Autumn in the Dales

By Mady Thompson

Having joined the Mickledore team earlier this year, I was delighted to be asked to plan a familiarisation trip on one of the routes I book in the Operations Team. Walking the Dales Way was going to fit in really well with the time I had available and offered a daily mileage itinerary suitable for me, walking 6 days and averaging around 12 miles per day. With the route decided I next looked to find a companion who could find the time to join me. My friend Catherine stepped up and we were all set.

Walking late in the season we were prepared for all weathers, but after the summer we’d had … who knows what weather to expect!

Arriving at Ilkley

Catherine and I both travel by train to meet at Ilkley, me from Cumbria and Catherine from the Peak District. Our journeys go smoothly and we meet on the platform in the sunshine. We are too early to check into our accommodation, so we have time to amble around the lovely old spa town of Ilkley and discuss our walking week looking at our map and guidebook over a coffee and a bowl of chips!

We find our first night accommodation easily and check into Tivoli Place, a guest house in a lovely Victorian terraced house run by Peter and Rika. We enjoy a fabulous home cooked Japanese meal prepared by Rika and whilst chatting over dinner, Catherine and I realise it’s 30 years since we met. This journey on the Dales Way together seems a great way to celebrate our long friendship … I was just hoping Catherine would still be speaking to me afterwards!

We have a lovely evening relaxing in the Tivoli Place lounge and take a quick walk around the block to get a glimpse of the Northern lights.

Ilkley to Burnsall

Our first walking day awaits! Packing our bags was tricky this first morning with endless decisions about what to include in our day sack, about what to wear, the best socks, and whether we’ve got enough water and snacks! Eventually we think we’re all ready to take our main luggage bags downstairs for the transfer company at 8.30am. Then Catherine realises she has packed all her socks!!

A clear and crisp autumn morning greets us as we step out to leave Tivoli Place, saying goodbye to our wonderful hosts, and making our way through the town and down to the River Wharfe to the start of the Dales Way. On route we meet a friendly local chap with his Jack Russell dog. Hearing we were about to start the walk, he eagerly pointed us in the right direction as we walked through the park.

The route starts at the 17th century Old Ilkley Bridge and we take a moment on the bridge to view the river before setting off. Our Ilkley friend catches us up and kindly takes a quick photo before wishing us well.

We excitedly set off, full of anticipation of what our day might bring, walking alongside the River Wharfe for most of the morning. It is a blue sky day and fairly warm and we enjoy seeing the beautiful autumn colours on the trees. We soon reach Addingham and read a little about the history of this village and the old cotton mills. The bridges on this section of the route are spectacular, built with beautiful stone; they look especially magnificent highlighted in the sunshine flanked by the autumn coloured trees. There are many different bridges spanning the River Wharfe, with 13 stone bridges on this walking route.

Bolton Abbey is our lunch stop, which we enjoy in the warm sunshine, admiring the arches of the ruined Abbey, checking our map and planning ahead for our afternoon section.

We pack up and head over the river, Catherine takes the bridge and I cross via the stepping stones … she dared me!

Following the valley of Wharfedale, alongside the river we discover this area has varied paths which are linked to the nearby car parks. We cross over the river again near Strid Wood where there is a tearoom which could make a welcome stop, including toilets and a small souvenir shop. We decide to carry on, not sure of our walking pace yet and wanting to arrive at Burnsall in good time. After crossing the fields we are surprised to spot an ice cream van. This is too good to resist and we enjoy the perfect treat to sit and admire Barden Bridge.

Nearing Appletreewick on our right, we pass weary Duke of Edinburgh groups eager to find their camp spot for the night. Seeing them with their heavy packs spurs us on for what seems like the longest mile of the day.

As the sun lowers in the sky we can see Burnsall bridge ahead and walk over to this quaint village with its pretty cottages, village green and the river running through. We celebrate the end of our first day with a welcome beer in the sunshine before checking in at the lovely old Red Lion Inn.

Burnsall to Buckden

Today we are walking to Buckden and as we leave the village we follow the river where brave swimmers enjoy a Saturday morning dip in a lovely pool. If only we had swimming gear in our bags too!

The riverside is beautifully calm this morning, lined with Horse Chestnut trees and several Herons busy fishing. We cross the river at Hebden on the old suspension bridge which is always fun trying to wobble one another off balance.

Walking into Grassington, we find a bustling village after the tranquility of the river with locals busy with their Saturday shopping. A farmer casually parks up his tractor as we pop into the little Post Office for a souvenir gift. Eager to get on with our miles we leave the village behind and climb steeply up, soon rewarded with a wonderful view of the limestone escarpment and across to Kilnsey Crag.

