14th March 2026 - Great Coum
Walk Details
Distance walked: 10.8 miles
Total ascent: 2139 ft
OS map used: OL2 - Yorkshire Dales, Southern & Western areas
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Dent-Dales Way-Barth Bridge-Dales Way-Tofts-Combe House-Stone Rigg-Barbondale Road-Green Lane-Towns Fell-Crag Hill-The Crag-Great Coum-Green Lane-Flinter Gill-Dent
For my walk this weekend I decided to head to Dent in the Yorkshire Dales for the second one in a row to do a route that would take me up onto Great Coum, the hill that rises above Dent on the south side of Dentdale. It's a hill that I've been to the top of many times, usually as part of a round of its neighbours, which meant not starting from Dent, the last times I did being October 2024 and July 2018. The route that I worked out for today used the same means of ascent from Green Lane as on those occasions, but I managed to use some footpaths that I'd never used before, with the Dales Way west of Barth Bridge and a footpath across the hillside below Combe Scar taking me up to Barbondale Road. The forecast was for a bright day with sunny spells, but with the chance of the odd shower in the afternoon. There were plenty of blue skies and sunshine until I was making my way up Crag Hill. That's when I noticed that some of the clouds were becoming deep enough to produce showers. The second half of the walk was done under cloudier skies with a few fairly light wintry showers. Fortunately I was making my way down Flinter Gill and had some shelter when a heavy shower with hail passed through.
From the car park in Dent I walked west along the road out of the village to pick up the trail of the Dales Way, which I then followed to and across Barth Bridge, and by the south bank of the River Dee to reach the road to Gawthrop near Dillicar Farm. After a brief walk east along this road, passing the turn-off for Dillicar Farm, I took a footpath up a track on the right. The footpath soon left this to head up across a field to another track, which I followed uphill to Tofts and Combe House, then south across the moorland of Stone Rigg to Barbondale Road. After a brief walk up Barbondale Road I reached the track of Green Lane on the left, which I took and followed east across the hillside until I reached a fence with a gate in it blocking the track with another track to the right just before it. After a stop for lunch I made my way up this track to its end and onto the open fell. A wall on the right was my guide as I made my way uphill across Towns Fell to reach Crag Hill. The trig point was a short walk away. After a stop to take in the view I made my way to the cairn on the top of The Crag, then across to the summit of Great Coum. From there, I walked east to the eastern edge of Great Combe and down to what remains of a quarry on Binks, from where a rough track took me down to a gate onto Green Lane. I then walked north and west along Green Lane to the junction with the bridleway down Flinter Gill, which I took and walked down back to Dent.
Total ascent: 2139 ft
OS map used: OL2 - Yorkshire Dales, Southern & Western areas
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Dent-Dales Way-Barth Bridge-Dales Way-Tofts-Combe House-Stone Rigg-Barbondale Road-Green Lane-Towns Fell-Crag Hill-The Crag-Great Coum-Green Lane-Flinter Gill-Dent
For my walk this weekend I decided to head to Dent in the Yorkshire Dales for the second one in a row to do a route that would take me up onto Great Coum, the hill that rises above Dent on the south side of Dentdale. It's a hill that I've been to the top of many times, usually as part of a round of its neighbours, which meant not starting from Dent, the last times I did being October 2024 and July 2018. The route that I worked out for today used the same means of ascent from Green Lane as on those occasions, but I managed to use some footpaths that I'd never used before, with the Dales Way west of Barth Bridge and a footpath across the hillside below Combe Scar taking me up to Barbondale Road. The forecast was for a bright day with sunny spells, but with the chance of the odd shower in the afternoon. There were plenty of blue skies and sunshine until I was making my way up Crag Hill. That's when I noticed that some of the clouds were becoming deep enough to produce showers. The second half of the walk was done under cloudier skies with a few fairly light wintry showers. Fortunately I was making my way down Flinter Gill and had some shelter when a heavy shower with hail passed through.
From the car park in Dent I walked west along the road out of the village to pick up the trail of the Dales Way, which I then followed to and across Barth Bridge, and by the south bank of the River Dee to reach the road to Gawthrop near Dillicar Farm. After a brief walk east along this road, passing the turn-off for Dillicar Farm, I took a footpath up a track on the right. The footpath soon left this to head up across a field to another track, which I followed uphill to Tofts and Combe House, then south across the moorland of Stone Rigg to Barbondale Road. After a brief walk up Barbondale Road I reached the track of Green Lane on the left, which I took and followed east across the hillside until I reached a fence with a gate in it blocking the track with another track to the right just before it. After a stop for lunch I made my way up this track to its end and onto the open fell. A wall on the right was my guide as I made my way uphill across Towns Fell to reach Crag Hill. The trig point was a short walk away. After a stop to take in the view I made my way to the cairn on the top of The Crag, then across to the summit of Great Coum. From there, I walked east to the eastern edge of Great Combe and down to what remains of a quarry on Binks, from where a rough track took me down to a gate onto Green Lane. I then walked north and west along Green Lane to the junction with the bridleway down Flinter Gill, which I took and walked down back to Dent.
