Yorkshire Walks

Askrigg church

My mate, Jim, and I left Easingwold around 8.30am We drove up Wensleydale to Askrigg and parked in a little parking area next to the church in the village centre at map ref. SD947910.

(Today's route was suggested to me by a gentleman called Alan Sturges who lives in Ingleton. It turned out to be a superb walk and I'm very grateful to him.)

The weather today was perfect with a light breeze, clear blue sky and warm sunshine.

Our starting point in Askrigg

Rabbits by the track

The track out of Askrigg

The ford at Nappa Mill

We crossed the road from Askrigg to Worton at map ref. SD954908. Once across the road we continued along a lane to Nappa Mill.

We started walking at about 10.00am along a narrow lane opposite the church. We passed between the houses and out across the fields.

Cellandines by the track

Springtime in the dales

Path along the old railway to Woodhall

Path by the old railway to Woodhall

Lane through Woodhall

In Woodhall we crossed the Askrigg to Carperby road and followed a bridleway along a farm access track up the valley side.

Here our route followed the old Wensleydale railway for just over a kilometer to Woodhall at map ref. SD973901.

Lane through Woodhall

The scar above us from the path out of Woodhall

Looking back over Woodhall

Fiesty Swaledale tupp we saw over the wall

Through the gate we turned left to follow a bridleway up the hillside next to a wall. After about 300m we joined another farm track which continued to climb up past the end of Blue Scar away to our right.

The farm track zig-zagged up the steep hillside for about 300m to a wooden finger post at map ref. SD978905. Here the farm track bent ropund to our left, but we went straight ahead through a gate in the wall.

Finger post on the farm track at map ref. SD978905

Track past the end of Blue Scar

Rabbit's skull, many died over the hard winter

The start of Ellerkin Scar

Here we left the bridleway and sat on top of the cliff for our lunch break with amazing views across and up and down Wensleydale. It was such a wonderful place to be in the Spring sunshine.

From Blue Scar the track continued following a wall on our right for almost 1km to map ref. SD974918. Here the track passed through a gate in a wall to the start of a limestone scar(cliff) on our left.

Ellerkin Scar

A little summit on Ellerkin Scar

Admiring the view from Ellerkin Scar

After about 800m we came to another field wall and right on the edge of the cliff there is a short section of collapsed wall where we crossed it. There were wonderfull views of Wensleydale and beyond from Ellerkin Scar and we continued along the cliff edge for another 350m to map ref. SD960925. This is near the end of the cliff. Here we turned with our backs to the cliff and walked roughly at right angles to the cliff edge across the rough moorland to a gate at map ref. 961927. There are two gates used as part of some sheep handling pens.

After our break we walked along the top of the cliff for about 200m to a wall. This is all open access land now but there is no way through the wall at this point so we followed the wall away from the scar for about 150m to the corner of the field where there is a gateway (no gate). We went through the gateway and turned to our left to walk back to the cliff edge at the corner of the next field about 300m away. At the edge of the cliff there is a collapsed section of wall where many poeple have crossed before. We crossed the collapsed wall and continued along the edge of the cliff. This is now Ellerkin Scar.

Part of Ellerkin Scar

Gates at map ref. 961927 leading out towards the road from Ellerkin Scar

The road back towards Askrigg

There are grassy breaks through this step. At the road we turned left to walk down the hill back towards Askrigg.

Through the gates we turned left to follow the wall out to the road at map ref. SD958931. There is quite a steep descent to the road with a limestone step about 2m high part way down.

Ellerkin Scar from the Askrigg road

Looking down Wensleydale from the Askrigg road

The track to Whitfield Gill

We continued along this track for about 1.5km to map ref. SD935922 where there is a finger post pointing to a path on the left. The path led us into Whitfield Gill.

After about 1.5km at map ref. SD949917 we turned right off the road to follow a walled track between the fields.

Ellerkin Scar from the Askrigg road

Sign at the turn down into Whitfield Gill

Primroses in Whitfield Gill

Waterfall on Whitfield Beck

Path back to Askrigg by Whitfield Beck

After 400m climbing all the way we came to the end of the path where we could hear the sound of rushing water far below us. But we could not see the beck or the water fall. There must surely be a view point but I'm afraid we did not find it. We retraced our steps and continued following Whitfield Gill back to Askrigg.

We followed the path down through the woods to a footbridge over the beck in the bottom. Just downstream of the footbridge is a pretty little waterfall. About 100m beyond the footbridge is a sign pointing to a dead end path up the gill to Whitfield Gill Force 400m away. We followed this path to see the waterfall.

Footbridge over Whitfield Beck

Near the end of the path up to Whitfield Gill Force

Path back to Askrigg by Whitfield Beck

Path back to Askrigg by Whitfield Beck

Noisy cockerel proclaiming his territory

We called in a little tea shop opposite the church for a coffee and an excellent bacon roll before driving back home. It had been a wonderful day in the sunshine in this beautiful place.

The whole walk had been about 15km and including our stops it had taken us around six hours to walk.

Footbridge over Whitfield Beck

Paved footpath back into Askrigg