11th October 2025 - Grassington Moor and Capplestone Gate
Walk Details
Distance walked: 13.9 miles
Total ascent: 2300 ft
OS map used: OL2 - Yorkshire Dales, Southern & Western areas
Time taken: 7.5 hrs
Route description: Conistone-Conistone Dib-Dales Way-Bare House-New Pasture Edge-Yarnbury-Old Moor Lane-Grassington Lead Mines-Grassington Moor-Black Edge-Mossdale-Conistone Moor-Capplestone Gate-Highgate Leys Lane-Dales Way-Conistone Dib-Conistone
For my walk this weekend I decided to head to Conistone in Wharfedale. The forecast is for a day of lovely autumn weather, so to make the most of it I worked out a route that took in Grassington Moor and Conistone Moor to its east, similar to one that I did in September 2020. It's all very familiar territory as I've done many walks across them over the years, evidence of the fact being that none of the footpaths and bridleways used were new to me. I set off from Conistone with sunny spells and a bit of patchy cloud, and that was more or less the way it stayed for the whole day, the best of the sunshine being during the second half of the afternoon.
From where I parked by Conistone Bridge I walked up through the hamlet of Conistone, then took the footpath up Conistone Dib all the way to its top to join the Dales Way. I briefly followed the Dales Way south before taking a footpath up to Bare House on Back Pasture, from where I took the path southeast along New Pasture Edge to the hamlet of Yarnbury and the top of Moor Lane. I then turned left and walked up the track of Old Moor Lane to the ruins of the Grassington Lead Mines (where I stopped for lunch), and then another track north up onto Grassington Moor, below Black Edge and down to Mossdale, where I turned right and took a track east past Mossdale Scar to a footbridge over Mossdale Beck. I didn't cross the bridge but took a track uphill and then a path west across Conistone Moor to its western edge and the trig point at Capplestone Gate. Once I'd taken in the view I made my way north along the edge of the moor, through disused mines and until I reached a footpath on the left, which I took and followed down a track to the track of Highgate Leys Lane and the trail of the Dales Way. I then followed the Dales Way south to Conistone Pie and across the top of Scot Gate Lane, where I turned right and took the footpath down Conistone Dib. I followed the path down the Dib back to Consitone, but with a detour up to the cairn on the hillside of Davy Dimple on the way.
Total ascent: 2300 ft
OS map used: OL2 - Yorkshire Dales, Southern & Western areas
Time taken: 7.5 hrs
Route description: Conistone-Conistone Dib-Dales Way-Bare House-New Pasture Edge-Yarnbury-Old Moor Lane-Grassington Lead Mines-Grassington Moor-Black Edge-Mossdale-Conistone Moor-Capplestone Gate-Highgate Leys Lane-Dales Way-Conistone Dib-Conistone
For my walk this weekend I decided to head to Conistone in Wharfedale. The forecast is for a day of lovely autumn weather, so to make the most of it I worked out a route that took in Grassington Moor and Conistone Moor to its east, similar to one that I did in September 2020. It's all very familiar territory as I've done many walks across them over the years, evidence of the fact being that none of the footpaths and bridleways used were new to me. I set off from Conistone with sunny spells and a bit of patchy cloud, and that was more or less the way it stayed for the whole day, the best of the sunshine being during the second half of the afternoon.
From where I parked by Conistone Bridge I walked up through the hamlet of Conistone, then took the footpath up Conistone Dib all the way to its top to join the Dales Way. I briefly followed the Dales Way south before taking a footpath up to Bare House on Back Pasture, from where I took the path southeast along New Pasture Edge to the hamlet of Yarnbury and the top of Moor Lane. I then turned left and walked up the track of Old Moor Lane to the ruins of the Grassington Lead Mines (where I stopped for lunch), and then another track north up onto Grassington Moor, below Black Edge and down to Mossdale, where I turned right and took a track east past Mossdale Scar to a footbridge over Mossdale Beck. I didn't cross the bridge but took a track uphill and then a path west across Conistone Moor to its western edge and the trig point at Capplestone Gate. Once I'd taken in the view I made my way north along the edge of the moor, through disused mines and until I reached a footpath on the left, which I took and followed down a track to the track of Highgate Leys Lane and the trail of the Dales Way. I then followed the Dales Way south to Conistone Pie and across the top of Scot Gate Lane, where I turned right and took the footpath down Conistone Dib. I followed the path down the Dib back to Consitone, but with a detour up to the cairn on the hillside of Davy Dimple on the way.
Route map
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Kilnsey Crag and the River Wharfe from Conistone Bridge
Passing through the hamlet of Conistone
Making my way up Conistone Dib..
Looking down Conistone Dib from the Dales Way
Heading south on the Dales Way
I soon leave the Dales Way for a footpath up the hillside to Bare House and Downs Pasture..
Looking across Wharfedale with Cracoe Fell in the distance on the left, and the limestone pavements of Lea Green lit by the sun on the right
and up Wharfedale to Littondale in the distance
Reaching Bare House
On the path across Downs Pasture
Looking back across Downs Pasture to Bare House and High Barn
Approaching the hamlet of Yarnbury
Looking back to Yarnbury as I take the track of Old Moor Lane up onto Grassington Moor
The track takes me up to the ruins of the Grassington Lead Mines....
Coalgrove Beck Reservoir
More disused mines as I follow the track up onto Grassington Moor..
Looking back from Grassington Moor, with Simon's Seat in the distance on the left and Barden Moor on the right
The lead in the soil that's been left behind from the mining means that nothing can grow. It creates a bleak and stark landscape.
I follow the track northwest, down to and across Black Edge Dike, and then below Black Edge
Looking south to Simon's Seat and Barden Moor from below Black Edge..
..and west across Wharfedale
Following the track north to Mossdale..
..and then into Mossdale
Mossdale Beck disappears at the foot of Mossdale Scar into Mossdale Caverns. It resurfaces as Black Keld by the River Wharfe just south of Kettlewell.
Looking back to the shooting hut in Mossdale as I head up onto Conistone Moor
Following the path west across Conistone Moor
Looking back across Conistone Moor to Mossdale
Reaching the western edge of Conistone Moor, I head for the trig point at Capplestone Gate
At the trig point at Capplestone Gate
Looking northwest to the fells round Littondale and upper Wharfedale..
and across Wharfedale to Malham Moor, Kilnsey Moor, and Parson's Pulpit
Looking south down Wharfedale to Barden Fell..
..and to Barden Moor and Threshfield Moor
Views across the moorland around Wharfedale as I head north along the edge of the moor...
Leaving the footpath along the edge of the moor I take one down across the limestone moorland of New Close Allotments to the track of Highgate Leys Lane and the Dales Way....
Onto the Dales Way as it leaves the track of Highgate Leys Lane
Looking up Wharfedale to Yockenthwaite Moor from Swineber Scar
Following the Dales Way south to Conistone Pie
On the way there I have great views of the countryside around where Littondale and Wharfedale meet.....
Looking back along the Dales Way to Swineber Scar
and back to Conistone Pie as I follow the Dales Way south
The Dales Way approaches the top of Scot Gate Lane and Conistone Dib
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Heading down Conistone Dib..
Looking up Conistone Dib as I climb up onto the hillside of Davy Dimple
There's a fantastic view up Wharfedale to where Littondale joins it as I reach the edge of the hillside above Conistone..
Conistone and Kilnsey, Kilnsey Moor and Kilnsey Crag
The view down Wharfedale. The large wood on the left is Grass Wood.
Kilnsey Crag in shadow on the other side of the dale as I head down to Conistone..
A lovely end to the afternoon for my return to Conistone