1 Buckden Pike

This is a Bus + 7.6 Mile version of the many Buckden Pike walks. Park in (P&D CP near the bridge See Point 16 Below) The bus stops at the shelter beside the CP and it’s a 10 min ride to Buckden. Though please note that (particularly in winter) the buses are limited and may also constraint timing of a walk. Do arrive early for the bus, there is a good café beside the car park. The walk can be done in reverse, i.e. drive to Buckden and take bus to Kettlewell, but that is not documented here and the climb from Buckden is a much simpler navigation and a largely steady ascent. Most of the route up to Buckden Pike is on clear and reasonable paths. There are numerous offerings for the return journey and in this document it involves moor walking, although only one stretch involves circumventing boggy sections. Generally there were visible, often decent paths. However the return route does need some concentration on navigation. The Buckden, Kettlewell, Grassington area is a very popular walking area so expect a good number of walkers around. The walk can be varied and extended to include Great but that is only mentioned briefly here as the time of year limited daylight. See the end of this document for some notes on that. The walk starts from the car park at Buckden, which is also the turning point for the bus. SD 943774 BD23 5JA

It is important to always be appropriately dressed for the conditions and carry, and know how to use, a suitable map for the walk.

This description can be used/printed/shared for personal use, or to lead a walk but not for commercial use without the author’s written consent. 2-June-2016

2 1: SD 943774 At the rear (north) of the car park is a gate which is the beginning of the walk. The track is wide if a bit rocky at times. There are a number of gates to pass through but no branching tracks until you reach the key navigation point after 2/3rds Mile(1Km) at a wall and signpost yards beyond a Y junction.

2: SD 941784 Do NOT bear right with the main track but stay left the few yards to reach the (muddy?) opening in the wall with a signpost pointing to the Pike. Go through the opening and immediate turn right up the hill. At first there is no clear path but one soon appears. The path leads upwards at a largely steady incline passing gates and wall openings.

3: Sometimes there is a solid clear path, other times less so but the route is always clear. Near the top there is a stretch of much steeper incline, sometimes with steps. After one false summit the trig point is reached.

4: SD 961788 On a good day there is a great all round view and all the way to the Lakes. Coniston, Scaffel Pike being visible. The next target is the Memorial Cross almost directly south. You are advised to take a stone slab path on the same side of the wall. (Note: if you wish to return to Buckden there is a faint path to the right after 145yds/130m)

3 5: SD 961788 Follow the path staying with the wall on the left. The path is interspersed with easily avoided boggy stretches. Cross a ladder stile and continue forward to find another ladder stile in the corner of field walls with the Memorial Cross visible over the left wall.

6: SD 962779 Cross the stile to reach the cross.

7: SD 962779 Having viewed the cross, your way ahead is SE (right), with the cross behind you and staying with the wall on your right.

8: SD 964778 This becomes a very boggy/peaty section but look left to find a series of small white posts which are a recommended path. Still soggy but nowhere near as bad as beside the wall. After ¼ mile( 400m) watch for a gate in the wall just before the wall bears away to the right.

4 9: SD 966777 The way ahead is through the gate. (Note that if you wanted to include , this is one point you can continue. See Point 17 for information) Otherwise continue down the rough track for 750 yds to find a large cairn just before a gate.

10: SD 961771 It is VITAL to find this spot. (Or you will end up in ) Find the faint path that is back the way you came a few yards from the cairn. It heads left (SE). This path largely contours the hill on a slight incline. Follow this for just over a mile (1.7Km). The path reaches the top of a gully after 670yds(600m).

11: SD 966767 Cross the gully top and continue on the path which remains narrow, possibly soggy and passing through various gates but with good views. Eventually a gate with a signpost is reached.

12: SD 966755 One path goes off to the left but go through the gate and continue downhill on a wide grass path for another 180yds(160m) to reach a significant crossing path.

5 13: SD 965753 Turn left through the gate and continue on a slight incline on the wide track for 650yds(585m) to find a track to the right with a signpost.

14: SD 970753 (Note this is the second place where continuing along this path can lead to Great Whernside (See Point 20 at end of document)). Turn hard right here. This path leads some 2 miles(3.2Km) downhill sometimes gently and finally steeply to Kettlewell. After 1.75miles(2.8KM) a road is reached.

15: SD 972725 Continue ahead and downhill bearing right on Cam Gill Road. At the Post Office bear left over the bridge. Then right on The Green. Bear right at Conistone Lane and then left to the car park. Decent café awaits you.

16: SD 972725 Kettlewell Parking, Bus Shelter and Café.

--The End of the Main Walk. ---

--See next page for some notes of including Whernside.---

6 17: SD 966777 At this gate, you can ignore the gate and continue on the moor keeping the wall on your right.

18: SD 966777 in the distance is Great Whenside. Continuing on the moor for 2 miles(3.2Km) reaches a road with a small parking area.

19: SD 986787 Crossing the road a path heading up Great Whernside is fairly clear. Once there there is a reasonable path back down to Kettlewell.

20: SD 970753 This is the other option at Pont 14. Instead of turning right, continue ahead, roughly on a contour, but bear right where the path splits. In just over 1 mile (1.6Km) the small car park above is reached.