The Station Inn was a great place to stay: large food portions for evening meal and breakfast.

Being next to the famous Ribblehead Viaduct, the first views on a misty morning

The waterproofs came off before the ascent proper. We skirted below the summit of Whernside which was covered in cloud. The rain held off until the slow descent, about 11:30, before coming down seriously at about 12:00. Approaching Dent, we walked alongside the dry river bed. I assumed that “this was it” for the day; it wasn’t going to stop raining and my feet were wet. I was for getting transport to Sedburgh rather than walking all afternoon in the rain. Briefly we had simultaneous heavy rain and sunshine.

By the time we had finished our cafe conversation with a couple about weatherproof clothing and graphene batteries, during which I changed into my waterproof socks, the skies were clearing.

The forecast thunder and lightning due at 3pm became a fabulous sunny afternoon instead. As the same is forecast tomorrow… can we hope for it to be wrong again?

A short storm last night cleared the haze of the last few days: sunny skies and the clear air gave fabulous panoramic views.

The walk got off to a great start at Smearsett Scar, just a little way out of Stainforth.

But things really got going after a tea shop in Faizor at 10:00, when the limestone scars and Pen-y-Ghent came into view.

Then the business of the ascent of Ingleborough. Sampling tasty blackberries along the sides of the narrow paths between walls before breaking out into the moor side

Limestone pavement and cliffs of limestone ‘scars’ were much in prominence today. From the peak of Ingleborough – views across Morecambe bay, the Lake District mountains, Howgill Fells, Kirkby Lonsdale, Twistelton Scars, Whernside, Ribblehead viaduct, Pen-y-Ghent, peaks above Malham, Pendle Hill. Just failed to pick out the Isle of Man

So a misty start that brightened up, got misty again, was benignly welcome.

If you have never been to Malham Cove, it creeps slowly outbid the landscape until it towers over you.

There’s a steep ascent to the left, which brings you into a spectacular (if a little polished by all the visiting feet) limestone pavement that looks down the Craven valley

From there, a walk North along Ing Scar, gives the impression of farie castles.

A slog along a bit of Moorland, if you look back – the limestone landscape stretches for miles.

All of this was familiar to me, until continuing further West to reach Attermire Scar. Another beautiful example of fossilised coral reefs.

Martin hailed a group of DOE youngsters with “enjoy it”. “We aren’t” came the reply. I really don’t understand why the organisers of these things so overburden the youngsters with heavy equipment.

Approaching Settle, we heard the whistle of a steam train. We were perfectly located to watch it crossing the viaduct.

A late lunch in the Naked Man Cafe, we still off again at 2:30 with the forecast of heavy rain from 4pm.

The mist has cleared and we had a hot, sunny stroll alongside the river until reaching Stainforth Force.

Walking 9:30 to 1:30, then 2:30 to 4:20

The forecast rain now pushed to overnight with more threats of an horrendous day on Tuesday.

First up: a canal side walk to Aireville Park and a 5km Parkrun

Stuffed myself with hot cross bun, pain au chocolate, and defrosted strawberries before setting off walking about 10:20

A misty start that lifted only slightly, becoming very warm and humid mid-afternoon.

Very few people about, the main exception being a trail half-marathon. A line of people in various stages of resigned exhaustion passed us as they made their way uphill.

It would be wrong of me not to mention this morning’s breakfast. Fresh mango slices, strawberry (finely sliced, yet retaining its shape), blueberries, loganberries… all arranged in parallel lines on a white lozenged plate.

Home made croissants, three types of home made bread on offer. I ordered a cheese omelette which arrived neatly folded in a semi circle, a bi-leafed bit of greenery mid-centre, accompanied by roast mini-tomatoes on-the-vine along with … I kid not … three florets of perfectly cooked broccoli. This was art!

A drop in culture then, on leaving this fine establishment about 9am, to pop into the nearby Tesco to get a Meal Deal for lunch later.

We strode uphill, back to the lower slopes of Ilkley Moor and set off along bracken and blackberry-lined paths. The blackberries bitter to taste in the morning mist rather than yesterday afternoon’s sunshine sweetness. The morning brightened, the sky cleared and we had long-distance views to many purple-fringed hills.

The day became quite hot, as we followed an ancient very straight road/track towards Skipton. Sometimes exposed to the direct heat of the day, at other times shaded by mature oak and beech woodlan. We watched a couple of red kites at our high point, before the long gentle descent to Skipton where the pace changed to a rush hour scene of traffic in a busy town. A search for a cafe was rewarded at 4:45 with a very good hot chocolate, carrot cake and tea for Martin.

