111 Places Yorkshire Dales

CHAPEL-LE-DALE

1

Ingleborough One down, two to go

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course. But is there another hill in the Yorkshire Dales – in the whole of Yorkshire for that matter – that is as ruggedly handsome as Ingleborough? It is an eminence 2,372 feet in height with a variety of routes to the top, some of which are harder and more physically challenging than others (though none are a pushover). Alfred Wainwright, the best-selling author of walking guides to the fells of Cumbria and Yorkshire, thought that the path from Clapham, via Trow Gill, was one of the finest walks in the Dales.

There is evidence the Brigantes tribe settled on Ingleborough; the fractured remains of an Iron-Age fort, built in the first century a.d., can (just about) be seen on Ingleborough’s plateau.

Ingleborough is the second highest peak in the Yorkshire Dales and is, along with Pen-y-ghent and Whernside, one of the ‘Three Peaks’. If you’re fit and up for a challenge then the Three Peaks Circular is for you. This is a 24-mile walk that takes you to the summit of all three hills, and involves over 5,000 feet of climbing in total. The route starts in Horton-in-Ribblesdale with Pen-y-ghent, the most easterly of the three hills, first on the list. Whernside, the most northerly peak and arguably the least interesting, is tackled next. Perhaps fittingly, Ingleborough is the final peak on the walk, though a good dollop of mental fortitude is required to keep yourself going all the way to the top. There is some comfort to be had, though, from the welcome fact that it’s all downhill back to Horton-in-Ribblesdale and the starting line.

Depending on your level of fitness, the Three Peaks Circular should take about 12 hours to complete. If you really want to push yourself though, you could try to beat the record set by Andy Peace in 1996. Andy completed the current Three Peaks Circular route in a truly stupefying 2 hours, 46 minutes and 3 seconds.

ADDRESS The summit of Ingleborough is marked by an OS trig point at ghosts.prospered.dispenser TIP If you want to see under Ingleborough then take the fascinating tour of White Scar Cave, the longest show cave in Britain (www.whitescarcave.co.uk).

CHAPEL-LE-DALE

1

Ingleborough One down, two to go

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course. But is there another hill in the Yorkshire Dales – in the whole of Yorkshire for that matter – that is as ruggedly handsome as Ingleborough? It is an eminence 2,372 feet in height with a variety of routes to the top, some of which are harder and more physically challenging than others (though none are a pushover). Alfred Wainwright, the best-selling author of walking guides to the fells of Cumbria and Yorkshire, thought that the path from Clapham, via Trow Gill, was one of the finest walks in the Dales.

There is evidence the Brigantes tribe settled on Ingleborough; the fractured remains of an Iron-Age fort, built in the first century a.d., can (just about) be seen on Ingleborough’s plateau.

Ingleborough is the second highest peak in the Yorkshire Dales and is, along with Pen-y-ghent and Whernside, one of the ‘Three Peaks’. If you’re fit and up for a challenge then the Three Peaks Circular is for you. This is a 24-mile walk that takes you to the summit of all three hills, and involves over 5,000 feet of climbing in total. The route starts in Horton-in-Ribblesdale with Pen-y-ghent, the most easterly of the three hills, first on the list. Whernside, the most northerly peak and arguably the least interesting, is tackled next. Perhaps fittingly, Ingleborough is the final peak on the walk, though a good dollop of mental fortitude is required to keep yourself going all the way to the top. There is some comfort to be had, though, from the welcome fact that it’s all downhill back to Horton-in-Ribblesdale and the starting line.

Depending on your level of fitness, the Three Peaks Circular should take about 12 hours to complete. If you really want to push yourself though, you could try to beat the record set by Andy Peace in 1996. Andy completed the current Three Peaks Circular route in a truly stupefying 2 hours, 46 minutes and 3 seconds.

ADDRESS The summit of Ingleborough is marked by an OS trig point at ghosts.prospered.dispenser TIP If you want to see under Ingleborough then take the fascinating tour of White Scar Cave, the longest show cave in Britain (www.whitescarcave.co.uk).

