Saturday 20 April 2013

338 May Walks from Grassington

Our next walks will be from

GRASSINGTON

There's nothing quite like a Yorkshire Dales village!

Saturday 11th May 2013

0800hrs prompt from the short stay car park
In Grassington we have everything that comes to mind when you imagine a typical village: stunning views, beautiful stone buildings, quirky shops and friendly pubs and a selection of tea rooms and cafes, all of which serve home made fare; however there is so much more to Grassington than meets the eye .
Although often described by local people as a village, Grassington was granted a Royal Charter for a market and fair in 1282 giving it market town status. The market was held regularly until about 1860. A change in land use from the early 17th century, when lead mining began to assume more importance, brought some prosperity, but Grassington's heyday arrived during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The opening of the Yorkshire Dales Railway to Threshfield in 1901 brought new visitors, many of whom settled, some finding work in Skipton or in the developing limestone quarries. The Old Hall at Grassington is reputedly the oldest house in Yorkshire, dating from the late 13th or early 14th century.[




Electricity generation

In 1909, Grassington received its first electricity from a hydroelectric plant at Linton Falls, which continued to operate until 1948 when the National Grid arrived in the area. In March 2012 a new hydroelectric power plant was opened using the same but restored turbine house, which provides 500,000 kWh of electricity a year, using two Archimedean screws

More information about Grassington here;


We have three walks;
Full walk details will be added as they become available, but by Saturday 4thMay

A Walk from Grassington 2013

Walk Leader: Steve Edwards
Distance: 10.4 miles
Total Ascent: 1420ft



We leave the car park (hopefully I have guessed the correct one) heading south towards Threshfield crossing the River Wharfe as it meanders sedately towards the sea. 



At Threshfield we turn right towards Kettlewell then turning left into Skirethorns Lane (great house with a model train in the garden). We follow this lane, turning right into Wood Lane. The end of the road walking is now in sight and the true nature of our glorious Yorkshire countryside is soon evident with outcrops of limestone becoming more frequent.

We cross wild country - limestone uplands of Kilnsey Moor. Quite suddenly the view ahead opens up across Wharfedale to Great Whernside. You can also clearly see the profile of Conistone Dib immediately behind the village and the stunning Kilnsey Crag to your left (get your rope out if you want to climb this as it has an impressive overhang.)



With an easy downhill walk we can admire the views staying on the lane until we approach the pleasant unspoilt village of Conistone with cottages grouped together around the small village "green".
We take the path heading north past a beautiful refurbished church and then east climbing slowly to reach the limestone plateau above.

We are now reach the Dales Way which is followed all the way back to Grassington.

We will see excellent examples of limestone pavements, extensive in this area and are certainly equal to those found above Malham.

B Walk from Grassington

Walk Leader: John Adamson
Distance:       8 miles app
Total Ascent/descent: 820ft app 

Height Gain: 600ft


click on map to enlarge

The circular clockwise walk leaves Grassington to the east via High Lane and climbs through the fields, and over 8 stiles to Edge Lane. After turning north to Spring House we walk up the road for 20 minutes to Yarnbury. The route takes off to the east past some old lead mines and a small reservoir, to Hebden Beck.
Ruth and Mary by Hebden Beck
End of Hebden Beck
 Grassington was the lead mining capital of the Dales up to the end of the 19th Century. Turn south down the attractive Hebden Beck Dale, through the villages of Hole Bottom and Hebden, to the River Wharfe.
River Wharfe
 We do not cross the river but walk west along a very pleasant river bank back to Grassington.

C Walk from Grassington 2013


Walk Leader: John Smith
Distance:       5+ miles
Total Ascent/descent:750ft


Click to enlarge map

The walk today is 5+ miles and over many stiles which are easy to navigate. I hope the weather will be kind to us as the views are really terrific across the valley.

After coffee at either Cobblestones or Coffeeecho (both on the right as you walk up the main street) we will meet in the main square outside Cobblestones. The initial part of the walk takes us up through the village to turn off onto High Lane, taking a left onto a gentle uphill path through a field and onto Edge Lane from where the views should be fantastic. The trail turns right down to Hole Bottom and right again down a road parallel to Hebden Beck and into Hebden. There is a cafe here with a toilet but they would like you to buy something, say a drink or a snack if you wish to use the toilet. On the recce, we sat outside and enjoyed a cuppa. The descent now becomes more marked as we continue down to the River Wharfe, during we will pass a salmon breeding farm. At the river, turn right for a couple of miles of flat riverside walking back into Grassington ending conveniently at the coach and toilets. 



Monday 15 April 2013

Photographs of the Llanberris walks



B Party walk by John Adamson

A Party walk on the wild side photographs here