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ОглавлениеINTRODUCTION
About the Dales Way
The total distance of the Dales Way is 126km (78.5 miles), give or take a few strides. Officially, the Way begins in Ilkley, but there are links to Leeds, Bradford and Harrogate that introduce a special dynamic of starting in major urban centres and walking out into the countryside, to the shores of England’s largest lake. These links are not included in this guide, but details can be downloaded from www.dalesway.org/link_routes.htm.
To begin with you will have the satisfaction of walking a significant length of Wharfedale, arguably the most appealing of the Yorkshire Dales, and later cross the Pennine watershed on Cam Fell, briefly meeting up with the Pennine Way in sight of the Yorkshire ‘Three Peaks’. After that, you are bound through Dentdale to the eponymous village of Dent and on to the market town of Sedbergh. The fringes of Lakeland and some of the most endearing landscapes the region has to offer bring the Way to a satisfying conclusion on the shores of Lake Windermere.
The Dales Way is a monument to cooperation between the Countryside Commission and the West Riding group of the Ramblers’ Association (RA). With commendable vision, it was this arm of the RA that in the late 1960s foresaw the unquestionable appeal of a fine line through the valleys of the Dales and across the watershed of Britain into Cumbria, finally dropping to an abrupt end on the shores of the country’s largest lake. By pressing on to Windermere, the originators of the Way effectively and most attractively linked two of the country’s major national parks, the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales – in fact, very little of the Dales Way is not in one national park or the other.
The nature of the countryside through which the Dales Way passes is such that this is a far less demanding walk than other middle- and long-distance paths, and for that reason alone it is suited to walkers wanting either to complete the walk in sections, returning weekend after weekend until the whole route is covered, or those who want to experience multiple-day walking for the first time. That is not to say that the Dales Way is any kind of soft option: adverse weather while crossing between Oughtershaw and Dentdale, for example, would test the most experienced walkers, and there are many sections where the conditions underfoot are potentially treacherous. But you are seldom far from help or shelter, while the discomforts and privations generally associated with long backpacking trips are unlikely to prove a burden for long.
The beauty of upper Wharfedale, from near Buckden (Stage 3)
There is no question that over the years of the Dales Way’s existence it has significantly helped the local economies along its length, and many isolated farmhouses will now gladly furnish walkers with a range of facilities. But you should remember to respect property and privacy, especially at times of the year critical to the welfare of the farming economy. Take great care during lambing time between March and May (sometimes a little earlier), when dogs must be under firm control. From May into summer many of the seemingly lush meadows, alongside the rivers provide a vital hay crop for the hill farmer. Where the Way goes through such fields, make a point of travelling in single file to avoid damage. It may be grass to us, but it is part of a livelihood to a farmer. Towards the end of the year, from mid August, is the grouse-shooting season, and while this doesn’t often affect the Way, there are stretches where shooting does take place, on the flanks of Blea Moor, for example.
One of the great attractions of the Dales Way is that it is rarely far from features of architectural, social, ecological or historic interest – churches, bridges, manor houses, shooting lodges, Roman roads, ancient stone circles, packhorse bridges, suspension bridges, viaducts, nature trails – the Dales Way has them all. It is, too, rich in plants and animals, unbelievably so, and walkers intending to tackle the way in one go would do well to allow time each day to take everything in, rather than barging on, head down, making for the next overnight halt. The interest never lets up, from the first step to the last. This surely is a hallmark of the greatest of walks, and in the case of the Dales Way, a fitting testimony to the skill and vision of the men and women who pioneered its route.
It is, too, a walk for all seasons, although spring and autumn have the edge. But with careful planning, a winter walk is not beyond the bounds of reason, and certain to add a whole new perspective to the landscape.
In recent years, the Dales Way, like much of Britain, has been subject to devastating winter storm damage, and this has resulted in some minor route changes and/or temporary diversions. The Dales Way Association (www.dalesway.org) keep an eye on any changes that are necessary, both temporary and permanent. So, it is a good idea, before setting off, to check their website for any updates. The Association’s website also contains detailed information about the Dales Way, and now has an online version of the former Dales Way Handbook, last printed in 2012.
