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| Distance: |
6.5 miles : (10 km)
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| Time: |
4 to 5 hours. Depends on fitness. |
| Height: |
1,300 ft : (400 m) |
| Difficulty: |
Hard start, very exerting uphills.
Zimmer-free zone |
| Scenery: |
Grand, always something to look at. |
| Location: |
Drive to the church in Arncliffe and park near it, before the bridge.
SD 933719
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| Maps: |
OS Explorer 2 and 30 or Yorkshire
Dales TM 6 . Or send an email request for a Memory-map
route to : maps@skiptonweb.co.uk |
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1
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Walk
along the road from St Oswald's Church towards the bridge. Just at
the end of the bridge there's a stile on the right, (pictured) go
through this onto some meadow land, and follow the river on your right
passing the church. Climb the seven or eight steps up to the road.
Cross the road, straight onto another wooden swinging gate, through
a hole in the wall and follow the signpost to Kettlewell two and a
quarter miles, uphill and to your right. Go over a three step stone
stile, on the left of a sheep hole. |
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2
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Continue
the diagonal path upward, (turn around halfway up just to take in
the quality of the view) and through a single wooden gate. Follow
the path to the right. The path is rock and scree and easy to follow,
but don't look up, it'll depress you. At a four stepped wooden ladder
stile, (pictured) traverse this and follow the path to the right. |
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3
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Now
go over a ladder stile. Pass a wooden footpath sign on your left,
through a hole in the wall, and head for a finger post in the distance.
Pass the post and follow the green path. Next another wooden ladder
stile on your right. But, when standing on the top of this laddered
stile you'll see over on your left about 10 o'clock, another three
stepped ladder stile, and to the left of it, is a two stepped stone
stile. Head for, and go over this; then go to the right. Now go downhill
on a green pathway with the wall at your back. Soon you will be able
to see a village in front of you, follow the track down to it. |
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4
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Cross
over a rock track that leads through a metal gate at high wall and
continue on the green path. About 500 or 600 yards down from that
gate on the right by the wall is a three stepped wooden ladder stile.
Go over the stile, taking a left down the path and heading towards
the village of Kettlewell. At a yellow topped finger post for Arncliffe
and Kettlewell, follow the downhill path for Kettlewell, going through
a tiny little gorge/canyon. Steer down to a two stepped stone stile
with a broken wooden gate, beside a National Trust sign saying Upper
Wharfedale. (Pass a finger post pointing back uphill for Arncliffe.)
Go down onto a stony lane, turn right on it, and through a six barred
double gate. (picture) At the road turn right. (If at this point,
you want refreshments, toilets etc, turn left and go into the village
of Kettlewell itself.) |
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5
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Otherwise...
Turning right, (and keeping to the right) walk until you reach
this double gate. (picture) Go through the gate, uphill and remain
on this pathway...
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6
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... until you reach this single wooden gate. Go through this, and
continue uphill. |
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7
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Near
the top, (picture) go forward into the ruins, then go left through
a gap in the broken wall, follow the track in front of you, upwards
and on. The path goes sharp right. At the top of this path, (go through
the broken wall), or over the stile. Keep the stile/wall at your back
and head sharp left and upwards towards another laddered stile. Climb
this, then follow a green lane. (You are now about halfway round.) |
|
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8
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The
pathway leads eventually to a wooden laddered four step stile. Go
over this. With the wall and stile at your back, carry on forward
along the visible path downhill.You can see a cairn in front of you,
and the river down below. Pass a sign asking you 'not to roll stones'.
Turn right at the cairn and follow the path downhill. Eventually you'll
come to a Wooden 6 bar gate with a wooden gated stile to the left.
Straight on through here. |
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9
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At
the junction of pathways, continue downhill, enjoying the tranquillity
and the view of this beautiful green highway. (picture)
There's a dry stone wall, fenced on top, on your left hand side. Next,
go through a large wooden gate, or an accompanying pedestrian gate
to the left of it. |
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10
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Follow
the path straight forward, veering neither left nor right, towards
and through a large wooden six-bar gate. (picture) Once on the village
road turn left. |
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11
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Head
for, and cross the stone bridge, over the river on your right. Follow
this road round to the right. (Ignore the footpath on the left at
the end of the bridge for Arncliffe Road..) The river is on your right
hand side now, and further down the lane, just before a barn on the
left, take the public footpath (picture) on your right. |
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12
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Head
towards this (pictured) single track bridge, but turn left just before
it. |
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13
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Instead,
go over this four stepped ladder stile, (pictured) onto the signed
footpath. You now have the river still over on your right. Go over
a two stepped wooden stile, then a wooden spring gate through a hole
in the wall. Next a planked stepped stile. Be carefull of the barbed
wire topped fence with wooden posts to your right, following alongside
the river. |
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14
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Then go over a small stream, by this bridge, (pictured) and then
a couple of planks, and a stile.
Next is a four stepped wooden ladder stile, and now the pathway
veers to the left, away from the river. Go through a six bar double
wooden gate, and cross this field to the other side, making your
way over a stepped wooden ladder stile. |
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15
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Walk to the right of a farm out-building, (pictured) towards a gate.
Follow the public footpath to the left, and then through an unusual
double squeeze stone stile with wooden gates on top of each. |
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16
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You
reach a double wooden gate, and on the left is a two stepped stone
stile with a double wooden swing fence, (pictured). Nearby is a finger
post pointing in the direction you need to go. Then another small
two stone stepped stile with a wood gate.You are now on the very edge
of the river, wandering through perfect meadow land. Follow the wooden
finger post reading Public Footpath and at a wooden gate, go through
this to follow yellow tipped posts to a kissing gate. Pass a private
house on your left, coming to a pathway with the church on your right,
and leading you to the road where you left your car. |
|
Public Toilets are in the village
of Kettlewell
Walkabout
Checklist : Print this out and take it with you...
This walk (and pictures) submitted by Crag Face.
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