13th September 2019 - West Stones Dale and Robert's Seat
Walk Details
Distance walked: 11.0 miles
Total ascent: 1739 ft
OS map used: OL30 - Yorkshire Dales, Northern & Central areas
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Keld-Pennine Way-Tan Hill Inn-Summer house Hill-West Stones Dale-Thomas Gill-Thomas Gill Rigg-Robert's Seat-Ravenseat-Whitsun Dale-Coast to Coast Walk-Pennine Way-Keld
For my final walk in Swaledale I decided to head to Keld and do a route that would take in a section of the Pennine Way and explore some of the moorland around West Stones Dale and Whitsun Dale. I enjoyed some pretty good weather, which was a bonus, considering the amount of time I was going to be spending on the moors. It would have been a particularly uninspiring day otherwise. The sunshine did go very hazy for a couple of hours, which made things a little dull, but it cleared while I was around the Tan Hill Inn and the rest of the afternoon was lovely. My walks this week have taken in two sections of the Pennine Way that were new to me. It might be interesting to work out how much of it I've walked along over the years.
From the car park at Park Lodge Farm in Keld I made my way down the bridleway towards the River Swale where I picked up the trail of the Pennine Way. I then crossed the Swale, and followed the Pennine Way north up West Stones Dale and across Stonesdale Moor to reach the Tan Hill Inn. After paying a visit to the top of Summer-house Hill, which is next to the Tan Hill Inn, I returned to the road by the pub and started walking down the road into West Stones Dale. I soon reached a fingerpost on the right for a footpath to Ravenseat. I took the path and followed it down into West Stones Dale, across Stonesdale Beck, up by Thomas Gill, and then across the moorland of Thomas Gill Rigg and Robert's Seat Band. When the path reached a stile across a fence I didn't cross it, but followed the fence up to the summit of Robert's Seat. When I'd returned to the stile in the fence I crossed it and continued on the path down to Ravenseat. From Ravenseat I took the path signposted to Keld, which makes its way south down Whitsun Dale (and is part of Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk) and then down towards the River Swale. I didn't take the track down to Low Bridge but carried on along a footpath east along the hillside to Stonesdale Lane. After crossing Stonesdale Lane I took the bridleway east above the River Swale to East Stonesdale where I met the Pennine Way. I then retraced my steps back to Keld.
Total ascent: 1739 ft
OS map used: OL30 - Yorkshire Dales, Northern & Central areas
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Keld-Pennine Way-Tan Hill Inn-Summer house Hill-West Stones Dale-Thomas Gill-Thomas Gill Rigg-Robert's Seat-Ravenseat-Whitsun Dale-Coast to Coast Walk-Pennine Way-Keld
For my final walk in Swaledale I decided to head to Keld and do a route that would take in a section of the Pennine Way and explore some of the moorland around West Stones Dale and Whitsun Dale. I enjoyed some pretty good weather, which was a bonus, considering the amount of time I was going to be spending on the moors. It would have been a particularly uninspiring day otherwise. The sunshine did go very hazy for a couple of hours, which made things a little dull, but it cleared while I was around the Tan Hill Inn and the rest of the afternoon was lovely. My walks this week have taken in two sections of the Pennine Way that were new to me. It might be interesting to work out how much of it I've walked along over the years.
From the car park at Park Lodge Farm in Keld I made my way down the bridleway towards the River Swale where I picked up the trail of the Pennine Way. I then crossed the Swale, and followed the Pennine Way north up West Stones Dale and across Stonesdale Moor to reach the Tan Hill Inn. After paying a visit to the top of Summer-house Hill, which is next to the Tan Hill Inn, I returned to the road by the pub and started walking down the road into West Stones Dale. I soon reached a fingerpost on the right for a footpath to Ravenseat. I took the path and followed it down into West Stones Dale, across Stonesdale Beck, up by Thomas Gill, and then across the moorland of Thomas Gill Rigg and Robert's Seat Band. When the path reached a stile across a fence I didn't cross it, but followed the fence up to the summit of Robert's Seat. When I'd returned to the stile in the fence I crossed it and continued on the path down to Ravenseat. From Ravenseat I took the path signposted to Keld, which makes its way south down Whitsun Dale (and is part of Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk) and then down towards the River Swale. I didn't take the track down to Low Bridge but carried on along a footpath east along the hillside to Stonesdale Lane. After crossing Stonesdale Lane I took the bridleway east above the River Swale to East Stonesdale where I met the Pennine Way. I then retraced my steps back to Keld.
Route map
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Information board in the car park at Park Lodge Farm
Leaving Keld behind as I take the bridleway down to the River Swale
Crossing the River Swale
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The waterfall of East Gill Force..
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Turn left and follow the Pennine Way north
Looking across to Keld..
..as I follow the Pennine Way north into West Stones Dale
Kisdon Hill, Great Shunner Fell in the distance, and Keld
Looking west to the head of Swaledale
Views across West Stones Dale as I continue north on the Pennine Way.....
Stonesdale Bridge below, where the road up the dale crosses from one side to the other
Lad Gill
Taking a look back to Lovely Seat and Great Shunner Fell in the distance as I head up onto Stonesdale Moor
Following the Pennine Way north across Stonesdale Moor...
Robert's Seat and Thomas Gill Hill on the other side of West Stones Dale
The fells of the North Pennines in the distance
My walk along this part of the Pennine Way comes to an end as I reach the Tan Hill Inn..
The top of Summer-house Hill is just behind the Tan Hill Inn. I thought that it would be worth spending a few minutes visiting its top to take in the view. To the northwest are Knipe Scar and Moudy Mea with the North Pennines in the distance.
To the west, Nine Standards Rigg beyond Ravenseat Moor
To the northeast, Sleightholme Moor and Bowes Moor. I can make out the traffic on the A66.
A boundary stone that marks the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park on Summer-house Hill
I'm glad that the high cloud that was making the sunshine hazy is moving away. Having the sun out properly certainly brightens up the moors..
The road northwest down to Brough
Leaving the Tan Hill Inn behind as I walk down the road to Keld..
I wasn't on it for long as I take the path to Ravenseat
The path heads down into West Stones Dale then up the other side by Thomas Gill, which is that gash in the moor
A lovely afternoon for being on the moors
Stonesdale Beck..
The footbridge across Stonesdale Beck
Looking across West Stones Dale to Stonesdale Moor as I head up by Thomas Gill
Heading up Thomas Gill Rigg
A great view across the moorland to the north when I look back
Following the fence to the top of Robert's Seat
The unremarkable summit of Robert's Seat
Rogan's Seat to the east on the other side of West Stones Dale
Ravenseat Moor and Thomas Gill Hill
This concrete ring buried in the grass marks the site of an OS benchmark
Nine Standards Rigg and Brownber Edge to the northwest
Great Shunner Fell and High Seat to the southwest
Lovely Seat and Great Shunner Fell as I follow the fence back down..
..to join the footpath to Ravenseat
The hollow of Graining Scars in Ravenseat Moor
As I reach Ravenseat I join Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk
Whitsundale Beck
A bit further downstream and I get some great reflections in it..
Looking back to Ravenseat as I follow the path down Whitsun Dale
The beck runs through a gorge at How Edge Scars
Sunshine on the moors around Whitsun Dale
A big meander in the beck at Oven Mouth
Whitsun Dale is left behind as the path enters Swaledale..
Low Bridge crosses the Swale
Kisdon Hill and Keld
Looking back west along Swaledale..
My final photo is looking across to Keld with Great Shunner Fell in the distance