Reaching the River Lune, near Lincoln’s Inn Bridge (Stage 5)
PLANNING THE WALK
Suggested itineraries
Walking the Dales Way must be what you want it to be. It is not a forced march, something you must do in so many days. This is a walk to be enjoyed in a leisurely manner; something to take your time over and to use as a gateway to explore the countryside that lies to either side of it.
The Trek Planner at the beginning of the book shows the distance from and between each of the principal halts, and shows what facilities are available at those locations. Using this, it is possible to construct a walk that suits everyone, but it is stressed how important it is not to be over ambitious in planning a day’s walk.
The whole route is divided into six stages, each of which is of a length comfortable enough for regular, fit walkers. The possible exceptions are the stages from Buckden to Cowgill at Dent Head, which is 17 miles (27.5km) long, and from Millthrop, Sedbergh to Staveley, which is 19 miles (31km), although there is a little scope for breaking them into smaller sections without adjusting other stages of the walk.
Each of the stages represents an artificial linking together of two or more places that provide accommodation in some shape or form. The table below shows suggestions for three possible itineraries for the whole-route – but these are only suggestions, and you must plan your daily walk according to your own strengths, abilities and wishes.
| Average day length: 13¼ miles (21km) | Average day length: 11½ miles (18.5km) | Average day length: 10 miles (16km) |
| 6 days | 7 days | 8 days |
| Ilkley | Ilkley | Ilkley |
| Burnsall | Burnsall | Burnsall |
| Kettlewell | ||
| Buckden | Buckden | |
| Hubberholme | ||
| Cowgill (Dent Head) | Cowgill (Dent Head) | Cowgill (Dent Head) |
| Dent | Dent | |
| Sedbergh | Sedbergh | Sedbergh |
| Burneside | ||
| Staveley | Staveley | |
| Bowness-on-Windermere | Bowness-on-Windermere | Bowness-on-Windermere |
When to go
The footbridge spanning Gayle Beck, near Holme Hill (Stage 3)
The Dales Way is a route that can be tackled at any time of year – although not all the accommodation is open all year. The relative low-level profile of the route means that for much of the journey it is sheltered by surrounding fells.
But, in terms of pastoral beauty there is no better time than April to early June, when flowers are at their most abundant, and birdlife is active and prolific. September and October, too, prove to be ideal times, coming into autumn with colourful changes to the landscape. The summer months are perfectly acceptable, but there will be more visitors on holiday, which means accommodation can become fully booked.
Getting there… and back
Getting to the start at Ilkley is easy with regular train services direct from Leeds and Bradford. Long-distance rail services from London and intermediate stations operate to Leeds by Virgin Trains East Coast (London King’s Cross) and West Coast (London Euston, via Manchester) services.
Returning from Windermere station, there are connections at Oxenholme for London, Manchester and Lancaster (connect at Lancaster for Skipton, Shipley and Leeds). Note, however, that Windermere station is 1.5 miles (2.5km) from the end of the Dales Way at Bowness, but there is a bus service that will get you there…or you can take a taxi if time is of the essence.
For a short distance, the Dales Way passes close to the West Coast railway line (Stage 5)
Public transport
Many walkers want to do the whole route from end to end in one endeavour, but the Dales Way also lends itself to completion on a piecemeal basis. There are generally good public transport services along much of its length, notably in the early and later stages, to facilitate walkers who must return to base, while only a modicum of cooperation is needed for groups of walkers with at least two cars to devise linear excursions. Public transport is also available at each end of the Way, both Ilkley and Bowness being convenient for British Rail links, the former from Bradford and Leeds, the latter by way of Windermere to Oxenholme on the west coast mainline.
There are good public transport connections to many parts of the Dales Way. With thoughtful planning, it is possible to attempt the Dales Way using public transport, but some of the bus services are limited, and exist to serve the local population not visiting walkers, and not all of them operate daily. If you are thinking of trying this option, make sure you get up-to-date timetables.