CHAPEL-LE-DALE

2

Ribblehead Viaduct Saved for the nation

Ribblehead Viaduct is an engineering wonder. The sturdy structure has carried passengers and freight on the Settle–Carlisle railway line since 1876. Designed by John Sydney Crossley, the viaduct boasts 24 spans and is the longest structure on the line.

The construction of Ribblehead Viaduct was dramatised by ITV in 2016. The eight-part series Jericho tells the story of the recently widowed Annie ( Jessica Raine), who travels to the eponymous shanty town with her children to start a new life. There she encounters the men (and women) who are working on the viaduct – renamed Culverdale for the series. After a number of adventures, Annie gets to see the structure slowly rise up from the surrounding moorland.

Although perhaps a touch overly dramatic at times (it plays more like a Western set in Yorkshire), the series is – at least until time travel is invented – the simplest way to get a flavour of what life was like for the navvies who built the viaduct.

Ribblehead Viaduct has had its problems over the years. On 9 December, 1964, the Birmingham Post reported that the viaduct was closed as ‘gale-force winds had dislodged seven cars on a freight train’. The accident blocked the line for almost five hours and caused delays to trains further afield.

However, the viaduct faced its greatest test in the 1980s when British Railways threatened to close the Settle–Carlisle line. After more than a century of use, the viaduct looked to be in need of some very expensive repair work. Happily, thanks to a decision by the then Minister of Transport, the line was saved due to its status as an example of Victorian engineering. In 1990, the Settle & Carlisle Railway Trust was established to maintain the line, and the necessary (and far cheaper-than-expected) repairs carried out on Ribblehead Viaduct.

The line is now a popular attraction, with the view from the viaduct being one of its many highlights.

ADDRESS Ingleton, Chapel-le-Dale, LA6 3AU, North Yorkshire, robes.cups.ramp TIP Ribblehead Station is strangely lopsided. The original northbound platform was demolished in 1970 so that sidings for a nearby quarry could be built.

CHAPEL-LE-DALE

2

Ribblehead Viaduct Saved for the nation

Ribblehead Viaduct is an engineering wonder. The sturdy structure has carried passengers and freight on the Settle–Carlisle railway line since 1876. Designed by John Sydney Crossley, the viaduct boasts 24 spans and is the longest structure on the line.

The construction of Ribblehead Viaduct was dramatised by ITV in 2016. The eight-part series Jericho tells the story of the recently widowed Annie ( Jessica Raine), who travels to the eponymous shanty town with her children to start a new life. There she encounters the men (and women) who are working on the viaduct – renamed Culverdale for the series. After a number of adventures, Annie gets to see the structure slowly rise up from the surrounding moorland.

Although perhaps a touch overly dramatic at times (it plays more like a Western set in Yorkshire), the series is – at least until time travel is invented – the simplest way to get a flavour of what life was like for the navvies who built the viaduct.

Ribblehead Viaduct has had its problems over the years. On 9 December, 1964, the Birmingham Post reported that the viaduct was closed as ‘gale-force winds had dislodged seven cars on a freight train’. The accident blocked the line for almost five hours and caused delays to trains further afield.

However, the viaduct faced its greatest test in the 1980s when British Railways threatened to close the Settle–Carlisle line. After more than a century of use, the viaduct looked to be in need of some very expensive repair work. Happily, thanks to a decision by the then Minister of Transport, the line was saved due to its status as an example of Victorian engineering. In 1990, the Settle & Carlisle Railway Trust was established to maintain the line, and the necessary (and far cheaper-than-expected) repairs carried out on Ribblehead Viaduct.

The line is now a popular attraction, with the view from the viaduct being one of its many highlights.

ADDRESS Ingleton, Chapel-le-Dale, LA6 3AU, North Yorkshire, robes.cups.ramp TIP Ribblehead Station is strangely lopsided. The original northbound platform was demolished in 1970 so that sidings for a nearby quarry could be built.

CLAPDALE

5

Gaping Gill ‘I give you the centre of the Earth!’

