CragFace
Howgill and Trollers Gill
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Distance: |
6.2 miles |
| Time:
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About
4 hours |
| Height:
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600
ft. 180 metres |
| Difficulty:
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Fairly
Easy |
| Scenery:
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Riverside,
a villiage with pubs, and the famous Gill. Barguest
extra. |
| Location:
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Start
at SE 064592 Parking at Howgill is
limited to just two or three cars |
| Maps:
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O.S.
Explorer OL2 and Landranger 99 |
| Bus
Service: |
Pride of
the Dales buses run every two hours or so on Mondays
to Saturdays from Ilkley to Grassington via Appletreewick.
See www.dalesbus.org
for details. |
This is a grand stroll
with a spooky Gorge halfway along, and lots to see. If you
intend to tackle the Gill wear appropriate footwear. There
is a riverside walk, lots of wildlife, flowers, and tranquillity.
You can spend the whole day taking in the beauty of this
one, particularly if you wander the length of the gorge
itself. Make sure you start early to get parked, otherwise
you may find you have to go further afield, and possibly
start from Appletreewick.
This
walk was Complied by Cragface.
All Words, Photography, etc. are by the man himself.
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Driving North East on the Barden
to Appletreewick Road, is a cinder track over on the
right for Howgill Lodge, (Bed Breakfast Caravans and
Camping site). If you take this, you will find a parking
area on the right by a double wooden gate.
There is just enough room for
about three cars at a push. Please don't block the field
entry.
Start at the cross of tracks, near an information board.
Going downhill along a gravel path (see picture) away
from the parking area, passing the farmhouse on your
left. |
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At the road turn right and walk
over the bridge, then turn left immediately after it,
following the footpath signposted to Appletreewick one
mile and Burnsall two miles.
In April and May, wild garlic
and bluebells abound here. Keep the river to your left,
and go through a large wooden gate with a one stepped
wood stile to its right, and follow the track. Pass
a wooden signpost to your right, and an inscribed stone.
Go though a wooden kissing gate, (see picture) and continue
the trail for about a mile along this beautiful stretch
of river. |
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Take
time out to admire the view. There are plenty of trees
for shade. Go through a gap in the wall, with a small
wooden gate on top. The area is boggy here and sets
of planks have been thoughtfully placed for you to go
over, (see picture) and so avoiding soggy socks and
footwear.
Go through a small swing gate
on a chain, and a further pair of planks. Continue uphill
a little way through a wood kissing gate, and fifty
yards after that, another gate. You have done your first
mile. Next pass through a wooden gate, then down some
wood-edged steps to a large wooden kissing gate. Once
through this, turn slightly right, and continue the
path with the river still on your left. |
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Continue all the way until you
reach the wood fingerpost for Burnsall and Howgill.
(see picture) The Appletreewick finger of this post
had fallen off, and not been replaced when I passed,
but here turn right and go through a single swing gate,
and keep the campsite over to the left heading towards
the highway.
At the path end, climb the two
wooden steps on the left of a six bar gate and turn
right at SE 047602. Enter Appletreewick, with its stocks
and two pubs...you may wish to refresh yourself or just
take stock?
The Craven Arms has unusual decor
invading the Gents! Looks like a bad rash! |
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Pass the church, St John the
Baptist, on your left, and enter the cobbled courtyard
just past it. Take the direction of the wood fingerpost
for New Road, and Dibbles Bridge at SE 054601.
Pass a second fingerpost (see
picture) on your right, taking the path forward to Dibbles
Bridge. Pass a tall stone milepost on your left at the
top of the lane, and go through the double six bar gate.
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At this point the next half mile
is ill defined, but stay on the path and aim forward,
passing through an ungated hole in the wall. Now head
towards a lone hawthorn tree over to the left near a
wall. (see picture)
To the left of tree, is a fingerpost
with a stone stepped stile and a small wooden gate at
its top. Go on through this and turn 30 degrees right,
heading for a wood sign post on the other side of the
field, and cross over (on your left), via a five stepped
stone stile, topped by a small wooden gate. |
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Turn sharp right, keeping the
wall on your right, towards a broken wall and a stone
stepped stile...go over this. Take a sharp left, and
head uphill, but succumb to the beautiful view behind
you.
Travel towards a five stepped
stile topped by a small wood gate, (see picture) and
take the footpath to the left.
At the end of the field, and
corner of the dry stone wall, you will meet a track.
(Hello track :) Turn right along this, following it
all the way to New Road. SE 063620 |
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Turn left on the road, and about
fifty yards after it veers to the right, there is a
signpost (Skyreholme 1 mile), and a three stepped stone
stile topped by a swing wood fence. (see picture)
Go over this at SE 063622 and
follow the path downhill all the way. Another small
track joins you from the left as you continue your descent,
follow the Skyreholme route.
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9 |
On reaching the level ...you
have the option to turn left (only a short detour) and
go into Trollers Gill. This is a deep limestone gorge,
rarely filled by water. Stout boots are needed here,
and the agility of a mountain goat. (Two out of three?)
Otherwise, we carry on, to your
right; over the two planked step through wood stile
to your right, (see picture) at SE 067617
...then follow the high path
with the meandering beck on your left. |
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| 10 |
Go over the next, three stepped
ladder stile; (see picture) left of a double wooden
six bar gate.
Meeting the beck at one point,
you pass a barn on your right. Go over a wooden gate
with a step through stile and wooden gate to it's right.
On into the next field, through a wooden six bar double
gate. Going through this turn right on the lane. (The
Parceval Hall access road is to the left.)
On reaching a junction turn right,
going past the road and red telephone box at SE 068608
and head for Skyreholme. |
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11 |
Follow the wood post and wood
plaque indicating Howgill Lane. (see picture)
You have to traverse a wooden
footbridge into a field then turn right. (signposted,
Howgill/Simonseat). Pass some ruins on your left. Keep
the wall with the stream behind it on your right.
You will see a caravan site looming
in front of you...pass this, and go through a gap in
the wall, then veer off to the left, towards a wooden
ladder stile half way up the hill. Now head for the
top left hand side of the field, and go through a gap
in the wall. |
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| 12 |
Walk
with the wall on your left along a faint pathway, to
the top left corner of the field, and through a large
wooden gate. You now have a dry stone wall on your right
hand side, and should be heading towards the second
caravan site (Howgill Lodge) down on your right.
At a track, turn right, now going
downhill, head back towards your parked car, passing
through this Camp/Caravan site (see picture) . |
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There
are no toilets along this route except for the two pubs
in App'trick.
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