Useful connections for public transport information are:
Network Rail (www.networkrail.co.uk)
National Rail Enquiries (www.nationalrail.co.uk)
Metro Bus and Journey Planner (www.wymetro.com)
Dales Bus services (www.dalesbus.org)
Settle-Carlisle Railway (www.settle-carlisle.co.uk) – for rail services to Dent
Cumbria Bus services (www.cumbria.gov.uk)
First and last nights
Ilkley
The agreeable town of Ilkley, historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, is a spa town with a population of around 10,000, characterised by Victorian buildings and wide streets, such as Grove and Brook Street. These days, the town is a tourist destination, has a good number of small independent shops, and is an ideal base from which to explore Ilkley Moor to the south, and the countryside that surrounds it. Among the town’s many features, Darwin Gardens, to the south, is a Millennium Green that commemorates links with English naturalist Charles Darwin.
Bowness-on-Windermere
Bowness has long been a tourist destination, increasingly so since the railway came in 1849 to what was then the village of Birthwaite, now the much-developed and popular resort of Windermere. Today, both Bowness and Windermere are busy little places, with pubs, eateries and accommodation in abundance. Anyone not in a hurry to return home will find either a splendid base from which to explore south Lakeland further, or to venture into the higher fells of Langdale and north of Ambleside, and to make the Wordsworth connection. Both rather lack a distinctive centre, but the Victorian buildings and former grand hotels and slate-built houses that radiate from the lakeshore up to the railway still exemplify how the Lake District evolved.
The end of the Dales Way (Stage 6)
Accommodation
The Dales Way is amply furnished with bed-and-breakfast accommodation throughout its length, only becoming thin on the ground between Langstrothdale and Dentdale.
However, not all the accommodation listed is immediately adjacent to the Dales Way, and you are advised to check the precise location of intended accommodation halts in relationship to the Way before making reservations. Many proprietors will arrange to meet you, and offer a ‘ferry’ service both to and from accommodation and places where meals may be obtained. Details of accommodation are set out in Appendix B.
There are few campsites along the Dales Way, but many farmers will consent to small parties pitching tents for a night. In the interests of maintaining good relations with farmers, please obtain permission first. Where there are known campsites, these are detailed in Appendix B.
Facilities en route
The Trek Planner details the facilities along the route, but despite a long string of villages that are passed through, you will spend much time away from civilisation, where facilities are non-existent. Do not assume that remote villages are well endowed with shops and cafés that are necessarily open when you arrive, if they exist at all.
There are very few sections of the walk where it is possible to get lunch during the day, so it is vital that you start each day well prepared and stocked. Have a good breakfast, carry plenty of liquid and daytime food, and make the most of an evening meal.
Grassington village – a quiet corner (Stage 2)
Pack carrying services (baggage transfer)
A small number of companies offer pack carrying services that will collect your bags each morning and drop them at your next stop the same day. These companies are also more than happy to arrange accommodation for you along the entire route. Details are included in Appendix A.
Cash management
With few opportunities along the Way to get hold of cash, it becomes vitally important to estimate your money requirements in advance; you cannot rely on all accommodation providers accepting credit and debit card payments. Along the Way there are banks and/or ATM machines in Ilkley, Grassington, Dent, Sedbergh, Kendal and Bowness-on-Windermere
A cheque book and banker’s card can usually be used to get cash from post offices, and there are post offices in Ilkley, Bolton Abbey, Grassington, Kettlewell, Buckden, Dent, Sedbergh, Kendal and Bowness-on-Windermere.
Equipment
All walkers have their own preferences in terms of equipment and clothing. When extending day-walking into multiple-day walking, much the same general items are needed, with the emphasis on being able to stay warm, dry (as much as possible) and comfortable in all weather conditions.
The following list may be found a useful reminder:
rucksack (comfortable, well padded, appropriate to backpacking rather than day-walking, and preferably already used by you, if only on trial walks)
boots
socks (spare socks and more spare socks)
trousers (and shorts if you wish but not shorts alone)
underclothes
shirt
midwear (eg fleece/pullover) and spare
wind- and waterproof jacket and over-trousers
hat
gloves
maps
compass
torch (with spare battery and bulbs)
whistle
first aid kit including blister pads
survival bag or space blanket
food and drink
insect repellent
washing tackle, including half a roll of toilet tissue (for emergencies)
small hand towel
spare batteries for your GPS, if you are using one
Campers will also need additional items such as a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, and cooking equipment and utensils. Pedal-bin liners have several useful purposes – keeping wet clothes separate from dry in the sack; containing burst packets of food and rubbish until a suitable disposal point can be reached; and insulating dry socks from wet boots when walking.
