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Bolton Abbey (Cavendish Pavilion) circular walk via Barden Fell/Moor and the Valley of Desolation

By Hugh Stewart September 9, 2018 Leave a Comment

We used to call in to the Cavendish Pavilion car park en route back home from university drops to Leeds, walking upto Barden Bridge and down the other side. This walk extends this to Howgill, and back over Barden Moor, on good paths/tracks and through different landscapes, to make an interesting 7.8 miles circuit. The car park is £10 per whatever, so if this grates, you could park more cheaply at Barden Bridge, or for free off the road to Appletreewick near Howgill.

Take the path to Barden Bridge by the Wharfe through delightful woods, marvelling at the Strid, where the broad river is constricted to a few feet, most of it going in deep, cavernous (and dangerous) channels. At Barden Bridge cross it and continue easily  on the Dales Way till it turns right and comes to a road. Cross this onto a track which leads upto Howgill and on up steeply through a plantation to the open moor. Continue on the track by the plantation edge, then as it swings east over Barden Moor. Eventually you can see Simon’s Seat higher over to the left, and the rocks of “Rocking Stone” straight ahead.

Follow the track now south, down into another plantation, then take a signed permissive path left down a steep path to the apparently poorly named Valley of Desolation, a splendid, wooded, steep sided little beauty. In fact the name relates to a storm of 1826 when many trees were destroyed by landslips. The path becomes a track over to the right when the valley opens out, follow this to the road and back to the car over the “Wooden Bridge”. This could be extended for more interest over Simon’s seat by turning left at Howgill onto a track, Howgill Lane, and turn right up a path just before Dalehead Farm, steeply it has to be said, to the Seat, a jumble of large gritstone boulders; then carry on over the moor  to join the track of the main route near its apex. This adds 1.3 miles and 220 feet of ascent, and is worth it. The map below includes this addition. Simon’s Seat is so named allegedly by Druids following Simon Magus, who claimed to be one of the three wise men. As do I.

In our plague times, you need a pre-paid time slot for a single car park, and look at the website for details of the current one way path system. The cafe is open for take aways only.

  • The Wooden Bridge at the Cavendish Pavilion
  • The Wharfe and path.
  • The Strid.
  • The Cow and Calf.
  • Looking south from the Moor.
  • A Fly Agaric circle in the Valley of Desolation.
  • Towards Barden Bridge from the South.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Download file: bolton abbey.gpx

Filed Under: Walks

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Hillwalks from the Settle to Carlisle Railway Stations

24 walks into the hills surrounding the historic and iconic Settle to Carlisle railway, based on the stations between Settle and Appleby. The area has some of the finest walking of the north Pennines: the Craven district around Settle; the Three Peaks area; Dentdale, and Mallerstang and the upper Eden valley.

£12.95 (P&P may apply)

View Book

Mountain Biking Adventures: Multi-day Routes in Northern Britain

Over the last two decades, mountain biking has developed enormously as a “sport”. We greatly admire the technical and athletic capabilities of modern day mountain bikers and recognise that many excellent guides have been written and custom-built trails set up. In this guide we try to reopen a sense of adventure and wilderness to mountain biking, providing multi-day routes with a remoteness, continuity and “arc” missing from many modern guides with their focus on day and half day outings.

UK £13.95 ( inc. P&P)

View Book

Settle to Carlisle – Hill Walk with Return by Classic Train Route

With over 22,000 ft of ascent in 105 miles set out over 8 days, this walk sets out from Settle, taking in the classic summits of the North Yorkshire Dales, Howgills, Eastern and Northern Lakeland Fells, to arrive at Carlisle. The return journey to Settle by one of the classic train journeys. Illustrated with photographs and route maps.

£12.95 (P&P may apply)

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Alternative start to the Malham Circular walk

Note, this is now fully described in the Second Edition of "Hillwalks from the Settle to Carlisle Railway Stations", 2014, walk 1b. If the long Langcliffe Scar track does not appeal, but a bit more hillwork does, try this start: as per the book, walk 1, but at the Malham/Settle road turn right … Read More » about Alternative start to the Malham Circular walk

The Highfields walk, Halton with Aughton.

Another plague walk which we could do from home, and although this seems to be a popular walk for locals, we had never done it, and decided to do it both because of that and as we thought it would be less popular and hence less boot-churned muddy than others round Caton and the Bowland Fells. The … Read More » about The Highfields walk, Halton with Aughton.

A Clougha Pike circuit, avoiding Rigg Lane.

I.e. avoiding any crowds parking there. Start at Little Cragg car park and go down the road, turning right to go over the top of Baines Crag for your first view of Morecambe Bay and the Lakeland Fells. At the road go down then left over the first ladder stile and cross the infant Condor by stone or … Read More » about A Clougha Pike circuit, avoiding Rigg Lane.

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