Words & Photos Ian Battersby

June 01 2010

I tread through gently undulating pastures just out of grasp of the Yorkshire Dales boundary, where fields, bordered by low walls relying on patchy fences to hold the fort, overlook the silvery line of Fewston Reservoir.

Its presence entices Canada geese, whose uneasy honking fills the open fields that they graze, just above lines of thick conifer that surround the lake. Beyond the fields lies mixed woodland, its thick trunks coloured russet with lichen, but before I reach them I must negotiate a gratifying border of scrubby birch with shoulder-high bog grass. It must be a haven for wildlife, but I see nothing during my fleeting visit. My entrance into the woods panics a squirrel that would have remained unseen only a 
footfall away.

After navigating through several farms I look forward to easier route finding on the open moor. I’ve planned on taking a minor path to drop me around Beamsley Beacon to its western foundations, before climbing its prominent crest, but the moors are little managed, and knee- high heather has smothered the route. I struggle against it for a while, before realising that I haven’t the time for such toil, as the sun slinks off towards the western horizon with the covert craft of child avoiding chores. You can’t bring the sun back with a shout though. A quick re-appraisal of the alternatives sees me wade toward another track that climbs the broad ridge that undulates to Round Hill. It’s not on my map and my discovery more than makes up for the disappointment of the lost path. On the way ancient milestones delight. One dates from 1867, and is served by a dry stone shelter. I wonder how many have rested here over the years en route to Ilkley.

Round Hill is bathed in brilliance as the sun hovers then drops over distant hills, and I’m torn between pressing on before dark, and enjoying the spectacle. I pound the path to Beamsley Beacon, whose crest watches over the shadowy valleys. My return is lit by the afterglow, reflecting off high western cloud, but there are more miles to cover yet, and I jog down towards Kex Beck. The afterglow lives on a little more as I tramp the subdued lane into the path of a rising full moon. The air cools, but is wonderfully fresh, and then suddenly the dawdling darkness descends. Waders pierce the still air with their last goodnights. I keep the torch turned off, preferring to keep in touch with the night. Invisible bracken fills the air with its dewy bouquet, and I detect the less pleasant whiff of cows too, before I see them staring back over the hedge. The moon rises into a veil of cloud, and the last call comes from a heron flying in the void, leaving reservoir for roost.

Distance: 12.5 miles/20km Ascent: 1470ft/450m Time: 6-7 hours Start/finish: Fewston Reservoir car park (GR: SE 169553) Maps: Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger sheet 104 (Leeds & Bradford, Harrogate & Ilkley) Information: Ilkley, 01943 602319 Travel: Bus: X59 from Skipton or Harrogate runs roughly two hourly during the day Monday to Saturday; information from www.dalesbus.org or Traveline: 0871 200 22 33, 
www.traveline.info

Technical Spec
Path SSE climbing pastures into Beecroft Moor Plantation. Track W to road. Cross over and take track W to farm then path SW then SSE to Sourby. Track W for 400m. Fork S then follow track SW to Ellarcarr Pike. Cross stile and take paths generally WNW for 4km to Round Hill. Track SW to Beamsley Beacon. Return to Round Hill. Descend NNE to Kexgill Farm. Track then lane ENE for 2km. Bridleway E then SE to Blubberhouses.