Take a notebook and keep a personal record of your experiences, or a paperback book to read.
Near Holme Park Farm (Stage 5)
Following the Dales Way up onto the moors above Grassington (Stage 2)
Dogs
If you take your dog with you along the Dales Way, stick to the same rules that apply to walking them on public footpaths and bridleways. Do not, however, commit your dog to consecutive days of walking if it is not already used to it; you may take your dog for a walk every day at home, but walking the Dales Way is not the same, not least because it involves longer daily distances.
Some accommodation providers accept dogs, but many do not. So, be sure to check in advance. There are also few veterinary services along the route. Be sure to check your dog’s condition and, especially, its feet, every day. You will need to keep your dog on a lead for quite long periods, and it will be more comfortable for it to wear a harness rather than a lead attached to a collar, which can cause rubbing.
Keep your dog under proper control. You can do this by:
never letting it worry or attack livestock
never taking it into a field where there are calves or lambs
keeping it on a short lead or under close control in fields where there are farm animals
keeping calm if cattle react aggressively and move towards you, letting the dog go and taking the shortest, safest route out of the field
keeping it on a short lead or under close control during the bird breeding season (usually April to July) in areas such as moorland, woodland and grassland
picking up and removing any faeces if your dog defecates in a public open place
PLANNING DAY-BY-DAY
Using this guide
Easy walking on the way to Outrun Nook (Stage 6)
This guide offers a full step-by-step description of the Dales Way from south to north. Each stage description is also followed by a summary of the route in reverse for those who like to go against the flow. For ease of reference, the route is divided into stages, although these are not necessarily to be taken as day stages – that is for you to decide (see ‘Suggested itineraries’, above), but please be sure not to overstretch yourself. The Dales Way is immensely pleasurable, but not when you are weary. Keep it simple; keep it within your capability.
Each stage starts with some key information (distance, ascent, walking time) and an overview to give you a feel of the terrain and the route. There then follows a route description that highlights in bold key places and features that appear on the 1:100,000 route maps that accompany the description, and also provides additional information on sites of particular interest, with historical, archaeological, sociological and other significance. In addition, the map booklet included at the back of this guide shows the full route of the Dales Way on 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey (OS) mapping.
The Route summary table and Trek Planner at the front of the guide should help you get an overview of the whole route and plan your own itinerary along it, taking account of the facilities available. Finally, appendices provide some useful organisations’ contact details (Appendix A), details of accommodation along the route (Appendix B), and a list of both essential and supplementary reading, some or all of which will enhance your experience of the walk (Appendix C).
Distances and height gain
To ensure greater accuracy when giving distances, ascent and descent in the guide, detailed measurements were made using computerised mapping. Because of this, figures for distances, ascent and descent given in this edition may differ (in some cases significantly) from data given in earlier editions, which was produced by less accurate methods; any such discrepancy, however, is unlikely to cause distress to walkers accustomed to regular outings over mountain and moorland terrain. All figures have been rounded up or down since they are intended as a guide, and should only be used as such.
Walking times
How long it might take to walk 10 miles with a pack varies from individual to individual. Naismith’s Rule (1 hour per 3 miles, plus 1 hour for each 2000 feet of ascent) is purely a guide and needs adjustment to suit each walker’s personal abilities; not everyone can maintain Naismith’s targets over an extended day.
For this reason, the walking times given are already an adjustment of Naismith’s Rule based on my own experience; they are intended just to give an idea of how long you may need to be walking. Of course, the times given make no allowance for any kind of stopping – photographic, refreshment or otherwise.
Rivers
Beside the Wharfe, near Cavendish Pavilion (Stage 1)
Occasionally reference is made to the true right or true left bank of a stream or river; ‘right’ or ‘left’ refers to the direction of flow. So, if you are walking up the left-hand side of a river, with the river flowing towards you, then you are walking on the true right bank. Turn to face the way the river is flowing, and you’ll get the drift.
