Yorkshire Walks

The start of our walk at the village hall car park in Bowes

My neighbour, Jim, and I have been walking together regularly for 26 years. Jim is much fitter than me and now-a-days I am struggling to walk even 3 or 4 km and I think the time has come to stop adding these tiny walks to my web site. I think this short walk from Bowes is likely to be my last entry.

Leaving the village hall car park in Bowes

The road from the village hall down towards the River Greta

As we approached the road bridge there was a double bend in the road first to our right and the to our left to the bridge. On the crown of the left hand bend we turned right off the road to follow a public footpath through some woodland next to the River Greta on our left.

This morning we drove to the village of Bowes just off the A66 in County Durham. We parked at the large car park opposite the village hall. From the car park we turned left to walk along the road down hill for about 200m to Gilmonby Bridge over the River Greta.

The road from the village hall down towards the River Greta

Right hand bend in the road above the River Greta

Turning off the road at the left hand bend next to Gilmonby Bridge over the River Greta

Path through the woodland next to the River Greta

Farm gate from the woodland into some grassland

Gate out of the field to more woodland

Part of Mill Force Waterfalls below the path

We climbed up to this gate and continued through the gate and along the path now a little way up above the river. For the next 250m there was a series of rock steps in the river bed producing a series of pretty little waterfalls called Mill Force. At one point there was a narrow path down to the edge of the river where I took a few photos.

It was a pretty path through the woods by the river. After about 170m we came to a farm gate out of the woodland and into some grassland next to the river. After about 140m the path began to climb up the hillside to a pedestrian gate in the fence above the river.

The River Greta on our left below the path

Path up to a pedestrian gate out of the field

Woodland path above the River Greta

Part of Mill Force Waterfalls below the path

Part of the rock steps in the bed of the River Greta forming the Mill Force Waterfalls

Path through woodland next to the river

Continuing along the river side path

Path through grassland with a steep bank on our right

We turned right to climb a steep bank to a gated stone step stile over a wall at the top of the bank. The path from the kissing gate we had seen also came to this stile over the wall. This path is an optional loop from the Pennine Way to visit Bowes.

The public footpath turned away from the river heading north west with more woodland up the bank to our right. The path then emerged into more grassland. We could see a kissing gate ahead and to our left but that was not our route.

Path through woodland next to the river

Path turning north west away from the river

Path starting to climb the steep bank on our right

Gated stone step stile through the wall at the top of the steep bank

Following the Pennine Way Bowes Loop towards Bowes Castle

Following the Pennine Way Bowes Loop towards Bowes Castle

Following the Pennine Way Bowes Loop towards Bowes Castle

Gated squeeze stile to the ditch around the castle

We climbed the grassy earth bank out of the ditch and crossed the field next to the area around the castle keep. At the corner of the field next to the road we came to some black painted gates leading into the castle site.

From this stone step stile we followed the fenced path across the fields towards Bowes Castle. After about 400m across the fields we came to a gated squeeze stile through the wall ahead. We passed though this stile to the Bowes Castle ditch.

Following the Pennine Way Bowes Loop towards Bowes Castle

Following the Pennine Way Bowes Loop towards Bowes Castle

Nearing Bowes Castle on the Pennine Way Bowes Loop

Bowes Castle Keep seen from the boundary fence

Gates at Back Lane into the castle site

Our visit to Bowes Castle

This is an English Heritage site and it is free to enter. We had a good look around the keep.

Entering the keep

Some of the facing stone on the castle walls remains in tact

Stairs up to the first floor gallery

Looking down from the first floor gallery

Walls of the keep seen from the first floor gallery

Walls of the keep seen from the first floor gallery

Crossing Back Lane from the castle to St. Giles Church

Gate into St. Giles Church yard

Following Back Lane from the church

Following Back Lane from the church to the village hall

After about 300m we were back at the village Hall and the car park at the end of our walk. The whole walk had been about 2km and had taken me almost 2 hours including our visit to the castle. It was a very pretty and interesting little route and probably our last such outing together.

We left the site by the black gates onto the road and crossed the road to the gate into the cemetery around St Giles Church. We returned from the church to the road. The road is in fact Back Lane in Bowes and we headed towards the village hall.

St. Giles Church in Bowes

Following Back Lane from the church to the village hall

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Back Lane at the end of the village Hall

Returning to the car park opposite the village hall at the end of our walk