Walking in the Yorkshire Dales: North and East

This guidebook contains 43 circular day walks in the north and east Yorkshire Dales. It explores the dales, hills and moors between Kirkby Stephen and Pateley Bridge. Walking ranges from gentle 3 mile strolls to more strenuous day-long rambles across the Howgills, Wensleydale, Swaledale, Nidderdale, Mallerstang and Coverdale.

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Overview

A guidebook to 43 circular day walks covering the northern and eastern Yorkshire Dales. The walks range between 3 and 11.5 miles in length, and there are suggestions for devising longer days by combing routes. Step by step route directions include lots of information about the area, and each walk is illustrated with clear OS mapping and vibrant photographs.

From Pateley Bridge and Aysgarth in the East to Kirkby Stephen and Richmond in the north, each valley has a character and history of its own and this guide covers the varied fell and dale landscapes of the Howgills, Mallerstang, Swaledale, Wensleydale, Coverdale and Nidderdale. The north and eastern regions of the Yorkshire Dales are full of wild, rugged fell tops carved by limestone crags, deep scooped-out dales with lonely farms far from villages, the ruins of medieval castles as well as the warm bustle of Dales villages and good pubs. The Howgills north of Sedbergh have a different look, with their wide domes, steep sides and long miles of grassy ridges.

Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction
The Dales landscape
Evolution of the landscape
Geological history
Human settlement
Industry and enterprise
Farming in the Dales
Plants and wildlife
The Northern and Eastern Dales
The Yorkshire Dales National Park
Practicalities
Navigation and maps
Careful planning
Clothing and footwear
Food and drink
Taking your car
Leaving your car behind
Using this guide
1 The Howgill Fells
Walk 1 Sedbergh and the River Rawthey
Walk 2 The Rivers Rawthey and Lune from Sedbergh
Walk 3 Winder, Calders and the Calf
Walk 4 Carlin Gill and Fell Head from Fairmile Gate
Walk 5 The River Rawthey from the Cross Keys Inn
Walk 6 Cautley Crag and the Calf
Walk 7 Around Wandale Hill
Walk 8 The River Rawthey’s higher reaches
Walk 9 Grisedale
2 Mallerstang
Walk 10 High Seat
Walk 11 Pendragon Castle and Little Fell
Walk 12 Wild Boar Fell and Swarth Fell
3 Swaledale and Arkengarthdale
Walk 13 Apedale and Harkerside Moor
Walk 14 Grinton and Maiden Castle
Walk 15 Fremington Edge
Walk 16 Slei Gill
Walk 17 Whaw to Dale Head
Walk 18 Old Gang and Surrender
Walk 19 Beside the River Swale from Gunnerside
Walk 20 Gunnerside Gill
Walk 21 Ivelet Bridge from Muker
Walk 22 Great Shunner Fell and Lovely Seat from Thwaite
Walk 23 Muker, Thwaite and Kisdon Force from Keld
Walk 24 Whitsundale and the head of the River Swale
4 Wensleydale and Coverdale
Walk 25 A walk in Coverdale
Walk 26 West Witton and the River Ure to Redmire Force
Walk 27 Aysgarth to West Burton
Walk 28 Aysgarth Falls
Walk 29 Ivy Scar from Aysgarth
Walk 30 Whitfield Gill Force and Mill Gill Falls
Walk 31 The Wensleydale railway and River Ure stepping-stones
Walk 32 The Wensleydale railway and Skell Gill
Walk 33 Bainbridge to Semer Water
Walk 34 Aysgill Force
Walk 35 Dodd Fell Hill and Drumaldrace
Walk 36 Cotterdale
Walk 37 Great Shunner Fell from Hardraw
Walk 38 The High Way
5 Nidderdale
Walk 39 Brimham Rocks
Walk 40 Ashfold Side
Walk 41 Middlesmoor and How Stean Gorge
Walk 42 Nidderdale
Walk 43 Little Whernside

Appendix A Route summaries and suggestions for longer routes
Appendix B Where to find out more

Updates

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September 2020

Walk 25 detour

Walk 25: Coverdale
The foot bridge spanning the River Cover to cross from Hindlethwaite Hall Farm to reach Horsehouse is closed and is not due to reopen until February 2021.

You can reach the nearest bridged crossing by continuing through the fields to Arkleside and joining the lane back over the bridge to Horsehouse, adding around 2km to the walk (see map below)

W25 Coverdale Detour to avoid damaged bridge (6.979 MB)

July 2020

2020 reprint updates

798 Reprint 2020 (973.368 KB)

January 2020

Walk 38 – The High Way – Amendment of final 2 paragraphs

page 216

Make your way through successive enclosures across the slope of the hill, heading for buildings set in a nest of trees, marked as 'Low West End' on the map. Through a final gate a track winds down towards the farm.

After the first building, turn off right at a footpath sign to go between West End Farm House and the adjacent ruin. After crossing Lockshaw Gill, turn immediately left through a gate and head away by the right-hand wall. Beyond a fence stile bear left to a track, your outward route. Follow it left back to How Beck Bridge and keep left again back to the road at Shaw Paddock.

Walk 38 The High Way Amended map

June 2017

Route updates and corrections

Walk 31 -

Revised route description for passing the farm before crossing the river: "Guided by a sign to Middle Borwins, swing between the abutments of a dismantled bridge and then go right across the top of a field following the waymarks through a large gate into a paddock. Reaching the lean-to at the top end, bear left into a small enclosure and go through a small gate on the left down to a line of stepping stones across the river."

Walk 32 - Revised route description: “… eventually passing below a large house at Hill Top to reach a junction of tracks.

Carry on straight ahead for twenty metres to a kissing gate onto the lane, where you should turn left.

At the end by Old Cams House …”

The paragraph beginning “Guided by a sign” should be ignored.

Please note the route shown on the map for this walk is incorrect. The route line should continue directly from the disused railway line onto the track at SD 915 904, rather than passing through the farm at SD 914 903.

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