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25 circular walks via 84 traditional pubs throughout the Yorkshire Dales…
A collection of twenty-five circular walks throughout the Yorkshire Dales calling at traditional pubs that serve Black Sheep’s ales. With walks ranging from 5 to 14 miles in length, this book is a ‘must’ for anyone who loves the Dales and the delights of good ale and old fashioned hostelries. Complete with foreword by Paul Theakston.
Black Sheep Pub Walks
These walks are in addition to the 25 that feature in the book ‘The Inn Way…to Black Sheep Pubs’. Please feel free to print out these walks and use them. Due to Ordnance Survey copyright, I have not reproduced any mapping to accompany these walks, so please purchase the appropriate OS map listed. These walks are the copyright of Mark Reid 2002 and must only be used for personal leisure purposes. They must not be copied or reproduced in any format whatsoever without the written permission of the copyright holder.
WALK TWO – HAWES & BAINBRIDGE
Distance: 11 miles
Time: 5 hours
Maps: Ordnance Survey OL30 (1:25,000) ‘Yorkshire Dales Northern & Central’
Start: Dales Countryside Museum (National Park Centre), Hawes, Wensleydale.
Parking: Dales Countryside Museum, Hawes
How to get there Hawes lies on the A684 between Leyburn and Sedbergh. For Public Transport call 0870 608 2 608.
Terrain: The first section of this walk follows clear field-paths to Burtersett, then stony tracks up onto the flanks of Wether Fell from where the Roman Road (clear walled track) leads all the way down to Bainbridge. The return leg follows grassy tracks and field paths along the ‘Old Road’ through Wensleydale with one or two short sections along quiet country lanes.
Black Sheep Pubs: Fountain Hotel, Hawes; Tel: 01969 667206
Board Inn, Hawes; Tel: 01969 667223
Rose & Crown, Bainbridge; Tel: 01969 650225
Close by… Green Dragon, Hardraw; Tel: 01969 667392
Simonstone Hall Hotel; Tel: 01969 667255
Crown Inn, Askrigg; Tel: 01969 650298
Kings Arms, Askrigg; Tel: 01969 650258
Victoria Arms, Worton; Tel: 01969 650314
POINTS OF INTEREST
Hawes is the ‘capital’ of Upper Wensleydale, a bustling market town cradled amongst some of the Pennines’ highest hills; Hawes means ‘mountain pass’ in Old Norse. First mentioned in 1307, it remained little more than a clearing in the forest for many centuries, however, the increasing packhorse trade along routes that converged at Hawes meant that the town was granted a market charter in 1700, taking over from Askrigg as the main market town for the upper dale. The Turnpike road came this way in 1795 and then the railway arrived in the 1870’s which opened a wider market for the local dairy, stone and woollen industries. The railway closed in 1954 and is now used as the Dales Countryside Museum. Hawes retains the atmosphere of an old country market town with a good variety of shops and inns and also home of the world famous Wensleydale Cheese and a working ropemakers. From Hawes, flagged field-paths lead to Burtersett and then a rough track climbs up onto the flanks of Wether Fell to join Cam High Road. This old walled track was actually built by the Romans – note its straight course across the flanks of Wether Fell - and provides thrilling views along the length of Wensleydale. In about AD80 the Roman legions pushed northwards from their military headquarters at Eboracum (York) to subdue the unruly native British Brigantes tribes. A network of roads and forts were built during this period under the supervision of Agricola, Rome’s most successful and longest serving governor in Britain. A fort, known as Virosidum, was built on Brough Hill which rises up just to the east of Bainbridge. This fort housed up to 500 soldiers who kept a watchful eye on the local Brigantes for nearly 300 years, although it was attacked and rebuilt on several occasions. A number of Roman roads were built across the fells to this fort; two of which can still be seen. The walled track of Cam High Road once led across the hills to Ribchester via Ingleton and still cuts an impressive straight course across the flanks of Wether Fell. Bainbridge is a delightful village with old cottages set around a broad village green. Inside the porch of the 15th century Rose and Crown is the Bainbridge Forest Horn, which was blown at dusk to guide travellers safely out of the Forest of Wensleydale in medieval times. The return ‘leg’ of this walk is a delight as it follows the ‘old road’ through the valley passing several old farmsteads and hidden hamlets.
