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.