magazine spring 2011 magazine spring 2011 Northern England Northern England 11/02/2011 12:43 03 Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire 04 Teesdale, County Durham l Distance 11km/7 miles l Time 4hrs l Type Hill, woodland valley, open farmland l Distance 18km/11¼ miles l Time 6hrs l Type Valley and moorland NAVIGATION FITNESS NAVIGATION FITNESS 2 LEVEL 2 3 LEVEL 3 2 LEVEL 2 2/3 LEVEL 2/3 plan your walk plan your walk Forest and l WEST l Firth l Ettersgill YORKSHIRE Denholme Clough l HEBDEN Holwick BRIDGE CO.DURHAM TEESDALE Luddenden P Foot l N l Halifax l Kirkby Stephen TRO L l Cragg Vale l ORGA Sowerby AR B Bridge A Birkdale N l Melbecks EVE M l O T Ripponden l HY: FI HY: HY: S HY: P P Where: Circular walk Where: Circular walk from from Hebden Bridge via Bowlees via Cronkley Fell Heptonstall and Hardcastle and High and Low Force PHOTOGRA Crags. PHOTOGRA waterfalls. Start/end: St George’s The rugged moorland and deep, taking the L-hand track, marked Start/end: Bowlees Visitor The North Pennines, Britain’s 1. START The Bowlees Visitor Square, Hebden Bridge wooded valleys of the South ‘Private road‘. Pass a house on Centre car park (NY907283). second largest AONB, is one of Centre, housed in an old (SD992272). Pennines have long inspired your R and, just before a grassy terrain: Moorland and the most remote and unspoilt Methodist chapel, is worth a visit terrain: Mainly footpaths writers and poets, including the parking area, turn R on to a riverside path. places in the country, and hence either before or after your walk. and tracks, some cobbled, Brontë sisters and Ted Hughes, track, which offers views of the MapS: OS Explorer OL31; often described as ‘England’s last From it, follow the track that with two fairly steep and provided recreation for 19th-century ‘over-and-under‘ Landranger 91 or 92. wilderness‘. Slicing through this heads north-west past Ash Head ascents and descents. Some generations of mill workers. millworkers’ houses built into GettinG there: The Upper landscape of high, isolated Farm. There are lovely views from swing gates and stiles. This walk begins and finishes in Calderdale’s steep sides. Teesdale Bus Link Service moorland are the Durham Dales here up and down Teesdale. The MapS: OS Explorer 21; the picturesque former mill-town 73, between Barnard Castle, – Weardale, Teesdale and the track descends to the hamlet Landranger 103. of Hebden Bridge, now a vibrant 2. Turn L after the cottages and Middleton-in-Teesdale and Derwent Valley. Unlike the more of Dirt Pit (an undeservedly GettinG there: Three creative community, described continue uphill over cobbles and Langdon Beck, stops at famous and crowded Yorkshire unflattering name), where you trains an hour run from by British Airways’ magazine into Heptonstall. A popular film Bowlees (✆ 01833 640213). Dales to the south, the Durham join a lane and bear R, continuing Leeds and Manchester High Life as ‘the fourth funkiest set, this ancient town has eatinG & drinkinG: Dales remain relatively unknown, in the same direction. After about (two on Sundays) town in the world‘. buildings dating back 600 years. There’s a café at Bowlees but they afford some beautiful 1km/0.62mile, turn L at a gate (✆ 0845 748 4950, It was a Roundhead garrison Visitor Centre, and more scenery and excellent walking. with the name Birch Rigg on it www.northernrail.org). 1. START – Facing the Shoulder during the English civil war, and Three of the country’s finest and follow the footpath up past eatinG & drinkinG: Plenty cafés, pubs, hotels and a of Mutton pub on St George’s the site of an extended siege and fish and chip shop in waterfalls – Low Force, High Force the house, continuing across of options in Hebden Square (SD993272), turn L down bloody battle. The 13th-century and Cauldron Snout – are found fields, then along a grassy track to Middleton-in-Teesdale. Bridge, including the Bridge Gate. After 50m, turn R to church of St Thomas à Becket along the River Tees, all linked a tarmac lane. Stay on the lane to The nearby villages of Shoulder of Mutton, make the first of many crossings (now in ruins) took a battering by the Pennine Way. In each bring you down to the main valley Mickleton, Holwick, St George’s Square of Hebden Water, using the from Royalist cannonballs when case the waterfall has formed road – the B6277 – where there’s ✆ Eggleston, Romaldkirk and ( 01422 842585), and 500-year-old packhorse bridge sheepskins were used in a vain where the river cascades over a Methodist chapel opposite Cotherstone all have pubs Mooch, Market Street that gave the town its name. attempt to protect the tower. A outcrops of the Great Whin Sill. (NY871295). and, in