wick away the damp to keep you warm and dry, and throwing in a fleece takes up little extra room. Good-quality socks will help keep feet comfortable and warm, and don’t forget gloves and a hat. In summer, a sun hat and sunscreen lotion offer necessary protection against UV, but shorts aren’t always a good idea, particularly where there are nettles and brambles.
Whether you choose leather or fabric boots is a matter of personal preference, but you should ensure that they are waterproof rather than merely water resistant. They should, of course, be comfortable, as well as offering good ankle support and grip underfoot. Finally, note that mobile phone coverage is at best patchy.
Food and drink
A number of these walks take you past a pub or a café at some stage, but if you intend to rely on them for a snack or meal, do check in advance that they will be open. It is, in any case, always advisable to pack emergency rations, in case your walk takes longer than anticipated. Also carry plenty to drink, particularly when the weather is warmer, as dehydration can be a significant problem. Drinking from streams is not always a good idea, and in limestone country they can be something of a rarity in any case.
Taking your car
If you travel to the start of the walk by car, remember that the roads, never intended for today’s traffic volumes, are generally narrow, have many bends and several very steep hills. Extra care is also needed because slow-moving farm vehicles, animals, pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists may lie around any corner. And, while you might be enjoying a leisurely drive soaking up the beauty of the countryside, the car behind could contain a local just going about his daily business, so be a courteous driver and pull over as soon as it is convenient to allow faster-moving traffic to safely pass.
Wherever possible, use official car parks. This helps to reduce congestion, avoid obstruction and protect verges, and gives a measure of protection against car crime. The revenue from national park car parks is used to improve services for visitors to the park. If there is no car park available, please park considerately, and ensure that you do not obstruct field or farm access or cause damage.
Leaving your car behind
However, leaving the car behind not only helps the environment, but opens a wealth of other opportunities for your visit. Instead of confining yourself to circular walks, which most of us accept as the norm for a day out, you can broaden your horizons in walking from one dale to the next. Combined with an overnight stay or two you can truly become a traveller, and begin to appreciate the relationships between the different valleys. The Dales offers several real alternatives to using the car. There is a frequent rail service along the Settle–Carlisle line serving the upper Ribble Valley, Dent Head and Garsdale. Regular bus services run into most of the popular dales, with additional services at weekends and during the summer. Full details are available from the Travel Dales website (www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/visit-the-dales/essential-information/travel).
Cycling is another environmentally friendly way of getting about. Take your own bike, perhaps leaving the car at one of the fringe car parks, or hire one when you get there. You will find useful information on the Cycle the Yorkshire Dales website (www.cyclethedales.org.uk).
Narrow lanes and a tractor leave little room for walkers (Walk 16)
A Norman stronghold, Castlehaw was built around 1070 to control passage along the valley of the Rawthey (Walk 1)
If you have the time, spend a couple of relaxing days in the area rather than stressfully travelling back and forth on day visits. There is a wealth of inviting bed and breakfast, hotel and inn accommodation, as well as campsites, and the area has a wonderful reputation for its food. Check out www.yorkshiredales.org/accommodation.
USING THIS GUIDE
The walks in this guidebook are for everyone, from novices to experienced ramblers, although newcomers to walking are advised to develop their abilities and confidence on the shorter walks before progressing onto the more demanding routes. However, none of the walks in this book is technically difficult, and in good weather they pose few navigational problems. Simple skills such as the ability to use a map and compass will help keep you on the right track, and map and compass are essential in poor visibility.
The network of public footpaths and tracks is extensive, and signposts and waymarks are generally well positioned to confirm the route. On the upper moors, and indeed across many of the valley meadows, the actual line of the path is not always distinct, but the way is often discernible along a ‘trod’. Defined as a ‘mark made by treading’, a trod, by its nature, becomes more obvious the more it is walked, and indeed may develop over time as a path. But on the upper slopes it is a less tangible thing, a slight flattening of the grass or reeds punctuated with an occasional boot print. It may differ from a sheep track only in that it has purposeful direction and requires an element of concentration to stay on the right course.
The walks described in detail in this volume range in distance from 3½ to 11½ miles (5.6 to 18.5km), and there are suggestions for devising longer days by combining routes. While the lengthier walks require an appropriate degree of physical fitness, none demand more than an ability to walk. The Dales are hilly rather than mountainous, and with gains in altitude during the walks of between 80m (262ft) and 855m (2805ft), climbs are generally moderate, with any steep sections usually brief. And in any case, the captivating scenery so begs attention that frequent pauses for retrospective admiration are almost mandatory.
Almost all of the walks are circular, many beginning from recognised car parks with a public toilet nearby. However, public transport in the Dales, particularly during the summer months and at weekends, now offers a real alternative for reaching many of the more popular locations, and increases the opportunity for adapting and devising many satisfying ‘one way’ walks around the routes described here.
Yorkshire’s warm hospitality is renowned, and you’ll find welcoming pubs, cafés and tea shops throughout the area, although it is always a good idea to check opening times in advance if you are relying on somewhere for a meal.
Details of the terrain and nature of the walk, together with the local facilities available, are given in the information box at the start of each walk.
PART 1 THE HOWGILL FELLS
Dropping over 200m, Cautley Spout is England's highest waterfall (Walk 6)
WALK 1
Sedbergh and the River Rawthey
| Start | Sedbergh (SD657921) |
| Distance | 5 miles (8km) |
| Height gain | 145m (476ft) |
| Time | 2hr |
| Terrain | Field paths and trods |
| OS map | Explorer OL19 – Howgill Fells & Upper Eden Valley |
| Refreshments |
Pubs and cafés
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