National Trail Guides UK

Contents : DALES WAY


		Introduction		Day 5
		Day 1		Day 6
		Day 2		Day 7
		Day 3		Day 8
		Day 4		Day 9

THE DALES WAY RUNS FROM ILKELY (YORKSHIRE) TO BOWNESS (LAKES)

NATIONAL TRAILS GUIDES UK - DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS & GALLERIES

Day 7 :: Many Farms :: Millthrop (near Sedbergh) to Crook of Lune Bridge :: 7 miles

Another sunny and beautiful day. Carol and I still had blisters on our feet, although they did not bother us too much at present; by the end of the day my right foot would be very bad. We had driven to Mitlhrop, to the bridge where we had finished our walk yesterday, and were now ready to start today's walk to the bridge at the Crook of Lune.

Looking over the bridge at Millthrop into the River Rawthey the sun sparkled in the clear water and the water scintillated iridescently. We found the Dales Way just a few yards from the bridge marked by a signpost pointing to Birks. Once on the path the huge arch of the bridge could be seen through the dense cluster of leaves and trees standing between the path and the river.

In no time the path had changed to a narrow track across a meadow only to enter a woodland at the far side. This was quite a thick wood with many paths, and we found it difficult keeping to the correct one. In fact we did not keep to the correct path and somehow managed, during the few minutes we were in the wood, to stray from it, and we left the wood at the bottom corner near to the river. We did not realise we were not on the correct path until I spotted an old ruined tower up a hill to our right. This should have been directly in front of us and so we found our way to the ruin and picked up the correct path.



Meadow near bridge at Millthrop leading to Birks		Wood beyond meadow on way to Birks



Relic of World War II beyond woods on way to Birks		View to the Howgills from he relic

I do not know the structure's purpose, but our guide book suggested it was a relic from World War II. It was now populated by sheep and surrounded by a flimsy wooden fence. The ruin stood at the top of a small knoll, which, once climbed, offered a glorious view of the Howgills to our right and in front.

We continued by crossing the meadow and then walking between the river on our left and the edge of Sedbergh school's rugby pitch. Once past the pitch we climbed a small bank past a large white house and emerged on a minor road just outside Sedbergh. This was in the centre of the small hamlet of Birks, not much more than a few houses.

We followed the road for about a quarter of a mile or so until we reached a large mill, where we left the road and turned left through the grounds of the mill, keeping to the edge of the river. On our left, crossing the river, was a wooden footbridge, but we ignored this and continued until noticing a signpost indicating the Dales Way along this side of the river bank.

We followed the narrow track along the River Rawthey for awhile, passed a very smelly sewage works, and eventually came out of the trees and onto open pasture. We entered another copse of trees and then saw the River Dee, which we had been following yesterday, joining the River Rawthey, the two becoming one. And then we were out of the woods again and onto open pasture beside the river.



The hamlet of Birks		Riverbank along the River Rawthey



Steps up and over the disused railway embankment		Viaduct over the River Rawthey

At the end of one of the meadows there was a disused railway embankment with a steep fight of wooden steps rising up it. The weeds on either side had been cut during the last few days, otherwise I suspect my legs would have been badly nettled. Likewise on the steps down on the other side. This led us to a large meadow lined with trees along the river. The old railway crossed the river at this point on a large single arched viaduct, which from our vantage looked picturesque. There were two young boys fishing in the river, and the whole scene was one of tranquility and lazy summer days.

At the end of the meadow there was a wooden gate leading to a narrow path between the river and a fence. The path was covered in protruding tree roots and one had to take care not to twist an ankle. Eventually the path climbed and turned right, away from the river, to join the A683 at Brigflatts, a small cluster of houses.

We turned left along the road, observing an attractive fortified complex in the fields over to our right. We followed the road for nearly half a mile until reaching a signpost indicating the Dales Way along a meadow on our left and signposted to High Oaks.

Near the far end of the meadow, once away from the noise of the busy main road, we sat down and had lunch. Upon standing again we noticed our feet were a little sore. At the end of the meadow was the Haverah Beck, spanned by a small footbridge, which we crossed. The beck looked rather pretty from the footbridge. On the other side was a small knoll, which we climbed and then crossed a large field to a hedge. Passing through a gap in the hedge and following a footpath sign we followed a hawthorn lined green lane to a building, where we turned right and entered the beautiful hamlet of High Oaks.



