Dales High Way: Kirkby Fell

Monday 10th April 2023

The overnight rain had cleared by the time I got up, though the skies were still heavy and dark, which forebode more rain to come. I set up from the village of Malham where I spent the night and soon reached Malham Cove, the awesome rock face that is a stunning sight and rightly draws the crowds, but at this early hour I fortunately had the area to myself. Rather than walking right up to the foot of the tall cliff face, I branched left onto the steps that climb tiringly up the side of the cove until thankfully I reached the top and beheld the fabulous limestone pavement that covers the ground above the cove. The grikes, narrow fissures where water has eroded the limestone, contain a wondrous microclimate filled with small plants that are sheltered from the harsh wind. It is tragic that the only time of the year that I have ever come to this area is at Easter so I have never seen these grikes at their best, in the summer. It was great to have the top of Malham Cove to myself as this area is normally teeming with people as I saw the previous day at Gordale Scar and Janet’s Foss.

I lingered over the limestone pavement and enjoyed hopping over the rocks until eventually I turned left and headed up Watlowes, a dry valley that would once have channelled the water from Malham Tarn to the vast waterfall into Malham Cove. I walked this way in 2009 while on the Pennine Way and I was reminded of that while passing the tremendous crags that line the valley. Slowly I made my way to head of the valley past the awesome rock scenery before climbing out of the valley and, after parting company with the Pennine Way, I headed west along the route of the Dales High Way soon passing Langscar Gate. The stunning scenery was now left behind me as I climbed relatively flat hills with the views opening out behind me that included Malham Tarn, but with the increased height came a cold, brisk wind and soon it started to rain. Near the summit of Kirkby Fell I put on my waterproofs and now wrapped up against the wind and rain I soon came to the top of Stockdale. Slowly I made my way down the track and as the rain began to ease I was reminded of the previous time I had walked through here, in 2014, when I explored some of the caves in Attermire Scar, but now I stuck to the path and passed below them.

I think I must have missed a turning as the path I was on became little more than a sheep trod and climbed across the crags below Warrendale Knotts. It was a great little path on the steepest section but I could see the correct route lower down so after passing the highest point I quickly made my way back onto the correct path. The descent into Ribblesdale was down a steep grassy slope that was very slippery in the wet weather and left me wary about my footing and with a muddy backside. Eventually I reached the town of Settle where I had to consider the rest of the day as the rain resumed with no sign of it ending. From this point, the Dales High Way heads over the high hill of Ingleborough, which would not be a good idea in poor weather, so I tried to catch a bus to Ingleton, but since it was a Bank Holiday Monday there were no buses running. When I realised this, I was so frustrated with the weather that I set off along the road little realising that Ingleton was more than ten miles away. I was feeling very tired by this point in the holiday so I wasn’t thinking clearly. With hindsight I should have stayed on the Dales High Way, which initially follows the River Ribble north out of Settle before heading west. Instead I marched off through the rain, over the river where I should have turned right, and followed the road as it turned left and then swung right past the village of Giggleswick.

Slowly I walked along the side of the B6480 road and eventually, as the rain eased, I began to regret my decision. After two miles, at the top of Buck Haw Brow, I came across a sign for a footpath and followed this onto the misty lands across several grassy fields until I came to a junction of paths with a signpost that pointed towards the tiny hamlet of Feizor. I had never heard of this place before so, thinking I had gone the wrong way, I headed in another direction, which turned out to be the wrong direction. Eventually, I came across another signpost that proclaimed that I was now on the Dales High Way. Astonished, I finally checked my map and realised that the Dales High Way actually goes through Feizor, so as I followed the trail again I slowly began to come to my senses and decided on a more rational course. Once in Feizor I joined the route of the Pennine Bridleway and a trail called “A Pennine Journey” based on a walking holiday that Wainwright did in 1938. I was happy to be following in his footsteps, even though he probably didn’t take this actual route. I had a pleasant walk along Hale Lane that took me into the village of Austwick and then Thwaite Lane took me into the village of Clapham where I said goodbye to my accompanying trails and, after a brief stop to look at the waterfalls, I set off along Old Road.

The rain had now stopped and the sun tried to make an appearance while across the shallow Wenning Valley I could see the hills of the Forest of Bowland encouraging me to keep going even though I was now very weary and struggling. This was a difficult day with poor weather, but with my biggest problem being with my health and a reoccurrence of the problems that had afflicted me over the winter and left me lacking in energy or the motivation to do anything, which ruined the second half of this walk. Eventually I dragged myself into the village of Ingleton where I found the youth hostel, but I was thinking about the rest of the holiday and whether I could or should keep going. When I saw the weather forecast for the rest of the week, especially Wednesday, my decision was made.