Dales National Park walk

The River Rawthey is, in its upper reaches near Sedbergh, part of the northeast boundary of the Dales National Park.

The river we walked has good waterfalls. A comfy track wound us up out of sticky heat to the freshness of the fells.

We were up quite high on the southern side of the Uldale, a flank of rough rank grasses, rushes, and countless seepage and springs.

By contrast, the land the other side of the river was divided into neat pastures with a farm here and there and some stylish woods.

Half an hour or so later we had dropped down to the river, to a bridge and a series of cascades nice and noisy.

Soon there was a bigger fall, perhaps 20ft, and this seemed a good place for a sandwich, perched high on a vertigo vantage spot above the spray, the steep-cut chasm draped with ferns, the space part packed with beech, ash, willow and birch, the clear air patrolled by dragon flies and the water by a dipper.

A heron lifted, the path roughened up, rock layers angled at 30 degrees, pied wagtails hopped from stone to stone and at an old quarry site the rock is laminated like a pre-sliced loaf.

We pushed on and were just thinking that it wasn't going to be easy to get much further when we were rewarded by a waterfall on a side stream, a thin ribbon dropping perhaps forty feet to a platform and then further into a pool.

Now we considered our return.

I noticed a dilapidated gate on the far bank of the river, and that a bridleway led down to it. But not quite, on the OS map this bridleway stops about a hundred yards short of the river, I have confirmed this with the local Park Ranger. Pity the thirsty horse.

It is one of the most annoying anomalies we have come across. Consequently you can't legally make a connection here.

So, one has to retrace ones steps to the bridge nearly a mile downriver to cross.

The road thereafter is mostly track connecting farms and houses. From this side the buildings are easily seen and, to judge by their quality, the quarry might have been quite important.

To finish the circuit and minimise the highway element we did some right to roaming and then finished up at the Cross Keys Inn, a nearby National Trust place.

In the car park they were filling a container with old bikes for use in South Africa.

This is a "unique" inn being temperance since the owner was involved in a drunken death at Rawthey Bridge about a hundred years ago. So, no beer but a nice cup of tea and a super view of the Howgill Hills.

fact file

Distance: Five miles.

Time: Three hours.

General location: Howgills.

Start: Rawthey Bridge GR SD 713 978. (Near side road signed Uldale Fell End).

Right of way: The route is along public rights of way and in open access land.

Date walked: Monday, September 5, 2005.

Road route: Five miles northeast of Sedbergh on the A683.

Car parking: Parking area 100 yards west of Rawthey Bridge.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: Cross Keys Temperance Inn.

Tourist and public transport information: Sedbergh TIC 015396 20125.

Map: Based on OS Explorer OL19 Howgill Fells & Upper Eden Valley.

Terrain: Riverside and valley.

Points of interest: Today's Uldale not to be confused with Uldale in the Lake District.

Difficulty: Moderate.

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

directions

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

Left from parking area along road (verge), 50 yards, barrier on right before bridge to track which swings right after 50 yards and uphill.

As track levels out and loops before a gully (GR 709 974) head left and east on faint path (95 mag), becomes clearer.

At footbridge on left: Short route option - over footbridge, gate, uphill by wall to your left, fieldgate, track through wood, fieldgate and left to join dead-end road at Number 5. Main route - continue up river, path with steep drops to side, pass old metal fieldgate on far bank, some rockhopping.

Sidestream with waterfall. Then retrace steps to Number 3.

Dead-end road.

Opposite gable end of house to right on moor and near fieldgate to left, follow wall on left avoiding boggy bits across rough open access grassland. Right at bottom corner (gated squeezer on left) to join public footpath. Gate (waymark), straight on between back of house and buildings, fieldgate, cross drive ten yards to gate (waymark), cross field, gate, field.

Fieldgate to left of house and left downhill by wall, fieldgate (waymark), 1 o'clock, gated squeezer and left to road.

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 09:59 Saturday, September 24, 2005