Carol near Brigflatts		The author near Brigflatts



Fairytale castle from Brigflatts		Haverah Beck from the bridge spanning it

After a very short distance we turned right and followed a further greenway out of the hamlet. this led us to a number of gates and it was not clear which way we should go, they being newer than our guide book. There was a signpost but one end was broken. We guessed to turn right towards Lincoln's Inn Bridge, on an undefined path, and were convinced after only a hundred yards, that we had chosen wrongly; nothing seemed to match up with the descriptions in our guide book. In fact we were on the correct path all the time but it was a while before we knew it.

It was only after coming to Luneside Farm that we realised we had come the right way after all. Just beyond the farm a gate led across a meadow to a line of trees. The path could be seen worn in the grass to the right of some agricultural machinery that had been left there. We passed this and continued along another long meadow. There was a sign telling walkers to keep to the edge of the field.

We did so and soon found a wooden step stile over the field and continuing along a meadow on the other side, angling in to reach the River Lune. We were soon able to glimpse the twin spanned Lincoln's Inn Bridge, reaching it and coming on to the A684.



Luneside Farm		Path from Luneside Farm



Lincoln's Inn Bridge and the River Lune		Lune Viaduct



Tree with FP written upon it		Dales Way towards Hole House Farm

We turned right and found, after about 50 yards, a footpath on our left at a gate and signposted to Low Branthwaite This was a double tracked path with a grassy central ridge. It soon returned to the river bank which was lined with trees, and our path was shared by many sheep browsing the short grass. As we progressed we saw the Lune viaduct in front, with a step stile over a stone wall. The guide book we were following assumed that most walkers would follow the alternative route to the right, rather than cross this simple stile and ford on the opposite side. We found this very frustrating as there was little description of the route ahead for some considerable time.

We forded the beck and followed the path to the viaduct and under one of its arches and then climbed on a grassy track up a steep hill that contained several signposts zigzagging up it. We then had to guess at the route around Branthwaite Farm, entering it at a gate overlooking a deep valley and Crosdale Beck. We followed the track and passed the farm, keeping it on our left and then following signposts and crossing a step stile to a narrow track overgrown with weeds and passing to the left of Bramaskew Farm. We passed through a gate and found ourselves in a large open field, dotted with trees but with no indication as to which way we should go.

I guessed that we should angle in towards the Lune, on our left. We set off to do so and noticed as we passed on of the large trees that someone had written "FP" on its trunk, and this was so with another, and again with a stone building. At length we crossed the field and rejoined the banks of the Lune and followed a track to a gate leading to further meadows and then climbed a large hill to reach Hole House Farm.

We had to walk right through the centre of the farm, entering it by a metal gate, and then walking between two dwellings to find a small gate. This was quite intimidating as it felt very much like we were trespassing. Once through the gate we found ourselves on a narrow track between trees and then crossing a wooden bridge over a gully.

On the other side of the bridge was a sign which read "FP north of Thwaite closed by Statutory Order. New route, follow river side." And so we left the comfort of our guide book once again and followed the route to the left, over a stile and field and back to the riverside. We then walked a long distance along the River Lune, between cattle, calves and bulls. We crossed becks joining the Lune several times on footbridges, and many times the path entered small woodland areas only to return to meadows.



Approaching Hole House Farm		Dales Way between houses at Hole House Farm

Some of the woodland areas were very tricky to negotiate, being very narrow, muddy and elevated with tree routes sticking out to ensnare the ankles. On the whole, however, this stretch of the path was very attractive. Near the bottom of Crook of Lune Farm we met a local man who was off with his dog for some snorkeling in one of the few deep stretches of water. Although he was local and had lived here for 20 years he was originally from Widnes, not that far from our own home. We chatted for some time and then parted.

We soon found a gate leading to the minor road at Crook of Lune Bridge and walked along this, observing the wonderful view upstream with the Howgills in the background.

We had parked beneath the large viaduct beyond the small hamlet of Beck Foot. As we walked into the hamlet we were met by an elderly woman who asked us if we would like a drink in her home. The locals around here are really very friendly.



Crook of Lune bridge		View from Crook of Lune bridge



Crook of Lune		Viaduct at Crook of Lune


Day 6	Day 8

Author - Roy McKee