It is nice being up high and we enjoy the grassy path taking us across the escarpment towards Kettlewell. We pass old lime kilns and wonder how people used to work up here gathering limestone to heat in the kiln to produce quicklime for the land and for use as a building material. It was from here that Catherine began the humorous stile challenge. A walking pole became a handy gadget for an extra pull up! We perfected quite a technique and giggled a lot!

We stop for lunch at Conistone Pie, and as the wind picks up on the ridge we shelter behind a wall and enjoy the open view. I cannot finish my huge hummus sandwich provided by the Red Lion but it’s always good to save some for later. With an excellent sufficiency we pack up again and begin to walk down towards Kettlewell as a momentary rainbow appears ahead. The earlier wind was a warning, as a sudden change of temperature brings a heavy shower which has us searching for our waterproofs. All cosy in our Gore-Tex, we carry on along the road for a while by Scargill House where Catherine remembers staying as a teenager and confesses tales of a misspent youth!

Reaching the valley floor the land is divided into small fields by many stone walls. Almost every field has a barn of which these Yorkshire Dales are famous. Most of them look well used and in good repair but some are quite derelict. With the threat of many stiles ahead, Catherine decides to take the road option while I stay on the true route of the Dales Way and stile hop into Kettlewell!

We meet at the church and we pick up the route to rejoin alongside the river for the final leg into Buckden as hailstones rained down. As we near the end of the old track, a farmer approaches from behind on his quad bike and we watch as the excited cow herd runs and moo loudly to greet him. Thankfully for me, being less brave, we reach the next gate before the farmer lets the excited cows into their new grazing field.

We were soon glad to arrive at Buckden and find Romany Cottage on the little village green. We receive a warm welcome from Lynne and her honey coloured little dog Clara. Lynne takes all our wet clothes and boots and starts drying them for us. We are pleased to find our ensuite has a bath and it is easy to relax in our lovely twin room before we head to the Buck Inn where we have a table booked for an evening meal. We enjoy a lovely meal but are keen to return to Romany Cottage as Lynne has lit the wood burner for us and we want to enjoy the wonderful sofas and catch up with our map and guidebook for our walking day for tomorrow. As we walk through the village we pause for a while to view the stars. Buckden is in a Dark Sky Reserve and is an unlit village. Luckily it is a perfect night to stargaze.

Buckden to Ribblehead

After a tasty breakfast we leave Romany Cottage and easily retrace our steps back to Buckden Bridge to pick up from the day before.

Following the path along the Hazel clad banks of the River Wharfe we arrive at Hubberholme and enjoy watching the sheep being gathered at the farm. We are told it is fluking time and the local farmers are busy gathering sheep from the hills in the good weather to give them their treatment, to keep them healthy for the winter ahead. After leaving the little village we climb slowly up passing Yockenthwaite Farm, which for any All Creatures Great and Small fans, may look familiar.

We briefly stop for photographs at a small stone circle.

In Langstrothdale the river has notably changed now, shallower and flowing over slabs of rock. We slowly climb up towards Oughtershaw and the moors.

Taking the path across the moors we are in a wilder landscape and I am glad I chose my walking boots for today’s section as we navigate the boggy ground. We pause for our picnic near Nethergill trying to find a less wet spot on which to sit. It is good to have a little rest! Carrying on we scare the odd Grouse from their hiding places. They make us laugh with their cackling call! On reaching the large, derelict and unusually named Breadpiece Barn, the sign directs us to climb upwards above Cam Houses.

The Cam High Road is a Roman road and the Pennine Way, which Catherine walked 20 years previously, meets at a crossroads at the cairn. This also marks the highest point on the Dales Way at 522m.

From here we follow the track downwards to the Ribblehead road and are treated to our first view of the magnificent railway viaduct ahead where we spot the Station Inn in the distance. Our accommodation for the night! Reaching the Inn we are greeted by friendly staff and check into our room. We enjoy a lovely evening sitting by the open fire in the bar and sharing stories with fellow walkers.

Ribblehead to Dent

A truly beautiful day, unseasonably warm and still, we wish we’d packed our shorts! We retrace our route back to Far Gearstones Farm and pick up the Dales Way again climbing up onto Blea Moor.

One last look back at Ingleborough silhouetted against the glorious blue sky before we drop down on Black Rake road towards Dent Head. After crossing the bridleway path we hit the little road section. Fortunately this is a quiet road with little traffic and we are soon rewarded with a view of Dent Head Viaduct.

As we drop down the steep hill, we actually walk right underneath the Viaduct and get the true sense of scale of this feat of engineering. A train passes over on its way to Settle.

