. At Lamb Shiel the footpath to East Cot House can be taken and the path past Barkers Well and over the Burn Hope then followed to arrive back at the YHA. A slight extension can be made by following the paths to the west or walking over the moor to Harehope Hall and back down the road to the start.
Sanctuary Way Stage 2 – Beamish to Wardles Bridge
Filed under: Sanctuary WayDistance: 12 miles
Start: Eden Place Picnic Site, Beamish
Click to view start position on Google Maps
The village of Beamish is a relatively new creation, like many of the villages near here, being formed in 1873. Formerley Beamish referred to the lands surrounding Beamish Hall and was a parish of Tanfield. The new Beamish parish consisted of Stanley, Shield Row, Kip Hill, Ox Hill, East Kyo, East Stanley and Beamish Stables. At this time the population was expanding rapidly due to the opening of three coal mines where the coal seams could be up to 40 feet thick. Mines were opened at West Stanley in 1833, Air pit in 1849 and the Beamish Mary in 1883 – the latter lasting until1960. There was a fourth pit known as Chophill or Beamish No 2 and a row of houses were built to house some of the miners. This was known as Eden Row and was situated close to the Stanhope and Tyne railway. Eden Place where you are now standing and Eden Square were then built a little further to the North and the village then consisted of 70 houses, a school and a chapel. The winding house of this colliery still exists as it is the one rebuilt at Beamish Museum. The school had a capacity of 400 with an average attendance of 274. The village lasted until recent times when it was demolished to make way for the new road following the closure of Consett Steelworks.
Beamish Hall was the home of two prominent Durham families which were the Shafto family (Bobby Shaftoe) and The Eden family from which Sir Anthony Eden the former PM was descended. The name Beamish is derived from Old English – Bew Mys meaning beautiful mansions.
We leave Eden Place and go to the pub called the Shepherd and Shepherdess where there is an interesting story. The pub takes its name from the statues of a shepherd and shepherdess above the entrance. During the Napoleonic Wars there was a blockade on Britain and lead for arms was scarce. Lead was sometimes smuggled into the country in disguise and these statues arrived as lead for the war effort. They came under the ownership of the local squire and were not melted down but on a stormy night, when one of the statues of an accompanying dog was destroyed, he tripped over one of them and gave them to the pub which obviously then changed its name!
Shepherd and Shepherdess – showing the lead figures used to smuggle lead into Britain.
We enter the wood at the top of the bank in the direction of Kibblesworth and head down through the wood to the old Pelaw to Consett Railway (now part of the Coast to Coast walk) and cross by the new bridge which l believe formerly served on the A167 in Low Fell to arrive at Peggys Wicket. We take the old road back towards Beamish Village and come to the memorial to those killed in the bombing of May 1st 1942. This raid has attracted a lot more interest recently as it was one of the biggest in the north east, killing 32 people – 11 at Wallsend, 6 at Longbenton and 6 at Beamish including the son of the Deputy Regional Commissioner. The most heavily bombed area was the Derwent Valley near Rowlands Gill where over 60 large bombs were dropped but the question is asked, why there? Indeed there were decoy sites at Gibside and Beamish but witnesses testify that the fires were not lit there that morning. It is widely thought that the target was Durham and the raid was a Baedeker Raid. These were retaliatory raids by the Germans after the destruction of some of their cathedrals and in the previous week Exeter, Bath and York had been attacked followed by Canterbury and Norwich the next week. That morning Durham City was covered by a layer of white mist and it is thought that in the dark the Germans mistook the bend in the Derwent River and the nearby viaduct as Durham and bombed it. The Beamish bombs were probably aimed at the railway to Consett.
We cross the A693 and enter Edenhill Plantation passing the cone statue of Colin Rose to arrive at the west end of West Pelton. Just along the road to the west was situated Twizell Colliery (1850-1934 ) which employed 400 people. The buildings here were demolished with only the Jingling Gate pub, now in disrepair, left to indicate the activity here. Twizell occurs several times in the north east and means a fork in the river (twist?). Other Twizells are near Ponteland and on the Till near Wooler where there is a famous bridge. We walk towards Twizell Hall and just before the entrance take a stile on the left to pass in front of the hall. After an awkward stile we cross the next field diagonally to the south-west to arrive at a gate and stile. We follow the edge of the next field to the bottom to drop into a dene and cross Twizell Burn by a footbridge. A steep ascent brings us into Craghead. Like most of these villages this was a quiet agricultural village until the mines opened. Some of the earliest Durham mines were in this area and Craghead opened in 1839 closing in 1969. A memorial to the mine gives the dates plus “Lest We Forget”. The mine employed 1500 people and a lot more information on Craghead can be found in the recent publication “Craghead Past and Present” by D. Rand and G. Nairn.