Forest-in-Teesdale, (✆ 01422 846954). Also Ascend the steep, cobbled route, 19th-century church now stands This highly scenic walk in Upper you’ll find the High Force the Towngate Tea Room used for centuries by packhorse nearby. Among the 100,000 Teesdale leads you over wild 2. Turn R and almost immediately & Deli in Heptonstall trains laden with wool, lime and graves are those of the poet Hotel and the Langdon Cronkley Fell, then back past L down a track that leads to a ▲ ✆ ▲ ( 07989 321931). salt. On reaching a road, turn L Sylvia Plath and counterfeiter Beck Hotel. Visit www. Low and High Force – both bridge over the River Tees. Cross then almost immediately R, ‘King‘ David Hartley, who was very impressive sights. and bear R along a footpath, ▼ ▼ 51-52 WALK30 NORTHERN ROUTEMASTER.indd 1 51-52 WALK30NORTHERN ROUTEMASTER.indd 2 Ordnance Surveymap Ordnance Surveymap continued... 4 Sleeping: Holme House B&B, Hebden Bridge ping ©Crowncopyright.AM34/08 ping ©Crowncopyright.AM34/08 2 (✆ 01422 847588, www. holme househebdenbridge. co.uk). ViSitor information: Hebden Bridge Visitor and 1 Canal Centre (✆ 01422 5 START 843831, www.hebden FINISH bridge.co.uk/tourist-info). 3 guidebookS: South 4 Pennines and the Bronte continued... Moors by Andrew Bibby 3 (£7.99, Frances Lincoln, ISBN 5 middletonplus.org.uk for 9780711225015). more suggestions. local ramblerS group: Sleeping: In Middleton-in- Calderdale Ramblers Teesdale: the Teesdale Hotel (✆ 01422 823440). (✆ 01833 640264, www. teesdalehotel.co.uk); 2 Map not to scale. hanged in 1770. Continue up the Belvedere House B&B Representation of cobbled street and turn R just (✆ 01833 640884); OS Explorer MAP 31 1:25,000 after the White Lion pub to join Map not to scale. Brunswick House guest www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk a footpath, which eventually Representation of house (✆ 01833 640393). OS Explorer MAP 21 bears L across open fields. At the START There’s a variety of 1:25,000 road, turn L and after 50yds turn www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk 1 FINISH self-catering accommodation which soon runs alongside the unique sugar limestone soil, which R, taking a footpath to the L, in the area, including East Tees (on its south side). From the supports a type of grassland that is which follows the rim of the Briscoe Farm Cottages bridge, follow the Tees for about rich in species. The grassy track – a valley. You’ll pass through shrubs towards a weather vane. At the cross the bridge. Instead, (✆ 01833 650087, 4km/2½ miles. It’s gentle walking, former drover’s way known as the of bilberry and bracken, and farm, turn R onto a track, and keeping the river on your L, www.eastbriscoe.co.uk) though the surroundings become Green Trod – leads you down the stands of beech and gnarled oak, at the cattle shed turn L onto a climb through woods. At a track, and Brock Scar Cottage progressively wilder as you head other side of the plateau to a before reaching a break in the bridleway (signed to Crimsworth turn L downhill to a car park. (✆ 01833 640495, west. The area you are now in is junction with a footpath (at dry-stone wall. Turn R here and Dene). Continue uphill to Turn L through the Old Lodge www.brockscar.co.uk). part of the Moor House – Upper NY861280). take the steep footpath down to Shackleton Knoll. Stop to enjoy gates, then R, past a pillarbox on ViSitor information: Teesdale National Nature Reserve. the Hebden Hey scout centre. the panoramic views over your R and over another old Middleton-in-Teesdale TIC As the valley narrows between 4. Turn L to join the Pennine Way. Turn L and continue downhill to Walshaw, Gorple and Widdop stone bridge (New Bridge). (✆ 01833 641001, Cronkley Fell and Widdybank Fell, There’s a stone marker here reach stepping stones across reservoirs, Hebden and Calder www.middletonplus.org.uk, the path hemmed in by the river displaying arrows and the initials Hebden Water. Once across, turn valleys, Crimsworth Dene, Cragg 5. Cross the bridge and turn L www.explore teesdale.co.uk, on one side and the foot of PW and GT – Pennine Way and L along the riverside path to Vale and Stoodley Pike. Go along the riverside path, past www.visitnortheastengland. Cronkley Fell on the other, there Green Trod. reach Gibson Mill, built in 1800 through the stile/gate and turn Midgehole Working Men’s Club, com). are boardwalks to facilitate and now housing the Muddy R, following a bridleway through then L across a footbridge. Turn guidebookS: Walking in your progress. 5. Turn R along the well-marked Boots Café (seasonal opening a gate and downhill. At the R and follow the footpath over County Durham by Paddy Pennine Way.