Route map
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It's a beautiful spring morning as I set off from Dent
I have a view of Middleton Fell to my left as I follow the trail of the Dales Way to Barth Bridge...
Having crossed the road at Barth Bridge I stay on the Dales Way by the south bank of the River Dee
Views across the River Dee to Aye Gill Pike..
..and to the northern end of Whernside in the distance
The Dales Way approaches the road from Gawthrop, which is where I'll leave it behind
Aye Gill Pike in front of me as I walk east up the road towards Gawthrop
After passing the lane to Dillicar Farm, I take a footpath up a track on the right signposted for Bower Bank and Stone Rigg
Looking back across Dentdale to Helms Knott and Helmside
Following the footpath up the track to Tofts
and then up to Combe House
Looking back and the Howgills have come into view behind me
Combe Scar on the left and the Howgills on the right from above Combe House
From Combe House I take a footpath along a track to Stone Rigg
I soon have a great view across Dentdale to enjoy. To Aye Gill Pike..
..and to the Howgills, Helms Knott, and Long Moor
The track keeps to level course as it heads south to Stone Rigg
A view up Dentdale to my left; with Aye Gill Pike on the left, and Great Knoutberry Hill, Wold Fell, and the northern end of Whernside in the distance
Crossing Stone Rigg to Barbondale Road
Walking south up Barbondale Road
Taking the bridleway along the track of Green Lane
To my left, a view across Dentdale to the Howgills
Sunshine and a dusting of snow on the northwestern slopes of Crag Hill
Looking back along Green Lane to Barkin Top on Middleton Fell
I've left Green Lane for a track up onto the hillside of Towns Fell
Looking back along the track and across Dentdale to the Howgills, Long Moor, and the western end of Aye Gill Pike
A waterfall on Gill Head
Looking back across Dentdale to Aye Gill Pike from Towns Fell
Making my way up the hillside to Crag Hill
The sun has returned as I look back across Towns Fell to Barkin Top on Middleton Fell on the left, with the Howgills, Dentdale, and Long Moor on the right
As I negotiate the increasingly steep hillside I can make out the cairn that stands on The Crag above me
I finally reach the top of climb, and as a reward I have a great view across Towns Fell below to the northern end of Middleton Fell, the Howgills, Long Moor, and Dentdale
Looking across to Great Coum as I head for the trig point on Crag Hill
At the trig point on Crag Hill. The Howgills to the northwest.
Looking across Barbondale to Castle Knott and Calf Top on Middleton Fell, with the Lake District fells in the distance
and down the southwest ridge of Crag Hill
and across Barbon Low Fell, and Castle Knott to Morecambe Bay
Whernside and Ingleborough to the southeast
It's a short walk from the trig point to the cairn on The Crag. There's a great view across Dentdale to the Howgills from it.
Looking up Dentdale to Great Knoutberry Hill just to the left of the cairn, and Aye Gill Pike on the left
Middleton Fell on the other side of Barbondale. It looks like some of the clouds that have been developing are now deep enough to produce showers.
Looking back to Crag Hill as I head to Great Coum
and north and northeast from Great Coum across a hidden Dentdale to Aye Gill Pike, Baugh Fell, Great Shunner Fell, Lovely Seat, and Great Knoutberry Hill
Whernside and Ingleborough to the east and southeast
Looking across to Whernside from the top of Great Combe
There's a shower passing through as I make my way down the eastern edge of Great Combe towards Green Lane
Heading north along Green Lane..
Aye Gill Pike, Dentdale and Great Knoutberry Hill from the top of the Nun House Outrake bridleway
Heading west along Green Lane towards Dent..
Middleton Fell in front of me as I approach the junction of Green Lane with the bridleway down to Dent
It's gone a bit dark as I take the bridleway down to Dent. I think it's going to chuck it down.
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Making my way down the bridleway by Flinter Gill and the shower leaves a dusting of hail on the ground..
Arriving back in Dent and the shower has passed through