We go to the west end of Craghead and take the clear path to Hag Wood which we go through and continue in the same direction to Warland. Just down the road to the east is Holmside which is the oldest settlement here, being mentioned in the Boldon Book of 1183. Holmside is named after Holme which means “a plain grassy ground upon watersides or in the water” and was the ancient seat of the Tempests and Whittinghams. At a later date it became an estate of the Umfravilles. We proceed up Holmside Lane (however, at the time of writing in 2014, there is a Permissive Path at the end of the first field after exiting Hag Wood which heads west and arrives at the minor road to Holmside Hall at Peartree Terrace which eliminates some road walking) turning right at Peartree Terrace to Holmside Hall where there is ancient and modern to be found. This is an old manor house and has a moat whilst the modern is the seven wind turbines nearby. Good cross country paths take us back to Craghead over land passed earlier and which has evidently been subject to open cast mining. We go through the back of Craghead where some of the old mine buildings serve as scrapyards and come to the site of the old tip. Here there is excellent and extensive tree planting which has masked this tip to create a mixed wood with walkers paths through it. We emerge on the road close to where the colliery line crossed the road and then enter the Woodland Trust Fox and Parrot Wood which is 33 acres of newly created woodland. We now recross the Twizell Burn and follow the footpath downstream to arrive at the Grange Villa road which is immediately crossed to another footpath which takes us to the east of the village via a small park. Heading north we pass houses on our left to come to Roseberry Grange Municipal Golf Course. This was built on the site of West Pelton Colliery which was another significant mine in the area. Old maps show the highest point here as Roseberry Topping, identical to the well known one in the Cleveland Hills. The name is Viking and comes from Viking “Odens Beorg” (Odins Hill) and the nearby Ousborough Wood passed on Stage 1 indicates early Viking settlement here.
We now go under the A693 to Handenhold which used to be Handenhowl meaning hollow in the dene and drop down to the Consett to Sunderland Railway Path which is followed west back to the start, noting the gradient that the heavy goods trains taking ore to Consett had to climb.
The 2014 Annual Walk of the Pennine Way Association
Filed under: Pennine WayThe 2013 walk had been an excellent walk on a super autumn day starting at the Moorcock Inn near Littleborough where we were staying and after a brief climb up to the White House (where the Pennine Way was joined) we all had an enjoyable stroll along the Pennine Way to Stoodley Pike. With a clear sky there was great distant visibility as far as Wales. The route continued by dropping down to Mankinholes and then joining the Rochdale Canal which was followed upwards passing the Great Wall of Todmorden and slowly climbing to Summit where a welcome beer was taken. The route then followed a cross country route back to the Moorcock Inn. Despite being a 16 mile walk the going underfoot was consistently good and after the initial climb to reach the Pennine Way there was remarkably little climbing involved and all the participants arrived back in good shape. Indeed this walk is to be recommended for anyone wanting a varied and interesting walk in this area.
As a consequence, and with mainly the same group present for the 2014 walk, expectations were high for another enjoyable day when we met at the Masons Arms at Gargrave which, like the Moorcock, is a good place to stay with good accommodation, enjoyable and varied meals and well-kept real ale. The only fly in the ointment was that there was an adverse weather forecast for a wet morning and a showery afternoon. However all of us must have endured much worse forecasts while out on the Pennine Way and indeed it was a cheerful group who assembled at Gargrave station to catch the 9:30 train to Settle where the walk was to begin. After a short stop for provisions we commenced the steep climb up Banks Lane out of Settle which is the standard way to visit the famous Victoria Cave and after less than fifteen minutes, would you believe it, the rain stopped! By then we had left the bridleway of Banks Lane at GR 823641 where a distinct path heads north-east up a steep slope before easing up and turning eastwards. The scenery on the left up to Blue Crags and then Warrendale Knotts is top class and as a bonus we could also see Pendle Hill and the Lake District hills in the distance which boded well for the rest of the day. Soon we reached the junction of paths near Attermire Cave where the Victoria Cave can be reached by following the path under Attermire Scar. Our route however was Malham bound and followed the clear path east alongside a wall which then reached Stockdale Lane. This is followed in an easterly direction with the route passing to the north of Stockdale Farm. The hill behind the farm is Rye Loaf Hill which is 547 metres (1794 feet) high whilst the hill about half a mile further east is Kirby Fell at 546 metres high. Until recent times there was no legal access to these hills but fortunately they were included in the Open Access Area following the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (CROW) Act of 2000 passed by the Labour government. We were now at Nappa Gate which was an important junction in former days – this was the site of Nappa Cross which was moved and can now be found in the wall to the north of the gate on the track leading to Langstar Gate. The Stockdale Road track proceeds straight ahead down to Malham reaching the road near Malham Cove. Our route was the lesser path down Pikedaw Hill and is described in Wainwright’s “Walks in Limestone Country” (Walk 32). This is a highly recommended book for all those who wish to walk in this area which ticks all the walking boxes. Wainwright warns of the danger of the shaft which is 75ft deep near Nappa Gate which gave access to the calamine mines, an ore of zinc oxide, which are all round here. The calamine was used in the manufacture of brass. The path requires a little care when wet but overall is a joy with Malham two miles below you in the valley. An enjoyable lunch was taken in Malham, sitting in warm sunshine which was certainly far better than forecast and indeed summer conditions. We were now on the Pennine Way which gave a very pleasant afternoon walking the seven miles back to Gargrave giving a walk of about twelve and a half miles in total, on what is probably the easiest section of the Pennine Way.
The section of this walk from Attercliffe to Malham follows the line of the Craven Fault, which marks the southern edge of the Limestone Dales, and this is illustrated and observed when descending from Nappa Gate where the land to the south is gritstone and wetter underfoot conditions compared to the limestone to the north. This geological fault runs from Austwick near Clapham and winds through Stainforth, Malham, and Kilnsey, terminating at Grassington. As far as l know there is no named walk or guide to follow this scar which is in superb countryside throughout, although there was a good description of this 45 mile walk in the Great Outdoors Magazine of March 1989 by Mick Chambers.
2015 is to have many walks celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Pennine Way from several organisations such as the Ramblers Association, Friends of the North Pennine AONB , The Wainwright Society as well as the Pennine Way Association which are currently being organised and will be detailed when available on the PWA website and those of the other groups involved.