Late Dales days

UPPER Wensleydale offers some of the finest walking country in England with incredibly contrasting scenery.

Late autumn is a great time to explore the maze of footpaths across the fells and pastures of Wensleydale, with crisp days, low slanting sunlight, rich autumnal colours, earthy smells and roaring log fires.

For a relatively short route, this walk enjoys a wealth of interest along the way.

Askrigg dates back to pre-Conquest days and grew as a trading centre as it lay just outside the boundaries of the old Forest of Wensleydale and was therefore exempt from the strict Norman forest laws.

A market charter was granted in 1587 and Askrigg developed into an important market town. However, by the turn of the 19th century the market had lapsed and Hawes gradually began to take over as the 'capital' of the upper dale.

Askrigg's heyday was in the 18th and 19th centuries when industries such as lead mining, textile production and clock making flourished. More recently, the village was used as the setting for the TV series All Creatures Great And Small.

From Askrigg, our route heads up into the wooded confines of Mill Gill to the spectacular waterfall of Mill Gill Force before heading across pastures to the historic village of Bainbridge, where a Roman garrison once kept a watchful eye on the local Brigantes tribes for nearly 300 years from its fort on Brough Hill above the village.

Nappa Hall was built in 1450 by Thomas Metcalfe as a fortified house or 'pele tower' on land given to him by Sir Richard Scrope of Bolton Castle for the bravery of James Metcalfe at the Battle of Agincourt.

The Metcalfes were a very important family in Wensleydale holding positions such as High Sheriff of Yorkshire and Master Forester of the Forests of Wensleydale.

By the end of the 18th century the hall had fallen into disrepair and the power of the family had dwindled; today the hall is a working farm.

Next week's walk will also be in Wensleydale taking in the delights of the glacial lake of Semerwater. Why not combine these two walks for a weekend of great walking? For accommodation details call Hawes National Park Centre: 01969 667450.

Fact file

Distance: 5 miles

Time: 3 hours

Start: Market Cross, Askrigg

Maps: OS Explorer OL30, Yorkshire Dales Northern & Central Areas

Terrain:This walk follows clear paths across pastures as well as through woodland, with a short section alongside the River Ure. The path through the woods of Mill Gill is narrow in places with steep drops.

Parking: Small car park at the top end of the village.

Refreshments: Crown Inn and the Kings Arms at Askrigg; Rose & Crown at Bainbridge; Victoria Arms at Worton. There are cafs at Askrigg and Bainbridge.

How to get there: Askrigg lies just off the A684 between Aysgarth and Hawes.

Directions

1. From the Market Cross in the centre of Askrigg, follow Mill Lane passing to the right of the Church ('Dead End' sign) out of the village. After the houses have been left behind head through the gate on the right ('Mill Gill Force') and follow the paved path on to reach a small gate beside the old mill. Head through the gate and follow the path round to the right over a footbridge across the stream and up through a wall-gate, after which turn right through another wall-gate that leads back into woodland. Follow the clear path straight on alongside the wall with steep drops down to your right into the ravine of Mill Gill until you reach a crossroads of paths marked by a signpost (Mill Gill Force is a short detour down to the right). Turn left at this 'crossroads' through a squeeze-stile out onto open fields - head straight on along a grassy track that leads on to reach the road.

2. Turn left down the road to reach a T-junction with the main road where you turn right over the bridge across Grange Beck, just after which take the path to the left through a squeeze-stile. Bear right across the field (cutting the corner off the road) to re-join the road. Turn left along the road and follow this up into Bainbridge.

3. Walk across the large village green away from the pub along the main road towards 'Leyburn & Aysgarth', over the bridge across the River Bain and on up the hill. Just after you have left the village behind take the road-turning to the right towards 'Semerwater, Stalling Busk' then immediately take the footpath to the left through a squeeze-stile in the stone wall ('Cubeck'). Head up across the field, through a wall-gate to your left, after which head up through two more squeeze-stiles onto the ridge of Brough Scar. Turn left alongside the wall across the top of this escarpment (passing Scar Top Farm across to your right) and continue straight on along the top of the escarpment (ignore paths down to the left) to reach a small wall-gate that leads into woodland. Continue straight along the path through the woodland, still running along the top of the escarpment, then just before the wall-gate at the end of the woods take the footpath down to the left (signpost 'Worton') that leads steeply down through the woods and out to open fields at the bottom of the escarpment. Head to the right across the field, passing the end of a tumbledown section of stone wall, then continue towards the buildings of Worton passing the corner of a fence (signpost) then gradually drop down to join a stone wall above the large barns, which you follow down to reach a gate that leads to the main road at Worton.

4. Turn right along the road then take the turning to the left after a short distance passing the phone box and follow this down over the road-bridge across the River Ure. Follow the road as it bends round to the right then where the road bends to the left take the footpath straight on ('Aysgarth'). Follow the riverside path straight on, over two footbridges across side-streams and over a stile by a gate that leads onto a track beside the buildings of Nappa Mill. Turn left up along the lane then at the 'Weak Bridge' and ford take the footpath directly ahead beside a gate. Follow the grassy track up to the right across the field to reach a gate in the top right-hand corner of the field, after which continue along the track to join a walled track just below Nappa Hall. Turn left along the stony track passing Nappa Hall to reach the road.

5. Turn left along the road, passing the turning for Nappa Scar, a short distance after which take the footpath to the left (signpost 'Askrigg'). Drop down the small limestone escarpment, then head to the right across the field gradually bearing away from the low escarpment on your right, then drop down over a wall-stile and over Newbiggin Beck. After the stream climb up the grassy bank ahead then on (passing just to the right of the telegraph pole with two sets of wires) to reach a wall-stile over the wall across your path. After this stile, follow the clear path straight on across several fields passing through wall-gates to reach a road junction on the outskirts of Askrigg.

6. Turn left along the road towards 'Worton' then, after a short distance, take the footpath to the right just after the small road-bridge, passing to the right of the workshops up to a small gate. After the gate, head straight on to join a stone wall on your right heading up over the hill then on to reach a gate on the edge of the village, after which turn left along the lane and follow this bearing round to the right between the houses back into Askrigg.

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 07:35 Saturday, November 22, 2003