Skulking in beauty

The Washburn valley is all about water. In glacial times it was a huge lake. Nowadays four reservoirs supply nearby Leeds. Millstones abound. Today on our sweep of the lower part of the valley, with lots of little tributaries to ford, you can't avoid the wet, so polish your boots and you may keep dry socks. I did, just.

It was a dank, chilly, miserable day, with only a little brightness here and there as cause for optimism.

Timble, our start at 700 feet, is as high as we get. If you look over the valley to the same level you will see a ruin above a wood. We pass this. The whole valley has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. I skulked down the sunken path out of the village, down past the rough grit walls and rough pastures that are everywhere. Nothing is ploughed. At the bottom the first crossing of the rain-swollen, leaf-dammed Timble Gill Beck. I picked my way across, yards away another walker on a parallel route used the bridge.

Immediately we met and made our way up the other side of the valley on paths like part-time streams and tracks with integral springs.

Next comes some farm navigation. Squeezers don't exist hereabouts and the route has been rescued with a series of serious ladderstiles, so this section is like a session at the gym. The farms and barns all seem under renovation with the abundant local stone, however we are climbing towards a forsaken and gothic looking ruin.

Before you reach it but when you're above the tree line, there's an eye catching view across the valley of reservoir, and above, the dozens of various sized balls of the Menwith Hill eavesdropping station. In the fluctuating gloom the ghostly balls would vanish to reappear afloat in the grey.

The ruin was extra desolate, and I entered low cloud. Another sound track led along the valley side, then we descended to the River Washburn and a nice packhorse bridge. Dobpark Woods are pleasant and after a sandwich and a gossip with some other walkers, I set off through the riverside trees. Interesting, damp, scrubby woods, a couple more one-step fords, and somewhere rocks carved with prehistoric cup marks.

One more crossing, slightly dicey on a miniature repro memorial packhorse bridge, then a longish climb above and away from the beck and back to Timble. A climb good for the autumn colour, and especially good for regained dryness.

DIRECTIONS

When in doubt look at the map. Check your position at each point. Keep straight on unless otherwise directed.

Directions

1. Track/lane between pub and phone box, left to lane, tarmac ends, track for 20 yards, path downhill on right (broken sign) (fieldgate).

2. Ford beck (stones), ford small stream on right and immediately left between this stream and fence, ten yards, small stone slab bridge to slabbed path.

3. Fieldgate and straight on by old wall (on your right), 50 yards after it ends, fieldgate to walled track (swings left), continue by wall when track peters out, fieldgate above farm, track, fieldgate.

4. Left to lane, pass drive to converted barn, track on left straight downhill to farm, fork right in yard, 100 yards, makeshift gate by wall in corner on right (waymark), ladderstile, ladderstile and 1 o'clock (heading for farm), dog-leg five yards right over drive and continue by wall to left.

5. From farmyard, straight on (four assorted stiles and footbridge), gateway above ruined house, cross grassy track, ladderstile/fieldgate, fieldgate, cross stream, path curves uphill to house.

6. Up drive between old and new houses to fieldgate, ten yards, stile, uphill by edge of wood, pass gateway, 50 yards, over fence into field on left (waymark), wall stile, fieldgate/wallstile and 1 o'clock to contour track. Pass ruins of Dobpark Lodge.

7. Ahead of house, fieldgate and immediately stile on right, left to skirt house/trees, wall stile, 10 o'clock, stile and right back on to track. Left to lane, downhill, tarmac ends, track.

8. Left to riverside path (fieldgate/stile, do not cross river), stile/fieldgate, cross field, stile and right - back to riverside, stile/fieldgate, stream and stile, stream and stile and path in woods at 2 o'clock (boggy), stile, stream and stile, down bank (tree painted with arrow above confluence).

9. Stile to Memorial footbridge and left by beck side, uphill, gateway on bank side (above gorse and wood), continue on high grassy bank above beck, pass ruined old stile. Wall stile with wooden rail and turn right up and across field to telegraph pole, 10 o'clock to wallstile in field corner, 20 yards, switch so wall to right. Stile and left to track and back to Timble.

FACT FILE

Distance: Nearly seven miles.

Time: Three hours.

Start: Timble

Right of way: The complete route is along public rights of way.

Date walked: Saturday, October 23.

Road route: Timble is a mile south of the Harrogate/Skipton A59 road, near Blubberhouses.

Car parking: Roadside in Timble.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: Pub.

Tourist & public transport info: Harrogate TIC 01423 537300

Map: Based on OS Explorer 27, Lower Wharfedale and Washburn Valley.

Terrain: Wet but not claggy, hilly.

Footwear: Walking boots.

Points of interest: Area of outstanding natural beauty. Water.

Difficulty: Moderate. Fords/stepping stones and lots of stiles.

Dogs: Suitable for dogs but keep on leads or under close control.

Weather forecast: Evening Press and recorded forecast 0891 500 418

Please observe the Country Code and park sensibly. While every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers set out at their own risk.

PICTURE:Dodpark Lodge ruin

No map available at present