The approximate route is shown by a blue line.
Use your mouse to drag the map to the area of interest and
zoom in/out using the controls on the left hand side of the map.
Please use my map to find the route on your own large scale
walking map such as the OS Explorer series at 1:25000.
If you have time if you do this walk please let me know how you get on.
That would be very helpful to me to keep my information accurate and up to date.
Please note that I provide this free service to you as a fellow walker on the
understanding that you walk
the route entirely at your own risk and that the information is not used for
any commercial purpose.
Map: OS Explorer OL19 Howgill Fells and Upper Eden Valley at 1:25000
General Directions (see markers on the route map)
1.) Start at Thrang from the small car park (room for maybe half a dozen cars) at map ref. NY783004 off the B6259, about 9km south of Kirkby Stephen in the Eden Valley. About 20m south of the car park along the B6259, turn left to join the Lady Anne's Highway (an old green road made for Lady Anne Clifford in the C17. Follow this green road climbing up the valley side for about 3.5km to the bridge over Hell Gill. Hell Gill is a narrow gorge carrying the River Eden down from the high moorland into the valley to flow out to the Irish Sea via the Solway Firth.
2.) From Hell Gill continue along Lady Anne's Highway for another 700m to another water course flowing off the same moor. This is the start of the River Ure flowing down to Wensleydale and out to the North Sea via the River Humber. At the River Ure turn left off the green road and climb up the hillside through the coarse grass and heather for about 1.5km to Ure Head and the summit called Sails (666m). From Sails head north along the ridge for a little over 1km to the county boundary between Cumbria and North Yorkshire. Here there is a small boulder called the "Scarth of Scaiths", lying in a area of coarse grass. This marked the boundary between Westmorland and Yorkshire and is also on the modern boundary. There are a series of cairns along the boundary here.
3.) From the Scarth of Scaiths follow the county boundary for about 1km to Hugh Seat (689m) and continue along the county boundary for about 1.5km to Gregory Chapel (695m). Then continue for another kilometer to High Seat (709m).
4.) From High Seat head west for about 400m to the top of the Mallastang escarpment between Headley's Gill and Sloe Brae Gill. Here there is a very dangerous, very steep, rocky descent through Mallerstang Edge to join a path lower down the hillside next to Headley's Gill. If you survive the descent follow this path down to the road (B6259) at Outhgill. At the road turn left and go south along the road for about 200m. Then turn right off the road through the cemetery next to a chapel and follow the footpath across the fields to a bridge over the River Eden. Across the bridge turn left and follow the path along the river bank for about 1km to Thrang Bridge. Cross the river here and follow the track up to the road (B6259). At the road turn right and walk south along the road for about 50m back to the car park and the end of the walk.