Yorkshire Walks

Blubberhouses church from the car park

A dales farm yard off the lane at Blubberhouses

An old stone barn at Blubberhouses

From the car park we crossed the main road (A59) and took the lane opposite past Blubberhouses Hall.

The weather forecast for today was good, fine and dry with a cool breeze. My neighbour, Jim, and I drove to Blubberhouses on the A59 and parked in the public car park at the head of Fewston reservoir in the Washburn Valley at map ref. SE168553. (There are no public toilets on this route, but there are toilets for customers at the cafe & delicatessen about 1.4km north of Blubberhouses at map ref. SE169566).

Heading for the lane end opposite the car park

An old oak, about 350 years old:
noted on the Ancient Tree Hunt

Leaving the lane for the track up to the moor

Looking across the valley of Hall Beck

We were climbing up the moor with the A59 following the same valley below well us. We walked along this track for about 1.8km to a road at map ref. SE143556.

After about 700m the lane turned sharp right at map ref. SE160555 and we continued straight on, to walk along a track following the valley of Hall Beck.

Leaving the lane for the track up to the moor

Track climbing up to the moor

Heather by the track climbing up to the moor

Leaving the road past the quarry

Approaching the A59

We followed this track for almost another kilometer to the A59 at map ref. SE125550. We crossed the busy main road dodging the fast moving traffic and took the bridleway opposite.

We continued along the road in the same direction for another kilometer past a quarry hidden behind a bank on our left to map ref. SE133554. Here the road turns sharp left and we continued straight on along a gated track that used to be part of the road.

Waiting to cross the A59

An oak egar moth caterpillar

The bridleway up Round Hill

By the time we had reached this point we had climbed 250m. rising steadily from the start of the walk.

We followed the bridleway climbing up the moor for about 1.5km to a pedestrian gate in a dry stone wall near the summit of Round Hill at map ref. SE121535.

The bridleway up Round Hill

Looking back to the A59 from Round Hill

Pedestrian gate near the top of Round Hill

Boundary post, MM on this side & TF on the back

Descending to Gawk Hill Gate

Descending to Gawk Hill Gate

At Gawk Hill Gate we sat on the grass by the gate for our lunch. The air was full of slow lumbering large black flies that emanated from the marshy ground. There was a pleasant cool breeze and the flies seemed only to be interested in mating and did not bother us at all.

We went through the gate and turned left to follow a path initially along the wall and, over the summit of Round Hill, dropping down for about 1.3km to Gawk Hill Gate at map ref. SE133530. As we descended we could see to our right, across Ilkley in Wharfedale, to Ilkley Moor, part of Rombalds Moor, above the town.

Boundary post dated 1734

Mile post at Gawk Hill Gate
It reads: 12m to Rippon & Ilkley 3m

Leaving Gawk Hill Gate for the Roman road

Sextant beetles at work on the path

Following the route of the Roman road

We followed the Roman road across the moor for about 2.5km to map ref. SE163545.

After our break we did not go through the gate, but instead turned left to follow a path heading northeast to turn along the line of the old Roman road.

Sextant beetles at work on the path

Following the route of the Roman road across Sun Bank Gill

Heading down from the Roman road to Blubberhouses

The by-way to Blubberhouses

Following the byway to Blubberhouses

The byway then turns along the front of a row of stone houses and leads out to the road at map ref. SE167551.

At this point the path bends left away from the Roman road and drops down the hillside. The path leads to an old byway to a stone house and down the side of the house.

Following the byway to Blubberhouses

Following the byway to Blubberhouses

Looking across the valley of Hall Beck

We drove to a the cafe and delicatessen about 1.4kn north of Blubberhouses for our usual coffee and toasted teacake before heading for home after a very pleasant day on the hills.

At the road we turned left to walk down the road, past the church and back to the car park at the bottom of the hill where we had started. The whole walk had been about 12km and it had taken us almost four and a quarter hours to walk including our stops.

Returning to Blubberhouses past the church