Words & Photos Ian Battersby

July 01 2010

When I look at the Nidderdale map around Pateley Bridge it’s the crags and gritstone edges that draw my eye. The lesser crags to the north suffer from a lack of rights of way, but they do lie within an Open Access area. I set off one fine dawn to see if I could link a few of them together – and I got more than I bargained for.

I began along the lanes of Wath, with the sun still to peep over the eastern horizon. The first of the crags turned out to be a fine set of old limestone quarries on Silver Hill, now being reclaimed by nature. Trees hid most of the valley, but golden light was hitting Guise Cliff and spilling into the woods below it.

I explored the area, enjoying the clear, still air, and observed four cormorants flying down dale from the reservoir, before opening the gate on the Access Land.

I was delighted to discover a track heading my way over High Bishopside, and I managed to find a gate, and gaps in the wall, allowing access to the large boulders that make up Yeadon Crag. One of them had a hole worn right through, with a dazzling pool reflecting the sky. Now the going got tough. Knee-high heather hid random holes that I occasionally stumbled over. In terrain like this I use a single pole with the basket removed. Two poles catch the heather too much, but that one pole can really aid stability. I remove the basket to help the pole penetrate the heather to the ground.

I strode on, letting the heather dictate a steady pace, rather than trying to force it and tiring too quickly. Grouse exploded from cover only an arm’s length away, lending me an adrenaline boost to get to Howson Ridge, where a long line of haphazard boulders add character to the heathery moor overlooking Gouthwaite Reservoir. A sheep track half hidden among the rocks gave some relief here, before dying and leaving me to battle on as far as the track to the shooting hut by Sigsworth Crags.

The route to Jordan Crags was eased with unmarked tracks too, but from there to the track over Fountains Earth Moor was a good mile of very rough country. I was happy to hit the manmade trail down to the reservoir, but it’s great to get a taste of the tough.

With the wind now up I strode back by the lake, looking out for geese, grebes and gulls. There were more cormorants and a heron too, but it was the pastures that provided the main prize. There among the ant hills were four green woodpeckers, their heads glowing red in the bright light of midday. Above them red kites were buffeted by the breeze.

Distance: 11.5 miles/18km Ascent: 1850ft/560m Time: 6-8 hours Start/finish: bus stop car park near Wath (GR: SE 144677) Maps: Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer sheet 298 (Nidderdale); OS 1:50,000 Landranger sheet 99 (Northallerton and Ripon, Pateley Bridge & Leyburn) Information: Pateley Bridge, 01423 711147 Travel: Regular buses to Pateley Bridge; Traveline: 0871 2002233

Technical Spec
Lane E into Wath, then SE for 1 mile to footpath onto Silver Hill. Divert to explore quarries. Continue up lane to gate into Access Land. Track leads NNE over High Bishopside to gate at SE 160680. Turn left through gap in wall and head NNW along Yeadon Crag and Howson ridge to broken wall. Cross through wall and pick up track ahead heading NE then NW to shooting hut. Sigsworth Crags can be explored by using gate behind hut, but route follows track NE past stile to gate. Follow track NW left of wall to gate allowing access to Jordan Crags. Continue through heather to boundary wall and follow it NNW to public track. WSW into valley then Track SE alongside Gouthwaite Reservoir to Wath.