We take a break and sit by the river for a little while, the warm sunshine is very welcome. The river is particularly beautiful in Dentdale, slabs of rock can be seen in the shallow riverbed where the water gently flows over and at times disappears and returns again. It’s tranquil and yet full of life. As we are enjoying the peace, a flock of sheep suddenly rush towards us followed by two dogs and farmers on quad bikes. We step aside and the sheep run past and we receive a Yorkshire nod … another glimpse of the rural farm life of these valleys at work.

We lunch near Lea Yeat and then the path takes us closer to the water again briefly and over many tree roots, before we walk across a field which is Ewegales campsite. We both remember our own camping memories spent here, and then chat a while with local resident, John. He is busy tidying his garden for winter and takes time to tell us about the valley of Dentdale and how local people are keeping the community alive with shared coffee mornings and Church events. We bid our goodbyes and carry on.

The next section, though appearing easy on the map, proves a little tricky and we have to concentrate a little harder to navigate the many stiles, the walking poles still proving useful!

Soon, Dent village is ahead and the final stone squeeze stile challenge causes much hilarity as Catherine becomes stuck! With a little wiggle and helping hand she is free (there is an easier route alongside the bridge Catherine just likes a challenge. That’s why she agreed to come with me!).

Dent! Wow! With its black and white photographic vision this village takes you back in time. It has barely changed. Its cobbled streets are full of old worldly character and it is great to see the local community very much alive, with a village shop, tearoom, pubs and church open to its residents and visitors alike.

We check into Stone Close B&B and Tea Rooms meeting our lovely hosts Alison and Andy and find tasty homemade flapjack provided and everything we need to make a cup of tea in our room. Later, after time to relax we take a short walk over the cobbles to the George & Dragon pub for our evening meal. Lovely home cooked food, a good pint and a roaring fire!

Dent to Howgill

We say goodbye to Alison and Andy at Stone Close, after a delicious breakfast, and pick up our packed lunches for the day. We head down to the bridge, thankfully the stile is slightly wider on the other side, and walk along the fields left of the river until we stride over the Dent fault, which we learn about in our guidebook.

On reaching Gate Manor we spot a post box from the Edward VII era. These are rare to find as there were fewer than 200 made during King Edward VII’s short 10 year reign. We follow the impressive estate wall along the lane to the high point, taking one last look at Dentdale, before we follow the grassy track rounding the corner to view Sedbergh town and the Howgills.

We lunch by the ‘Pepperpot’ building in the grounds of Sedbergh school estate and walk down and around Sedbergh, before tracing the route through farmland. A little tricky at times, but we soon pick up the Dales Way now by the River Lune and walk under the huge Lune Viaduct, before traversing the fields to Ash Hining Farm for a lovely welcome from Jim. After a quick freshen up and change, Jim kindly gives us a lift into Sedbergh for our evening meal. It’s curry night at the Black Bull and we celebrate our last night with a sumptuous meal and a locally brewed pint or two! Our taxi (Jim!) is soon waiting and we get back for an earlyish night before our last day walking.

Howgill to Burneside

We are served an excellent breakfast all cooked with local produce, even the tomatoes are Cumbrian grown! It helps us to get going after a night of high winds and rain and more rain is forecast today.

As we leave Ash Hining Farm it seems brighter. We make the decision to continue with our last walking day to Burneside, declining the option to catch the bus from Sedergh. With waterproofs at the top of our bags, we head off optimistically with Jim’s lovely packed lunch with homemade cake. The Dales Way takes us across many fields, around farms and eventually down to the raging Lune river, clearly the night brought a lot of rain! We follow this as it roars loudly past whilst picking our way over roots and through endless mud and puddles. It’s full waterproofs now but we are warm enough in our kit so happily plod on.

We reach the beautiful medieval Crook of Lune Bridge, our last of the route, and come across Tom’s Tuck Shop tucked in a porch at a house. Best of all everything is on an end of season sale! How good to find Wine Gums to fuel our last miles to Burneside. We are wet, and snack stops are quick but as we near our final town we reflect on our walk together. What a great bunch of memories we’ve made. We’ve chatted along the way about families, friends and events, looked at beautiful scenery and have shared a great achievement whilst walking the Dales Way.

We have yet to complete the final days walking from Burneside to Bowness on Windermere. We are determined to make it a date for the diary next year!

We thoroughly enjoyed the Dales Way and came away with two top tips from our walk. One is to make sure you have a waterproof liner in your day sac. Second is pop a pair of flip flops or light slippers in your day sac so you can wear them once you take off your walking shoes.

If Mady and Catherine have inspired you to walk the Dales Way email us [email protected] or call us on 017687 72335 to speak with one of our walking holiday experts. We offer 3 itineraries over the entire length of the Dales Way, choose from 6, 7 or 8 days walking with daily averages of 14, 12 and 10 miles.