THE WALK
1. From the Dales Countryside Museum at Hawes, walk up to quickly reach the main road where you turn left and follow the A684 out of the town. Just before the last houses on your right take the footpath to the right through a kissing gate (signpost ‘Burtersett’). Follow the flagged path straight on to quickly reach a lane. Cross over the road and take the path opposite to the left and follow the clear path straight on, bearing slightly to the left, through a small wall gate, after which continue along the stone-flagged path across several fields through a series of wall gaps. As you approach the houses of Burtersett, the flagged path divides – follow the right-hand path that leads uphill and on between the houses into Burtersett.
2. Turn right and follow the road up through the village then where the road bends round to the left take the lane to the right (‘Dead End’ sign). Walk along this lane then after a short distance take the rough track to the left (signpost). Follow this clear track out of Burtersett and continue to follow it as it climbs steeply up, bearing to the right across the flanks of Wether Fell. Follow the clear track up passing through two gates then up and round to the left to pass between Yorburgh on your left and Wether Fell to your right. The track levels out and becomes a grassy track that leads down to a gap in the stone wall across your path near to a small hut. Head through this wall gap then, almost immediately, where the track bends sharply to the right head straight on across the grassy moorland and follow the clear narrow path up, across a tumbledown wall and on to reach the walled track of Cam High Road (Roman Road).
3. Turn left along Cam High Road and follow this straight on downhill for 3 miles (crossing a road across your path after 1 _ miles) to eventually join a metalled lane, which you follow straight on down into Bainbridge. As you walk into the village head to the left across the village green to reach the Rose & Crown pub.
4. Leave Bainbridge along the road to the right of the Rose & Crown pub (‘Askrigg’) and follow this road down to Yore Bridge across the River Ure. Immediately after the bridge take the footpath to the left (signpost), after which bear up to the right through a kissing gate then head straight on over the old railway line to pass to the right of the farm buildings ahead. Head through a gate just after the farmhouse then walk behind the farmhouse and on to quickly join the road through another small gate beside the main farm entrance. Turn left along the road then take the footpath to the right after about 200 yards (signpost ‘Skell Gill’). Head straight on across the field to reach the wall opposite, however turn left here alongside the stone wall (do not head through the gate). Where this wall bends round to the right (waymarker), head up to the left to a wall-gap, after which head to the right and walk over the small hill alongside the overgrown hedge / tumbledown wall on your right to another wall-gap. After this wall-gap bear to the right down across the hillside, through a wall-gap in the stone wall across your path (in the stone wall which is heading down the hillside – farmhouse across to your right). After this, head on to join a lane near to a stone barn.
5. Turn right along the lane, bending round to the left passing the farmhouse climbing up the hillside to reach a gate. After the gate continue along the track as it bends round to the right (alongside the stone wall on your right) and levels out – at the signpost (‘Sedbusk’) turn off to the left away from the clear track across the grassy moorland and drop down to join a clearer grassy track alongside a stone wall on your left. Follow this track, becoming much clearer, straight on passing a number of farmhouses until you eventually join a clear track that passes behind a large double gable-ended farmhouse.
6. Head straight on along the clear track passing the farm buildings and through a gate after which continue straight on along the grassy track again alongside the stone wall on your left. The track heads on through a series of gates and then becomes a very clear enclosed track, then after a short distance before this track bends round to the left take the footpath to the right over stone steps beside a gate. Turn left after these steps and walk straight on across the field, keeping close to the wall on your left, over a stream to reach a wall-gate, after which head straight on following the clear path through a series of wall-gates on to reach the houses at Litherskew. As you reach the lane at Litherskew walk straight on along the track for a short distance then where this track divides take the left-hand branch (signpost) passing between the farm buildings to reach a gate just after the barn on your right (ignore gate and track to the left). After the gate, head straight on through a wall gate ahead and continue on across a series of fields through wall gaps – as you approach the houses follow the path bearing very slightly to the left straight on that leads into a small copse of woodland. Walk through the woods then where you emerge from the woods continue straight on alongside the wall on your right to a wall-gate ahead that leads on to reach a lane at Sedbusk.
7. Turn left along the lane down out of Sedbusk then, after a short distance, take the footpath to the right (where the road opens out slightly) through a small wall-gate. Bear to the right down across the field, through a wall-gate then continue on dropping down to join the road through another small wall-gate. At the road take the path opposite to the right (signpost ‘Haylands Bridge’) and follow the clear path bearing to the right down across the field, over a stone bridge and on to reach the road. Turn left along the road, over Haylands Bridge and follow the road round to the left back up to Hawes – a flagged path to the right cuts off a corner of this road.
Go to Walk 3
© Mark Reid 2003. ‘The Inn Way’ is a Registered Trademark of Mark Reid
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