Tracks and Trails

Walking in Yorkshire

Favourite Yorkshire Dales Walks- Wharfedale

Walks in Yorkshire Dales

Below are some our favourite walks to found currently found in the Dales

Wharfedale

Here are our three recommended walks in Wharfedale:

1.Ilkley Moor.

Start and Finish: Ilkley Town Centre
Approximate time for the walk: 3.5hours
Distance: 9 miles
Landscape: Millstone grit scenery with dragon flies, bilberries and heather in July and August
Map: OS Explorer 27, Lower Wharfedale and the Washburn
Description of the walk:

A. Start from Wells Road in Ilkley, located between the estate agent and bank. Continue straight up Wells Road, by passing the Darwin Gardens to your right hand side. Continue straight ahead on this road. Immediately before a cattle grid, turn left on a footpath (Dalesway Link) passing a paddling pool before climbing steeply using the steps of White Wells. Continue on this path to reach White Wells House.
B. At White Wells House, take the broad vehicle track which leads past Willy Hall Spout (a Waterfall) before turning onto a narrow path leading in a upwards direction. This leads to the Keighley Road. Cross the Keighley road carefully and continue straight-ahead without any diversions along the path.
C. Cross a small footbridge at Hebers Ghyll and then immediately turn steeply left and avoid some rocks and go straight-ahead heading for iron kissing gate on higher ground. Go through the gate and straight ahead on this path for 2 miles. Along the way you pass the Swastika Stone, which well worth a look as the path goes directly pass it.
D. Continue straight along this path from the Swastika Stone. Cross two stone walks and after 30 paces pass Piper’s Crag Stone. Continue straight-ahead on this path. This eventually leads to Black Hill (1250ft), the highest point of this walk. Continue straight ahead this path to rest of the way to the end of moor where Windgate Nick is located.
E. At Windgate Nick, turn left and squeeze through a wall gate and go Straight-ahead in the direction of Doubler Stones (a South-Eastern direction from where you are at Windgate Nick)
F. At Doubler Stones, retrace you steps and return to the wooden gate and this time go north-easterly directly heading towards some Stone Butts, to meet a fine stile in the dry-stone wall. Continue in straight-ahead, passing over the path which you came from Windgate Nick and descend quickly down the moor. Pass through Millstone Lumps quarry.
G. At Millstone Quarry, turn right on a path heading over ladder stile over a high dry-stone wall. Continuce to go straight ahead. When you reach the next field, turn right with the path. At the next stile, go straight ahead following a wall to a narrow stile at its bottom left-hand corner which leads to Moorside Lane. Enter Moorside Lane
H. Turn right along Moorside Lane for 600 yards, passing Upper Gatecroft Farm. Carry straight-ahead and when you reach a larger farm called Cragg House. Immediately before Cragg House, turn left through a gate with a way-mark arrow. Continue straight-ahead to reach Overgate Croft.
I. At Overgate Croft, rejoin a broad track by some elm tress before branching rightwards in front of some of the ruined barns. Continue straight-ahead on the right-edge of the field to meet a gate. Pass through the gate on to Cocking Lane. Turn right along Cocking Lane to reach the A65. Cross and go straight ahead down through the trees to the old road. At the old road, turn left and immediately right to reach the river bank.
J. At the river bank, follow the river downstream towards Ilkley. Continue straight-ahead along the river bank path, to reach the center of Ilkley. When you reach the old-bridge, turn right back onto the streets of Ilkley once. Go straight-ahead passing through Memorial Gardens to New Bridge and then once again the centre of Ilkley to finish and conclude the walk.

2. Simon’s Seat

Start and Finish: Barden Bridge
Approximate time for the walk: 5 hours
Distance: 9 miles
Landscape: Millstone grit scenery with waterfalls, terminal moraine
Map: OS Outdoor Leisure 2, Yorkshire Dales, Southern and Western areas
Description of the walk:

A. Start from the bridge in Barden Bridge. Cross the bridge and follow the right-bank down stream. Continue straight-ahead down the right-hand bank to reach Strid Woods and then continue along to reach the Strid itself.
B. From the Strid, continue straight-ahead where the path now broadens to reach the Cavendish Pavilion.
C. At the Cavendish Pavilion, turn left over the wood bridge and straight ahead through the field onto the road. Continue straight-ahead up the road, to reach brow of the hill. Turn right now, away from the river and go through a gate and straight-ahead up hill along this well-signed footpath. A little higher, the track descends to the Valley of Desolation
D. When you reach the Valley of Desolation, cross the Posforth Gill using the footbridge to reach the far side of Gill. From here, take the left folk path to lead out of the valley of desolation. This leads out via a ladder stile and a forestry track through woods to come to open moorland which is Barden Fell. Continue along this well-signposted track to Great Agill Beck.
E. At Great Agill Beck, cross over it and gradually gain height with the path. Continue along this path to the top of Simon Seat, (1591ft) with a survey pillar on the top.
F. From the top of Simon’s seat, take the Howgill footpath leading down in a south-westerly direction. The track then goes down in to the right of the moor, descending into the woodland hillside of Howgill. Continue walking on this path until you reach a road. Cross the road and continue straight ahead on the path, passing farm buildings to arrive at the riverbank, near Drebley steppingstones.
G. From the river, turn left to take the path as goes down the right-hand bank of the river Wharfe before it leads back to Barden Bridge and the end and conclusion of the walk.

3. Mossdale Scar

Start and Finish: Grassington
Approximate time for the walk: 6 hours
Distance: 12 miles
Landscape: Limestone scenery, gorge and pavements, fossils, galena, disappearing streams and reef knolls. Wildlife includes butterflies, ferns, heather, skylark and curlew/
Map: OS Outdoor Leisure 2, Yorkshire Dales, Southern and Western Areas
Description of the walk:

A. Start in the centre of Grassington. From the centre, walk up the main street, past Tom Lee’s, and turn left onto Chapel Street. At the end of Chapel street turn right and follow a lane with footpath sign for the Dales Way and Conistone. Go straight-ahead along this lane for the Dales Way crossing the fields and cross three stones stiles. After last stone stile, branch off to left without dropping below the height of the limestone pavement. Soon you will met a stone wall on your left-side. Continue alongside the wall as the path continues alongside the wall. This will lead to a ladder stile in the dry-stone wall.
B. Go over the ladder stile and continue in the same direction on the left side of the wall. Continue straight-ahead passing the dry limestone gorge known as, ‘the Dib.’ When you reach the gorge, turn away from the gorge to a view. Continuce all this track which leads to the village of Conistone.
C. At the village of Conistone, turn right at the village green and go straight ahead up the Conistone Dib. Go straight ahead along this mini gorge. Continue on to steeper ground to top of gorge. At the top of the gorge, go over the stile and turn left over some gritstone slabs. Continue straight-ahead through a gate to see the limestone pavement.
D. Continue straight along this track. When you reach sign for Middlesmoor, turn right on this track and head towards Middlesmoor. This track gradually gains height and curves to go across open moorland, with a shallow limestone scar on the right and heather moorland direct in front of you. Note area of small cairns which is where you must return to when you return from Mossdale Scar Go straight ahead for a mile heading towards Mossdale Scar, 1,410 ft.
E. Retrace your steps from Mossdale Scar from the previous instructions. At this point you must talk the left folk, aiming south. Continunce straight down this path passing an old shaft before hitting an ladder stile. Cross this stile and continue down the path which leads into a short green lane, with a bench mark on the gate. At the end of lane, cross diagonally to a gated stile and continue straight down aiming for Bare House in the distance.
F. From the Bare House, cross the fields in a straight line aiming old walled dewpond. Continue down this path which eventually leads into a walled lane. This walled lane leads back to Grassington and eventually the town centre where the walk finishes and concludes.

Walking in Yorkshire: An Introduction | Walking in Yorkshire | The Yorkshire Dales | North Dales | Favourite Yorkshire Dales Walks- Wensleydale | Favourite Yorkshire Dales Walks- Swaledale | South Dales | Favourite Yorkshire Dales Walks- Wharfedale | East Dales | Heriot Country | Favourite Yorkshire Dales Walks- Nidderdale | West Dales | Favourite Yorkshire Dales Walks- Dentdale and the Howgills | Yorkshire Coastline | West and East Yorkshire | Favourite Walks in the Yorkshire Pennines | More favourite walks in the Yorkshire Pennines | North Yorkshire Moors | Favourite Walks in the North Yorkshire Moors | More favourite walks in the North Yorkshire Moors | Hope Cove Walk

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