25th September 2018 - Cracoe Fell
Walk Details
Distance walked: 9.8 miles
Total ascent: 1545 ft
OS map used: OL2 - Yorkshire Dales, Southern & Western areas
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Rylstone-St. Peter's Church-High Bark-Rylstone Cross-Cracoe Fell-Peter's Crag-Rolling Gate Nook-Thorpe-Far Langerton-Thorpe Lane-Cracoe-Chapel Lane-Rylstone
I've got the week off work and with a fine day forecast I decided to head out for a walk in the Yorkshire Dales. I decided to do a route from Rylstone (on the road from Skipton to Grassington), that would take in the crags of Cracoe Fell, which is the northwestern corner of Barden Moor. It was a beautiful early autumn day with lots of sunshine and mild, despite it being windy up on the moor. It felt so warm by the time I was in Cracoe that I stopped at the farm shop and cafe to have an ice-cream (I was going to stop there anyway but hadn't thought of having an ice-cream). Fantastic views were enjoyed from the crags, especially with the colours of autumn starting to show themselves.
From the layby on the Grassington Road in Rylstone I crossed the road and took the lane past Manor House and then the bridleway to St. Peter's Church. I then took the bridleway south to then pick up another bridleway that heads up onto and across Barden Moor. When the bridleway reached the wall at High Bark that heads north up across the moor I left it behind to follow a path by the wall to reach a ladder stile that gives access to Rylstone Cross. After taking in the views I kept on the western side of the wall and followed the crags north to the war memorial on Watt Crag. A sheltered spot out of the wind was found here for having lunch. I then crossed back over the wall and continued to follow a path then track to the northeast then east along the edge of the moor to reach a shooting lodge. This was my cue for the path down to Thorpe. It's clear enough as it heads north down the moor to an enclosed track that reaches the southern edge of Thorpe. As soon as the track reached the tarmacked road I turned left and took the footpath that heads west beneath Elbolton Hill and across fields to Far Langerton on Thorpe Lane. A walk west along the lane brought me to Cracoe and a stop for refreshments. After walking through Cracoe I used the track of Chapel Lane to take me back to Rylstone and where I was parked.
Total ascent: 1545 ft
OS map used: OL2 - Yorkshire Dales, Southern & Western areas
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Rylstone-St. Peter's Church-High Bark-Rylstone Cross-Cracoe Fell-Peter's Crag-Rolling Gate Nook-Thorpe-Far Langerton-Thorpe Lane-Cracoe-Chapel Lane-Rylstone
I've got the week off work and with a fine day forecast I decided to head out for a walk in the Yorkshire Dales. I decided to do a route from Rylstone (on the road from Skipton to Grassington), that would take in the crags of Cracoe Fell, which is the northwestern corner of Barden Moor. It was a beautiful early autumn day with lots of sunshine and mild, despite it being windy up on the moor. It felt so warm by the time I was in Cracoe that I stopped at the farm shop and cafe to have an ice-cream (I was going to stop there anyway but hadn't thought of having an ice-cream). Fantastic views were enjoyed from the crags, especially with the colours of autumn starting to show themselves.
From the layby on the Grassington Road in Rylstone I crossed the road and took the lane past Manor House and then the bridleway to St. Peter's Church. I then took the bridleway south to then pick up another bridleway that heads up onto and across Barden Moor. When the bridleway reached the wall at High Bark that heads north up across the moor I left it behind to follow a path by the wall to reach a ladder stile that gives access to Rylstone Cross. After taking in the views I kept on the western side of the wall and followed the crags north to the war memorial on Watt Crag. A sheltered spot out of the wind was found here for having lunch. I then crossed back over the wall and continued to follow a path then track to the northeast then east along the edge of the moor to reach a shooting lodge. This was my cue for the path down to Thorpe. It's clear enough as it heads north down the moor to an enclosed track that reaches the southern edge of Thorpe. As soon as the track reached the tarmacked road I turned left and took the footpath that heads west beneath Elbolton Hill and across fields to Far Langerton on Thorpe Lane. A walk west along the lane brought me to Cracoe and a stop for refreshments. After walking through Cracoe I used the track of Chapel Lane to take me back to Rylstone and where I was parked.
Route map
A great looking sky and colours in Rylstone this morning
The church of St. Peter in Rylstone
The war memorial on Cracoe Fell can be seen on the skyline
A couple of photos of the surrounding countryside from the bridleway up onto Rylstone Fell..
I can make out Rylstone Cross perched on top of the crags
and a short time later I reach it
Looking northeast along the crags to the war memorial
Pendle Hill in the distance on the left with the hills of the Forest of Bowland the distant skyline
Crookrise Crag Top on the left, the western edge of Barden Moor
Buckden Pike and Great Whernside through the gap
That's a better view of them above Wharfedale
The village of Hetton in the valley below with the hills between Malham and Settle in the distance
Time that I moved on and I'm going to stay on the northern side of the wall, something that I haven't done before
It proved to be a good decision and gave me lots of photo opportunities with all the crags and boulders.......
This one is my favourite
Approaching the war memorial on Watt Crag..
The view west towards Pendle Hill and the hills of the Forest of Bowland
Weets Top and Threshfield Moor to the northwest with the tops of Ingleborough and Fountains Fell in the distance
Wharfedale, Buckden Pike and Great Whernside to the northeast
Barden Fell, Beamsley Beacon and Ilkley Moor in the distance with Upper Barden Reservoir below
From the war memorial I follow the wall northeast across the fell..
Looking back to the war memorial as I follow a track east across the moor..
..and to the moors between Malhamdale and Wharfedale
This shooting lodge with Barden Fell in the background is my cue that I've reached the path down to Thorpe
I have a fantastic view of Wharfedale as I start my descent. The big hills in the distance are Buckden Pike and Great Whernside with the village of Grassington on the left..
Looking towards Burnsall from above Hesker Gill
The limestone hill of Elbolton becomes an imposing object as the path becomes an enclosed track
There's a great view of Wharfedale in front of me as I follow the track down to Thorpe..
Thorpe is left for a path west below Elbolton Hill
Looking back to Thorpe
Crossing fields as I head for Thorpe Lane
To my right I have a fantastic view up Wharfedale with the village of Grassington on the right
Looking back along Thorpe Lane
Freshly cut grass as I reach Cracoe
Walking through Cracoe as I head back to Rylstone