11th July 2025 - Tarn Seat and Summer Lodge Moor
Walk Details
Distance walked: 11.8 miles
Total ascent: 1949 ft
OS map used: OL30 - Yorkshire Dales, Northern & Central areas
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Gunnerside-B6270-Dubbing Garth Lane-Crackpot-Summer Lodge-Summer Lodge Moor-Scar Brow-Long Band-Tarn Seat-Tarn Rigg-Oxnop Scar-Satron High Walls-B6270-Ivelet Bridge-Ivelet-Gunnerside
No walk last weekend, the weather was just too poor. Such a contrast to spring, when it was almost a given that at least one of the days would be fine and dry. There's hot and sunny weather forecast for this weekend, as well as today, my Friday off work. I decided to head for Gunnerside in Swaledale and walk a route that I worked out that would take in some new territory. Actually, it was only the moorland section between the two roads across from Wensleydale that wasn't. I did that on a walk from Askrigg in 2022. The forecast proved to be accurate, I enjoyed wall-to-wall blue skies and sunshine from start to finish, and it was hot. With hindsight, maybe a bit too hot, although a bit of a breeze on the moors made it bearable. The highlight of the day was taking in the view from Oxnop Scar, a dramatic and little visited location.
After parking my car in Gunnerside I walked south along the B6270 and across the bridge over the River Swale to a right-hand bend, where I took a lane on the left. I wasn't on this for long as I took a track on the left and followed it east to reach Dubbing Garth Lane and the t-junction at its end. Here I turned right and walked up the road to the hamlet of Crackpot, then straight on up the road to its end at Summer Lodge Farm. I took the track from the end of the road and followed it up and across Summer Lodge Moor to the road of Long Band, which I briefly walked north along before making my way up to the beacon on Scar Brow on the right, where I stopped for lunch. After this break I returned to the road and walked south along it to the cattle grid at its top, crossed the cattle grid, then followed the fence on the right west to the Tarn Seat trig point, past Summer Lodge Tarn, and down to the road across Askrigg Common. Here I turned right and walked north along the road, taking the right-hand branch at a fork, to walk north along the road by Oxnop Scar and down Satron Moor. Soon after the road crossed Spout Gill I took a track on the right onto the moor, then made my way from this up to the limestone scar of Satron High Walls. After taking in the view I returned to the road and continued to walk down it until I reached a footpath on the left, which I took down through fields to the B6270. I then took the road opposite down and across Ivelet Bridge and up to the hamlet of Ivelet, where I took a lane on the right just before the red telephone box. Walking along this brought me to a footpath on the right, signposted for Gunnerside, which I took and followed east across fields back to Gunnerside.
Total ascent: 1949 ft
OS map used: OL30 - Yorkshire Dales, Northern & Central areas
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Gunnerside-B6270-Dubbing Garth Lane-Crackpot-Summer Lodge-Summer Lodge Moor-Scar Brow-Long Band-Tarn Seat-Tarn Rigg-Oxnop Scar-Satron High Walls-B6270-Ivelet Bridge-Ivelet-Gunnerside
No walk last weekend, the weather was just too poor. Such a contrast to spring, when it was almost a given that at least one of the days would be fine and dry. There's hot and sunny weather forecast for this weekend, as well as today, my Friday off work. I decided to head for Gunnerside in Swaledale and walk a route that I worked out that would take in some new territory. Actually, it was only the moorland section between the two roads across from Wensleydale that wasn't. I did that on a walk from Askrigg in 2022. The forecast proved to be accurate, I enjoyed wall-to-wall blue skies and sunshine from start to finish, and it was hot. With hindsight, maybe a bit too hot, although a bit of a breeze on the moors made it bearable. The highlight of the day was taking in the view from Oxnop Scar, a dramatic and little visited location.
After parking my car in Gunnerside I walked south along the B6270 and across the bridge over the River Swale to a right-hand bend, where I took a lane on the left. I wasn't on this for long as I took a track on the left and followed it east to reach Dubbing Garth Lane and the t-junction at its end. Here I turned right and walked up the road to the hamlet of Crackpot, then straight on up the road to its end at Summer Lodge Farm. I took the track from the end of the road and followed it up and across Summer Lodge Moor to the road of Long Band, which I briefly walked north along before making my way up to the beacon on Scar Brow on the right, where I stopped for lunch. After this break I returned to the road and walked south along it to the cattle grid at its top, crossed the cattle grid, then followed the fence on the right west to the Tarn Seat trig point, past Summer Lodge Tarn, and down to the road across Askrigg Common. Here I turned right and walked north along the road, taking the right-hand branch at a fork, to walk north along the road by Oxnop Scar and down Satron Moor. Soon after the road crossed Spout Gill I took a track on the right onto the moor, then made my way from this up to the limestone scar of Satron High Walls. After taking in the view I returned to the road and continued to walk down it until I reached a footpath on the left, which I took down through fields to the B6270. I then took the road opposite down and across Ivelet Bridge and up to the hamlet of Ivelet, where I took a lane on the right just before the red telephone box. Walking along this brought me to a footpath on the right, signposted for Gunnerside, which I took and followed east across fields back to Gunnerside.
