Muker Keld Tan Hill White Crag Gunnerside Gill Ivelet Muker 6th August 2004 Mines, Moorland and a Magic Dale |
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Parking: Park in the car park at Muker just before the bridge over the Swale on the Richmond side of the village. The cost is £2.50 for the day. There are toilets, a pub and cafe in the village The Walk Turn left out of the car park and cross over the Swale via the bridge. Follow the road until a road on right leads up the hill into the village. Follow the signs for the post office. The path to Keld - signposted - is on the lhs of the Post office and leads down a short lane. At the end of the lane go straight ahead through a wall on a marked path to a gate - says keep on the road. Turn left up hill and hit the road. Follow the road up the hill and keep to the path marked to Keld. The path to Keld is easy to follow and has magnificent views of Upper Swaledale. It is the best part of the walk. The path contours along the valley side past North Gang Scar. It becomes quite rocky in places and because it is limestone you're walking on it becomes slippery when wet. The path eventually reaches a junction just before Keld. Here leave the path to Keld and descend on path marked Pennine Way (FP). Drop down to the valley bottom and cross the Swale on a bridge. Stop and look at the river - magnificent views. Cross river on the footbridge, bear right and climb. Shortly you hit another path; here turn left following the signs for Pennine Way to Stonesdale. A good path climbs the western side of Black Moor heading just west of north and contours round towards Low Brown Hill. It's a little wet under foot as we are now on peat! Good News. After 3km the path turns north east and climbs up onto Stonesdale Moor. From here Tan Hill Inn is in sight and in the distance you can make out the A66 plus Cross Fell and the Upper Teesdale Fells The last 2km from Stonesdale Moor to the Inn crosses a section that was heavily mined. At Tan Hill you can rest and have a pint. Walk up the road and round a bend turn right up a track. However, instead of turning left on the path past Kings Pit Colliery carry on straight up the track and past a radio station. There is a fence on you right which is the county boundary. At end of track is a mine. From the mine head south east to a well defined Crag - Water Crag - passing William Gill Colliery on its lhs. The going is very hard the route takes you across open moorland which has no tracks; the peat moorland is naturally boggy and covered in heather. At the top of the rise you can see a pile of stones and the trig point of White Crag. Head for the trig point. The route from Tan Hill is hard work but interesting.. The view from the top is excellent. To the south you can see Gunnerside Gill, Friarfield Moor and Surrender Ground. From the trig point head east of south on a bearing to Blakethwaite some 1.5km away. As you drop down to Blakethwaite head for the right hand cutting in the side of Gunnerside Gill. Although it is downhill it is still hard work as you cross peat moors and heather. The map says there's a path down Gunnerside Gill but I've never seen one so keep to the top of the Gill and head south on the top path - to Gorton Hush. The route home is now wholly on tracks and paths. 1.75km down the track turn right off the track and cut down to the Gill by old lead mine buildings. Cross the river and on the western bank pick up a well defined road/path heading south towards Silver Hill. In 0.75km you cross Botcher Gill continue down the road heading for Gunnerside. After 1.5km, just after a track joins from the left; turn off right on a track heading due south for Knock Top. The path is not always easy to follow. Eventually you reach the end of the climb and you begin to descend heading south west aiming for Shoregill Head – there is no well defined path. Eventually you drop down onto the road from Gunnerside to Ivelet. Turn right and walk along the road which eventually turns sharp right and drops down to Ivelet. Opposite buildings turn right (FP Muker) on a path. The only way across the Swale is over Ramps Holme Bridge to the north of Muker. It's a lovely walk along the Swaledale with its walls, stiles and barns surrounded by moors. Undoubtedly this is the second best part of the walk. Some might disagree because of the effort needed to climb the stiles. But Swaledale is beautiful especially in the evening with the sun going down. From Ivelet, the path crosses fields to just below Calvert House. From here it drops down to the river. Ahead you can see Muker on the far bank but here is no way to cross the river. So continue along a good track which follows the rive round to Ramps Holme Farm and on to Ramps Holme Bridge. Cross the river and on the western bank turn right and follow the river north for 50m before climbing away from the river (FP). Turn south (left) heading across the fields on a good path, which is partly paved until you reach the buildings of Muker by the post office. Continue ahead and drop down to the main valley road. Here turn left, cross the Swale and the car park is on the right Summary It is a hard day's walk. Good progress can be made until Tan Hill. But after that it's hard work crossing pathless moorland until you get to the top of Gunnerside Gill. From then it's straight forward again. It's a walk for a summers day with good visibility. There are good views from the tops and Swaledale is always the most magnificent of the Dales. Home Start Point Dales Books Related Sites TextOnly Map&Summary Diary |
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