Gaping Gill is a superlative natural wonder, though not one that is easily seen. It is an enormous underground chamber roughly 100 feet high, 423 feet long and 82 feet wide, a (literally) cavernous space into which York Minster could snugly fit. The entrance to the cave is an unfenced vertical shaft – the edge of which you really shouldn’t go near – on the slopes of Ingleborough. Fell Beck flows into this Stygian pit, tumbling 330 feet straight down, making it England’s highest unbroken waterfall.

Fortunately, there is a way to safely explore Gaping Gill. This is during a public ‘winch meet’, held twice a year by volunteers from the Bradford and Craven pothole clubs. As the name suggests, this is an opportunity to be winched down into Gaping Gill. Tickets are booked online and quickly sell out.

On winch day you first make your way to Gaping Gill from the village of Clapham. The first indication that you’re close is a cluster of tents. This temporary canvas village is where the volunteers live for two weeks. Once you’ve checked in you then wait your turn with your fellow explorers. When your name is called you are directed to a sturdy platform erected over what you can now see is a vastly deep and dark hole. A guide directs you to sit in a very snug cage and straps you in firmly. You then begin your descent.

The journey to the bottom of the Gaping Gill is remarkably swift.

You first drop through a narrow gap known as a chimney before the cave suddenly opens out beneath you. The clubs thoughtfully light the cave on winch days so you can quickly appreciate the scale of the space below your feet. And then all too soon the floor of the cave rushes towards you and you safely come to a stop. Experienced hands quickly and efficiently release you and you are then free to explore the cave on your own. Once you’ve satisfied your curiosity, all that remains is to join the queue for the journey back up.

ADDRESS Clapham, LA2 8EE, North Yorkshire, www.bpc-cave.org.uk or www.cravenpotholeclub.org, risks.cheer.hiker TIP Ingleborough Cave is an easier and far less nerve-shredding way to see an Ingleborough cave system (www.ingleboroughcave.co.uk).

CLAPDALE

5

Gaping Gill ‘I give you the centre of the Earth!’

Gaping Gill is a superlative natural wonder, though not one that is easily seen. It is an enormous underground chamber roughly 100 feet high, 423 feet long and 82 feet wide, a (literally) cavernous space into which York Minster could snugly fit. The entrance to the cave is an unfenced vertical shaft – the edge of which you really shouldn’t go near – on the slopes of Ingleborough. Fell Beck flows into this Stygian pit, tumbling 330 feet straight down, making it England’s highest unbroken waterfall.

Fortunately, there is a way to safely explore Gaping Gill. This is during a public ‘winch meet’, held twice a year by volunteers from the Bradford and Craven pothole clubs. As the name suggests, this is an opportunity to be winched down into Gaping Gill. Tickets are booked online and quickly sell out.

On winch day you first make your way to Gaping Gill from the village of Clapham. The first indication that you’re close is a cluster of tents. This temporary canvas village is where the volunteers live for two weeks. Once you’ve checked in you then wait your turn with your fellow explorers. When your name is called you are directed to a sturdy platform erected over what you can now see is a vastly deep and dark hole. A guide directs you to sit in a very snug cage and straps you in firmly. You then begin your descent.

The journey to the bottom of the Gaping Gill is remarkably swift.

You first drop through a narrow gap known as a chimney before the cave suddenly opens out beneath you. The clubs thoughtfully light the cave on winch days so you can quickly appreciate the scale of the space below your feet. And then all too soon the floor of the cave rushes towards you and you safely come to a stop. Experienced hands quickly and efficiently release you and you are then free to explore the cave on your own. Once you’ve satisfied your curiosity, all that remains is to join the queue for the journey back up.

ADDRESS Clapham, LA2 8EE, North Yorkshire, www.bpc-cave.org.uk or www.cravenpotholeclub.org, risks.cheer.hiker TIP Ingleborough Cave is an easier and far less nerve-shredding way to see an Ingleborough cave system (www.ingleboroughcave.co.uk).