Maps
This guide comes complete with its own 1:25,000 map booklet, and contains a separate 1:100,000 overview map, which is ideal for tracing the route.
Should you want to explore more widely, perhaps while taking a day off, OS covers the route with three Landranger maps: numbers 97 (Kendal and Morecambe); 98 (Wensleydale and Upper Wharfedale); and 104 (Leeds, Bradford and Harrogate). These are to a scale of 1:50,000.
To complete the Dales Way with OS Explorer maps, you will need numbers 297 (Lower Wharfedale and Washburn Valley); OL2 (Yorkshire Dales: Southern and Western areas); OL30 (Yorkshire Dales: Northern and Central areas); OL19 (Howgill Fells and Upper Eden Valley); and OL7 (The English Lakes (South-Eastern area)).
Weather
Britain is meteorologically sandwiched between moist maritime air and dry continental air, a combination that creates large temperature variations and atmospheric instability. As a result, many (and sometimes all) weather variations can be experienced in just one day. That said, there are often prolonged periods of stable weather that make recreational walking an utter joy, and, being farther inland away from coastal influences, much of the Dales Way has an easier time of it. However, the proximity of high ground does tend to create local micro-climates at times.
Weather forecasting has much improved in recent years, with the best forecasts on a day-to-day basis being provided by regional television channels. The Met Office has a downloadable weather app (www.metoffice.gov.uk), which is available from iPhone’s App Store (https://itunes.apple.com), and Android’s Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps). There are many very good non-Met Office apps also available for iPhones and Android devices.
Waymarking and paths
Dales Way signpost
The Dales Way is well signposted and waymarked throughout its length, even in some of the more isolated spots. The entire route follows established public footpaths, bridleways or local roads.
Health, safety and emergencies
Fit, healthy and experienced walkers accustomed to long days on the Dales and Lakeland fells will encounter no difficulty in tackling the Dales Way. For anyone else, it would be foolish even to think about setting off without having previously done a deal of rough walking ideally with a pack heavier than might be required for day use, even if you intend to use one of the pack-carrying services. Getting yourself into condition is neither an arduous nor an unpleasant process, and every walk done in preparation will make the experience and enjoyment of the Way all the better.
Conditioning does not only extend only to your physical condition. It is vitally important, for example, to avoid wearing boots that are not ‘broken in’ or clothing that has not had the chance to lose its newness. Comfort on a long walk can be critically important; discomfort can be painful if allowed to go on too long. If you feel blisters coming on, or your boots start rubbing around the ankles, make sure you attend to the problem sooner rather than later.
The police, fire service, ambulance or mountain rescue can be reached in an emergency by dialling 999 or 112. There are few mountain rescue teams operating in the regions covered by the Dales Way; the appropriate one can be contacted on the above emergency numbers.
Phones and Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi internet access is increasingly available in cafés, pubs and hotels throughout Britain, but it is by no means universally available, and may not always be available in B&Bs.
Mobile phone signals are restricted in coverage and often erratic – especially away from main urban centres, where you may not be able to get a signal at all. You can check your own service provider’s coverage on their website, but the reality is that you will not have a signal or connection along many of the open and remote stretches of the Way. Remarkably, signals from some distant transmitter can be picked up in the most unexpected locations.
ALL ABOUT THE REGION
Geography
The River Wharfe at High Mill (Stage 1)
The geographic profile of the Dales Way is quite simple. It connects two significant valleys – Wharfedale and Dentdale – before wriggling through southern Lakeland to the shores of Windermere.
The Way sets off through the upper valley of the River Wharfe, soon leaving behind the urban setting of Ilkley, and not reaching a town of any note until Grassington, and even that is essentially a large village rather than a town. The section from Addingham to the source confluence at Beckermonds is known as Upper Wharfedale and is characterised by small, isolated settlements, of some antiquity. Beyond Buckden, the ongoing valley is known as Langstrothdale through which the Wharfe continues to its end at the confluence of Oughtershaw Beck and Green Field Beck, at which point purists will argue that the source of the Wharfe is not this confluence, but the highest point of either of those becks…and they are welcome to try to find it!
