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Hawthornthwaite Fell.

By Hugh Stewart April 7, 2019 Leave a Comment

This unusually local walk of the week recently appeared in the Lancaster Guardian. We’d never ventured on its drab looking slopes in 29 years of viewing, so decided to look anew, luckily the day before a brief “blackthorn winter” – 3rd April. From Stoops Bridge Abbeystead go south on the road and turn right on a signed path, then left up an unsigned path just past the first stream. This leads up through the wood to Hawthornthwaite Farm, where join the minor road and keep on this south till a track left crosses the Cam Brook and leads up the Fell in Catshaw Greave. At the end of this shooters’ track, find any path you can leading up the left side of the valley to the ridge fence, and follow this north-east. Over the fence you will see hundreds of upset gulls, living and breeding here. The “top” is near the fallen trig point with a long, long base: a guide book of 2005 states that this was upright then with the cemented stone base exposed. More Planet of the Apes beach than Bowland bog. Continue east in a wide sunken peat hollow to a fence junction, where you take an east-north-east bearing to find a broad spur, on which a good path appears, marked by posts, some with white near the top. This leads down to the very pleasant wooded Black Clough, with the Shooting Butts above it curiously protected from fauna by complete encircling fences. The track leads to the Trough road, and at the first cattle grid a permissive path allows progress through fields alongside the road for nearly half a mile. At a right angle bend in the road carry straight on, now on the Wyre Way path, signed as such, which leads back via fields, with a good view near the end of Duc Le Gros Veneur’s some time shooting residence, Abbeystead House. This makes 8.25 miles and only just over 1400 ft of ascent, and gives good views of the Bowland Fells and total solitude.

  • Looking down Catshaw Greave.
  • The summit Trig Point.
  • Descending to Black Clough, note the post.
  • Curious fencing around the shooting butts, Black Clough.
  • Looking back to Black Clough.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Download file: hawthornthwaite.gpx

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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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