Tonight’s B&B lacks both the finesse and over-burdening with cushions of our starting place. After dinner we reccied the start of tomorrow’s Parkrun… that’s right – two old geezers in their 60s and 70s are planning a 5k run at 9am, followed by a 20lm hill walk. Barmy

Photos now …

Day 1 of the Dales High Way

After a picturesque journey through the Calder Valley to Leeds: old mill towns populated with millstone grit houses set in wooded valleys, dotted with monumental viaducts and gritstone edges. The destination Saltaire turns out to be a “model” mill town set up by one Titus Salt, by the banks of the River Aire in Shipley.

The Salt Mill is now a vast space housing David Hockney (local lad) artwork, art shop, bookshop, cafes.

Admiring the Hockney creations that originated on a iPad, I was given an enthusiastic tutorial on the work before me by Jacqueline from Edinburgh. DH was classically trained, it’s all form, composition, vanishing points etc… he chooses what to show, … this is a vertical, this a diagonal, Lovely chat with this couple of artists on their way to France in a small VW camper van.

After a lunch we set off about 13:00

A hike up through an old coach road through some woodlands before shortly reaching moorland with a view South towards the Leeds conurbation and Pendle Hill to the West

Perfect weather for walking: warm, a bit of breeze and arriving on Ilkley Moor, a view of distant Pen-y-Ghent NorthWest.

It seemed quite a short walk really, receiving a friendly welcome at our B&B at 16:45

A perfect day. The only cloud on the horizon is Saturday’s forecast. Martin’s blog entry here: https://phreerunner.blogspot.com/2022/09/thursday-1-september-2022-dales-high.html

Getting ready to walk 8 days on the DHW Sep 1-8

9th June 2020

24 years ago today I started a new life in the North of England, with a new job. So it was fitting to spend the day in a part of it that I was unfamiliar with. It’s my first “proper walk” post-lockdown (Covid-19).

Goosnargh is one of those improbably-named places you don’t ever expect to visit, but it was part of the meandering backroads route I took to reach a parking spot at “Fellfoot”, just below the target hilltop called “Parlick”, a mere 220m ascent to access the fells collectively called Bowland Forest.

From Parlick and Fair Snape Fell there were hazy views towards Morecambe Bay, with Heysham power station a sizeable landmark. This was where I re-learned the inherent inaccuracy of using a printed map. I didn’t have this particular region on my phone in 1:50K so I lacked the “you are here” big red cross that I had been used to. I therefore took a couple of misdirections before slogging over heather and whinberry-clad grouse land to reach Fiendsdale, White Moss, Grizedale Head, Grizedale Pike, Grizedale Fell.

This was bleak plateau-moorland. Probably very soggy after rain. The biggest surprise was encountering a large, noisy, seabird colony on the fell above Fiendsdale. I was bemused at being dive-bombed repeatedly by at least one gull. It came round a few times to swoop, whooshing above my head. I walked along for some time holding my poles vertically above my head. Apart from that, there was no wild life evident.

An expected short trog along the road through Oakenclough turned into a much longer walk along tarmac road through the Bleasedale Estate. On the map this was indistinguishable from a rough track but, being a private road, meant it wasn’t colour coded in yellow.

There were paragliders circling Parslick and I spoke to one who was packing up his gear near the car park.

Approximate route …

Meonstoke to Winchester approx 13 miles

24th November 2018

Much as yesterday, setting off in the rain at 8.15, arriving 13:45. Chilcombe Down and a “natural amphitheatre” where Eisenhower addressed US troops prior to D-Day landings, according to a board. The shots from the “upmarket shoot”, where people pay thousands to shoot pheasant for a day* rang out of the valley today. (* Had chats with a couple of “beaters” at this location who arrived as I sat eating Amberley chocolate cake at 12:00)

Winchester was packed with Christmas shoppers, and even the cathedral had a Christmas market for which there were queues.

Buriton to Meonstoke/Exton approx 13 miles

23rd November 2018

Misty for most of the day, with brief sunny clearings until mid afternoon when cleared. Warmer, little wind. Old Winchester Hill was “fort for the day”, a large site with an extensive panorama, although today limited by hazy views- probably spectacular on a clear day. Many more trees and hedges, although also far more road or concrete track than previous days.

There was a surprise cafe at an interesting location en route