Monday 16 September 2024 - A Sedbergh Circuit

I was supposed to meet Markus on the summit of Ingleborough yesterday lunchtime. It would not have been pleasant. Driving rain was forecast all day, and that turned out to be correct. A last minute adjustment to plans was necessary, though without Wifi or a phone signal, Markus was completely in the dark. Instead of going to Chapel-le-Dale on Sunday, I went to Sedbergh on Monday, in the knowledge that Markus was booked into a hotel there. From there I walked along the Dales High Way (DHW) route to beyond Dent, and I met Markus coming the other way after having climbed Whernside, pretty much exactly where I expected him to appear.

I faffed on riverside paths and returned to the car to take it to a better place in a layby beside the River Rawthey, on the DHW route. Autumn has yet to trouble the greenery in the Yorkshire Dales.

Sedbergh and the Howgills from the DHW path

Panorama (click on it to enlarge) towards the Howgills from Long Moor

Elevenses on Long Moor

View towards Middleton Fell on the descent from Long Moor

Hover Fly on Rampion

On the descent to Dent, a very narrow lane winds up to this vacant cottage.

The road to Dent is encountered at Barth Bridge, from where the DHW and Dales Way paths lead on to Dent beside the River Dee. I'd met not a single person before reaching the outskirts of Dent.

After passing through Dent, and checking that Markus wasn't there, I continued to Church Bridge, for a long lunch on a bench in the playing fields with this view:

Church Bridge

Just a bit further on, I met Markus at Double Croft. I turned around and we enjoyed good views of the river, and refreshments at the cafe in Dent Village Heritage Centre..

Knapweed

Oxeye Daisy

Markus, the camera shy Austrian, insisted that he take my picture outside my Bank.

We then continued on along the Dales Way path until we reached a tempting new footbridge at Ellers.

Appearances can be deceptive, it's already starting to fall apart!

Other walkers continued along the Dales Way, but we took a nice alternative route on sometimes vague paths via Mire House and Burton Hill to rejoin the Dales Way route at an attractive bridleway at Gap.

Markus strides along the scenic bridleway that leads to the hamlet of Millthrop

After a gentle rise, the Howgills and Sedbergh came into view.

One of the gardens in Millthrop was overflowing with plants of all colours. It must win awards.

The River Rawthey was crossed for a final time, before we made our way past the sports grounds of Sedbergh School and through the small town to the Dalesman Inn.

Here's my route - an excellent day's walk of about 23 km, with just 350 metres ascent. It took me around 7 hours, at least 2 hours of which was at rest.

We were both glad that I'd delayed my visit for a day, and we enjoyed beers and a good meal at the pub before I wended my way home.

Amongst what I observed today:

Thistles, Dandelions, Knapweed, Harebells, Oxeye Daisy, lots of Tormentil on Long Moor, Yarrow, Pineappleweed, Meadow Cranesbill.

Not a lot of birds apart from the usual common ones, but I did spot a Wheatear - shouldn't it have migrated by now? ["Not this week, it's still summer here..."]

Thursday 8 September 2022 - The Dales High Way - Day 8 - Ravenstonedale to Appleby

Breakfast at the Black Swan, under a horned rabbit on the wall, was sedate and tasty. Cary had a huge waffle and I enjoyed scrambled egg on toast. 

We started, around 9am, past the King's Head, sympathising with those residents who may still be waiting for their breakfasts due to the chef shortage.

It stayed dry, under overcast clouds, for the first hour or so, during which we had good views from Ravenstonedale Moor back to the Howgills, and ahead to the Lakeland fells.

Then it rained, mostly drizzle, for the rest of the morning. On the road out of Newbiggin we had witnessed a brutal wasp attack on a much bigger moth.

The path should have offered stunning Lake District views, but those were somewhat muted in the moist conditions. 

We met a group of four Americans on a coast-to-coast walk, a lone mountain biker, and a few wet looking folk under umbrellas. Blue scabious flowers had sprouted in the grass beside the track.

Elevenses were taken on wet grass in the rain.

During the long descent to Great Asby, we passed a farm at Clockeld that seemed to hold generations of old tractors. Here's just one of them. I'd guess it must be around 55 years old.

Wheatears and a wren were noticed today, as well as a few herons, grey wagtails, and several large accumulations of mallards.

Lunch was taken in Great Asby's spacious bus shelter that doubles as a place to exchange secondhand books, tapes, etc, etc.

Sadly Cary had minimal lunch with him and the nearby pub was shut, so he had to make do with some of my old peanuts. Stomach ache followed. 

The drizzle continued all afternoon, but I removed waterproofs and Cary kept his on. We were probably equally damp by the end of the 24km walk, though sections of wet vegetation didn't help my cause.

Rutter Force is now only available to be admired from a distant footbridge, the mill by the Force having been converted into holiday cottages with their own private views. 

Our walk continued beside Hoff Beck, past hundreds of mallards, to Bandley Bridge.

From here I sauntered through Rachel Wood, expecting Cary to follow. He didn't. I returned to the bridge and met Nikki and James, who we'd seen in the pub last night. Between us, we found an obscure stile that put us on track for the rest of the walk into Appleby. Nikki and James, from Shropshire, had spent six days on the DHW starting in Ilkley. 

Cary arrived at the Crown and Cushion at the same time as me and we celebrated our most successful venture with hot chocolate after today's 7 hour walk and a total distance from Saltaire of nearly 100 miles.

Since then the Queen has died and we've enjoyed dinner in the pub after a foraged starter of puff balls and field mushrooms in Cushion Cottage, a two bedroomed house full of mod cons next to pub - our home for the night.

So that brings our eight day walk to a successful conclusion, subject to a scenic train ride home in the morning.

Wednesday 7 September 2022 - The Dales High Way - Day 7 - Sedbergh to Ravenstonedale

The Dalesman hotel provided a nice breakfast, with perfectly poached eggs.

We left the cottage around 9am and were soon following signs 'To the Fells'. It was overcast, but still t-shirt weather.

We were soon marching up onto the Howgill Fells, to the cooing of pigeons and the whirl of crows circling high above us.

Past late flowering foxgloves, and fine views back down to Sedbergh. By the time we reached Arant Haw (605 metres), we had donned windproofs for the first time this trip.

The summits of Calder and The Calf were cloaked in mist.

The air cleared, and we spent the rest of the day in sunshine. It was a lovely walk over the summits, with fine views in all directions. We saw just one other person all day outside the Sedbergh dog walking zone.

Long slugs and large hairy caterpillars vied for the honour of the longest body. The slugs scored a narrow victory.

We passed flocks of rain bleached sheep, and avoided trampling the white bottomed spiders that shared our path.

After another leisurely lunch - quite a contrast to yesterday - in front of a wonderful panoramic view, we slowly descended north, past a recently planted plantation.

Then we left the main DHW route, and Cary skilfully navigated us to the Black Swan at Ravenstonedale, where a glass of Blonde ale went down a treat.

We did about 22km today - a fine day's walk in perfect weather, taking a little over 7 hours.

Later, a trip to the King's Head, as the Black Swan isn't doing food tonight. Looks like we will be waiting up to an hour despite booking for 6:30. The chef must be out catching red squirrels, which seem to loom high on the menu!