Route map
© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. License number PU 100034184.
Looking up Swaledale..
..and back to Gunnerside from Gunnerside New Bridge
After crossing the bridge I take a track east down towards the River Swale..
Swaledale on a hot summer's morning..
Reaching the junction at the end of Dubbing Garth Lane
A view up Swaledale from the lane up to Crackpot
Waterfalls on Haverdale Beck
In the hamlet of Crackpot
Looking back across Swaledale to Brownsey Moor and Feetham Pasture, with Calver Hill on the right
From Crackpot I walk up the lane to its end at Summer Lodge
By Summer Lodge Beck
and by Summer Lodge Farm
From Summer Lodge Farm I take the track up onto Summer Lodge Moor
Looking down the valley of Summer Lodge Beck and across Swaledale to Brownsey Moor and Calver Hill
Following the track up Summer Lodge Moor
Looking back to the hill of Blea Barf, and Crackpot Side
and down the valley of Summer Lodge Beck to Crackpot Side, and across Swaledale to Brownsey Moor
At the top of the track I reach the road of Long Band, which I'll briefly walk along to the north
Looking across the valley of Summer Lodge Beck to Blea Barf and Crackpot Side, and to Rogan's Seat in the distance as I make my way up to the beacon on Scar Brow
Brownsey Moor, Swaledale and the hamlet of Feetham, Calver Hill, and Fremington Edge from Scar Brow
The beacon on Scar Brow with Summer Lodge Moor behind
Back on the road of Long Band, and walking up to the cattle grid at its top
There's a great view across Swaledale when I look back
To my left, the heathery expanse of West Bolton Moor
Passing a boundary stone on the roadside
I finally reach the cattle grid at the top of the road, from where I'll follow the fence on the right
Following the fence west towards Tarn Seat
At the trig point on Tarn Seat
Looking north to Blea Barf and Melbecks Moor on the other side of Swaledale
To the southeast; Penhill on the left, then Great Whernside and Buckden Pike in the distance on the right
Looking south across Wensleydale to Stake Allotments, the moorland around Raydale, Wether Fell, and Dodd Fell Hill
The heather moorland of Askrigg Common
Summer Lodge Tarn from the beacon on Tarn Rigg
A cairn at a change of direction on the fence gives me a view down the valley of Summer Lodge Beck into Swaledale
Following the fence past Summer Lodge Tarn..
Oxnop Common ahead as I follow the fence west..
..and then Great Whernside, Buckden Pike, and Cragdale Moor in the distance as I follow the fence down to the road across Askrigg Common
On the road at last. Looking towards Wensleydale.
I'm going the other way, towards Swaledale..
At a fork in the road I took the right-hand one. The left-hand one heads down by Oxnop Gill into Swaledale.
I walk north along the road towards Oxnop Scar
Just a short distance from the road I'm treated to great views from Oxnop Scar down Oxnop Gill to Swaledale....
From the top of Oxnop Scar I follow the road north along the edge of Satron Moor
Looking across Oxnop Gill to the moorland of Oxnop Side
Just ahead I'll leave the road for a track on the right to visit the limestone scars of Satron High Walls
On Satron High Walls. Looking down Swaledale with Brownsey Moor and Feetham Pasture on the left.
Definitely the best view from here is that looking up Swaledale to Great Shunner Fell and the moorland around Thwaite and Muker
Gunnerside Pasture, Melbecks Moor, and Brownsey Moor on the other side of Swaledale
Looking across Oxnop Gill to Oxnop Common
Back onto the road and following it down into Swaledale
Looking back to Satron Moor and the northern end of Oxnop Scar
Leaving the road I take a footpath down through fields to the B6270..
The River Swale from Ivelet Bridge
Ivelet Bridge
From Ivelet I take the footpath through the woodland around Shore Gill..
..and then east through fields towards Gunnerside
Looking across Swaledale to the hamlet of Satron
and back up the dale
Gunnerside in sight at last
The River Swale below
Returning to Gunnerside at the end of a lovely summer's afternoon
A final shot of the view up Swaledale