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Littondale START Street Gate Grid ref SD 904656 DISTANCE 12 miles (19.2 km) ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPS 1:50,000 Landranger 98 - Wensleydale & Upper Wharfedale. 1:25,000 Explorer Outdoor Leisure No 2 Yorkshire Dales South/West.  ACCESS Street Gate is the point where Mastiles Lane branches off the Malham-Malham Tarn road (the road east of the cove). There is ample verge parking at the junction. This walk to the inspiring objective of lovely Littondale offers exceptionally easy walking on cushioned green ways.
From the crossroads of ways forsake the tarmac and head north along the unsurfaced drive heading for Malham Tarn. Beyond a gate it enters the environs of Malham Tarn itself, running near the shore and approaching the wooded grounds of the house. At 1230 feet (378 metres) above sea level, Malham Tarn is an extensive sheet of water: its existence in this limestone preserve is due to the layer of Silurian slate on which it stands. This snippet of geological knowledge is a rare survivor from many people's schooldays. With its surrounding wetlands, the tarn is home to a variety of bird life. The surrounding calcareous grassland, woodland and limestone pavement further contribute to its status as a National Nature Reserve. Its owners, the National Trust, and the Field Studies Council, who operate at Malham Tarn House, jointly manage it. The monks of Fountains Abbey held fishing rights on the tarn, and Charles Kingsley was inspired there to create The Water Babies. Follow the drive along the shore of the tarn, passing the cliffs of Great Close Scar. Do not enter the woods at the cattle-grid, but climb the slope to the right. This affords an excellent retrospective view of the whole of the tarn. A green path materialises to rise to the saddle between Highfolds (left) and Great Close Hill. Beyond the gap the path runs along towards Middle House Farm, but beyond an intervening fence slant steadily left, rising to meet a track climbing from the farm to a stile by a gate. From here a good track leads across the limestone pasture, but within a minute or so take a right fork to join a wall. A cluster of barns is passed. Embowered in trees, this is Old Middle House, restored by the National Trust in 1990. Sheep farming here dates from Norse times, before passing into the hands of Fountains Abbey. The path crosses a collapsed wall to a guidepost: here the less obvious Darnbrook path goes off to the left. The monk's road leaves no doubt as to its original patrons, followed by packhorses and now walkers, who are treated to ever expanding vistas over the scars to Littondale entrenched between Darnbrook and Birks Fells. In due course it will lead us to Arncliffe. Little further description is needed as the path runs on through outcrops, pavements and a miscellany of stiles. In time the path drops a little to run along the well-defined crest of Yew Cogar Scar. Below, the idiosyncratic meanderings of Cowside Beck earned it limited fame when it provided the concluding shots for a long-running television farm serial. As the scars recede, the path gets to grips with the descent to Arncliffe, clearly in view on the dale floor. A delightful little lane is joined to lead into the village, rather handily adjacent to the Falcon Inn on the green. Arncliffe is one of the most attractive yet least spilt villages in the Dales, and s regarded as the 'capital' of Littondale. A variety of charecterful grey-stone houses stand back in relaxed manner from a spacious green. The unpretentious inn maintains this mood, and is in fact the only hostelry in the area to serve its ale in that unrivalled fashion, directly from the barrel. Across the shapely bridge, the house at Bridge End played host to Charles Kingsley during his Water Babies period. From the green, cross to the up-dale road, but leave it almost at once for a drive on the right immediately before the church. Out of sight of the green is St Oswald's church, which claims its own niche embowered in trees in a beautiful riverside setting. Though largely rebuilt last century, the solid tower dates back 500 years. Inside is a list of Littondale men who marched off to fight at Flodden Field in 1513. At the end of the drive is a barn, and to its right we emerge into a field. An uncomplicated stroll ensues, downstream with the Skirfare. This relaxing 1.5 miles (2.4 km) is a lovely amble along the dale floor, which can positively abound in bird life. The path is generally clear, and little description is needed other than keeping an eye on the map and the waymarks. Initially in the company of the river, the path keeps its distance for the middle section before rejoining its bank to reach Hawkswick footbridge. Just across it is Hawkswick, last village in Littondale Being the only one off the 'main' up-dale road, its cosy setting remains wonderfully undisturbed. In season, refreshments may be obtained. Without crossing the bridge, turn up the short byway onto a lane. This narrowest of roads climbs up to the right to join the main Littondale road, which is followed a short distance to the right. The second of near parallel dives should be taken to rise to the farm of Arncliffe Cote. Arncliffe Cote was an outlier of the grange at Kilnsey belonging to the monks of Fountains Abbey: across the beck is Hawkswick Cote. Our green road over the hills towards Malham perhaps not surprisingly dates back the same 600 or so years. A track takes over past the buildings to soon emerge onto the grassy fell. After a zigzag it commences a long very gradual climb high above the ravine of Cote Gill across to the left. Though hardly demanding rest stops, the climb by often-dry Cote Gill should be broken to enjoy increasing vistas back over Littondale. The pastures are long and the going easy as the higher reaches of the gill and surrounding uplands are penetrated on a resplendent track on velvet turf. A hint of steepness is encountered before a brief foray with real 'fell-like' terrain on the highest point, Lee Gate High Mark. The summit of the walk reveals a sweeping prospect over Craven to that great landmark Pendle Hill, in Lancashire. The track winds down through the extensive pasture of Great Close. Great Close was the setting, 200 years ago, for the biggest cattle fairs in the north. In the very corner an exuberant stream is forded and a final pasture crossed to meet Mastiles Lane at Street Gate. With grateful thanks to Paul Hannon (From his book 'Walking Country - Malhamdale') |
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