Beyond Beckermonds and the hamlet of Oughtershaw, little remains apart from scattered farms as the route climbs to meet the Pennine Way and a Roman road high on Cam Fell. A brief hiatus ensues as the Way crosses into the head of Dentdale, and a far more wooded landscape largely following not the River Dent, as might be expected, but the River Dee.
Dent, Sedbergh and Staveley are the principal settlements, and re-introduce a measure of urbanity but in a rather superficial way, as if they accept their role as the lifeblood of the surrounding farmlands.
Once Lakeland is reached, the Way does endeavour to find a route that makes the most of the undulating landscapes, avoiding settlements before skittering downhill to burst rather unexpectedly into Bowness-on-Windermere.
Geology
Limestone and sandstone very much prevail throughout the course of the Dales Way. The rocks that shape Wharfedale are sedimentary and date from the Carboniferous period (about 350 million years ago). Around Ilkley, the underlying rock is millstone grit and covered by crags and heather moorland. But as the route progresses up-dale it’s clear that the rocks are different, and form deep strata of limestone, sandstone and shale. Weathering of these strata has produced a stepped profile to some parts of the valley, while glaciers during the last Ice Age have fashioned the classic U-shaped landforms we see today.
As the Dales Way enters the Lake District, it explores a vast area of rocks known as Silurian Flags and Shales formed (435–395 million years ago) during a prolonged period of continuous sedimentation, overlying volcanic rocks. These rocks produce a gentle, rippling landscape that rather disguises the 500 million, often-violent, years it took to create the Lake District. In a few places, Carboniferous limestones appear, often rich in fossils; these are especially noticeable at the eastern fringe of the District and in isolated patches north and northeast of Kendal.
Plants and wildlife
The predominant species of tree are ash, birch, hazel, hawthorn, yew and rowan, while the limestone is favoured by a wide range of plant species such as alpine cinquefoil, lily-of-the-valley, valerian and angelica, as well as bird’s-eye primrose, butterwort, bedstraw, dog’s mercury, wood anemone and wild garlic.
Almost 250 species of bird have been observed from red grouse, snipe, golden plover, stonechat, whinchat and redstart to great spotted woodpecker, nuthatch, tree creeper and woodland visitors such as chiffchaff, willow warbler and garden warbler. Goosander are often seen on the Wharfe as are large numbers of mandarin duck that have grown in number since this book was first published.
It may surprise you to learn that otter, deer, red fox and water voles are also present, as well as rabbit and grey squirrel.
History and culture
The outlines of Iron Age fields and hut circles can still be traced on the fells above Kettlewell and Grassington, and although most of the area through which the Dales Way passes was occupied for centuries by the British tribe of Brigantes, these were subdued by the Romans shortly after their occupation of Britain.
Once the Romans had departed both from what is now Yorkshire and Cumbria, the ancient Britons were infiltrated by Angles who began the process of clearing forests and establishing farming practices. Vikings settled the entire area from about the 10th century, leaving their language inscribed in place names: The name Wharfe, for example, derives from the Old English weorf, or Old Norse hverfr, and means ‘winding river’.
During Anglo-Saxon times, large estates were created. After the Norman invasion, the lands were given to Robert Romilly. Alice de Romilly donated land in the mid 12th century for the construction of monasteries that quickly developed vast sheep farms and the founding of drove roads, many of which can still be seen and walked today.
After the dissolution of the monasteries, cattle and sheep rearing continued, especially among the rocky folds of south Lakeland, although there was an increasing incidence of small-scale arable farming slotted into riverside land holdings. But it was the demand for food during the 19th century that saw many farms turning to producing milk from cattle raised on the riverside pastures, and sheep on the higher ground. While agriculture in one form or another continues to be a staple of the rural economy, tourism has increasingly figured since the 18th century. This grew once the railways reached the north of England in the mid 19th century, and expanded hugely with the designation of large areas as national parks: the Lake District in 1951, and the Yorkshire Dales in 1954.
Local residents, near Yockenthwaite (Stage 3)