GARSDALE

12

Ruswarp Faithful to the end

Graham Nuttall was a rail enthusiast and a staunch defender of the Settle–Carlisle railway line when it faced closure in the 1980s. He showed his determination by co-founding the Friends of the Settle–Carlisle Line, which aimed to raise awareness of the potential loss. One petition organised by the Friends collected more than 32,000 signatures. On 11 April, 1989, thanks to the work of Graham and other passionate like-minded folk, it was officially announced that the line was saved.

Graham was a keen walker and was often out on the hills in the company of his dog, Ruswarp (pronounced ‘russup’), a 14-year-old Border Collie. On 20 January, 1990, Graham and Ruswarp set off from their home in Burnley for Llandrindod to go hiking in the Welsh hills. Neither returned home that night. Searchers combed the area thoroughly but neither man nor dog were found.

On 7 April, a walker came across the body of Graham next to a mountain stream. Ruswarp was there too. He had not left his master in all that time. Weak and painfully thin, the devoted dog had to be carried down the hill by his rescuers. Happily, a vet was able to nurse Ruswarp back to health and he was well enough to attend Graham’s funeral. It was noted by one attendee that Ruswarp was quiet throughout the service until Graham’s coffin slid behind the crematorium’s curtain. It was only then that Ruswarp let out a deep and desperately sad howl.

For his dedication, Ruswarp was awarded the RSPCA’s Medallion and Collar for Vigilance, as well as the Animal Plaque for Intelligence and Courage. Sadly, an already old dog, Ruswarp did not live for long after Graham’s funeral. A handsome bronze sculpture of Ruswarp by Joel Walker was unveiled in 2009 at Garsdale Station.

He looks across the southbound platform towards a bench on the other platform dedicated to Graham.

ADDRESS Garsdale Station, Coal Road, Garsdale Head, Cumbria, LA10 5PP, +44 (0)1768 351311, www.settle-carlisle.co.uk TIP Less than five miles east of Garsdale Station, Cotter Force is a very accessible waterfall where you may spot birds such as dippers and kingfishers.

GARSDALE

12

Ruswarp Faithful to the end

Graham Nuttall was a rail enthusiast and a staunch defender of the Settle–Carlisle railway line when it faced closure in the 1980s. He showed his determination by co-founding the Friends of the Settle–Carlisle Line, which aimed to raise awareness of the potential loss. One petition organised by the Friends collected more than 32,000 signatures. On 11 April, 1989, thanks to the work of Graham and other passionate like-minded folk, it was officially announced that the line was saved.

Graham was a keen walker and was often out on the hills in the company of his dog, Ruswarp (pronounced ‘russup’), a 14-year-old Border Collie. On 20 January, 1990, Graham and Ruswarp set off from their home in Burnley for Llandrindod to go hiking in the Welsh hills. Neither returned home that night. Searchers combed the area thoroughly but neither man nor dog were found.

On 7 April, a walker came across the body of Graham next to a mountain stream. Ruswarp was there too. He had not left his master in all that time. Weak and painfully thin, the devoted dog had to be carried down the hill by his rescuers. Happily, a vet was able to nurse Ruswarp back to health and he was well enough to attend Graham’s funeral. It was noted by one attendee that Ruswarp was quiet throughout the service until Graham’s coffin slid behind the crematorium’s curtain. It was only then that Ruswarp let out a deep and desperately sad howl.

For his dedication, Ruswarp was awarded the RSPCA’s Medallion and Collar for Vigilance, as well as the Animal Plaque for Intelligence and Courage. Sadly, an already old dog, Ruswarp did not live for long after Graham’s funeral. A handsome bronze sculpture of Ruswarp by Joel Walker was unveiled in 2009 at Garsdale Station.

He looks across the southbound platform towards a bench on the other platform dedicated to Graham.

ADDRESS Garsdale Station, Coal Road, Garsdale Head, Cumbria, LA10 5PP, +44 (0)1768 351311, www.settle-carlisle.co.uk TIP Less than five miles east of Garsdale Station, Cotter Force is a very accessible waterfall where you may spot birds such as dippers and kingfishers.