14th May 2021 - Roeburndale bluebells
Walk Details
Distance walked: 10.0 miles
Total ascent: 1686 ft
OS map used: OL41 - Forest of Bowland & Ribblesdale
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Wray-Wray Bridge-Pike Gill Wood-Alcocks Farm-Outhwaite Wood-Bowskill Wood-Barkin Gate Wood-Barkin Bridge-Lower Salter-Haylot Farm-Melling Wood-Mallowdale Bridge-High Salter-Goodber Beck-Harterbeck Farm-Wray Wood Moor-Alcocks Farm-Pike Gill Wood-Wray Bridge-Wray
I missed out on a bluebell walk last year, for obvious reasons, so I was keen not to do so this year. The first place I thought of going to was the village of Wray and Roeburndale in the Forest of Bowland. The displays of bluebells in Outhwaite Wood in Roeburndale are the best that I've found, and they haven't disappointed me yet. This was my third visit and on this occasion I finally managed to keep to the permissive paths that I wanted to the first two times. The area that I went astray in before seemed to have been freshly signposted, and I found that once I was down by the River Roeburn in Barkin Gate Wood I had no trouble in finding my way to Barkin Bridge. The rest of the route then took me across the farmland above the eastern side of the dale back to Wray. I'd booked Friday and Monday off work, which was lucky, as they have better weather forecast than the weekend does. Today was mostly cloudy but dry, with the cloud breaking up in the second half of the afternoon to provide some sunshine for the walk back to Wray, where I picked up an ice-cream from the Bridge House Farm Tearooms.
After parking in the layby at Meal Bank Bridge on the B6480 just outside Wray I took the path south by the Rivers Hindburn and Roeburn to Wray Bridge in Wray. I crossed the road and walked past the Bridge House Farm garden centre and then up the steep road opposite. I followed this uphill past Above Beck Farm to reach a bridleway on the right that headed down into Pike Gill Wood, across Hunt's Gill Beck and up to the road on the eastern side of Roeburndale at Alcocks Farm. I then turned left and after walking up the road I reached a public footpath on the right that heads down across a couple of fields and into Outhwaite Wood. I soon left the public footpath for the permissive paths. I took the one on the left that's reached more or less as soon as you enter the woods and then I followed the paths through the woodland, eventually ending up at the exit point at the top of Bowskill Wood. On exiting Bowskill Wood I followed a path across a couple of fields and down into the woods by the River Roeburn. After crossing a footbridge over the river I carried on following a permissive path to reach Barkin Bridge on the road on the western side of Roeburndale. I then had a short walk along the road south up the valley past Lower Salter and then onto the byway up to Haylot Farm. A footpath from here was taken down into Melling Wood, up to Mallowdale Farm, then along a track over Mallowdale Bridge and up a path to High Salter. After walking round the farm to the end of the road to it I took the footpath on the right across fields and Goodber Beck to Harterbeck Farm. This was the last farm I visited, my route then took me across the fields above the eastern side of Roeburndale and Wray Wood Moor and past Outhwaite to the road on the eastern side of Roeburndale. From here I retraced my outbound route to where I was parked outside Wray.
Total ascent: 1686 ft
OS map used: OL41 - Forest of Bowland & Ribblesdale
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Wray-Wray Bridge-Pike Gill Wood-Alcocks Farm-Outhwaite Wood-Bowskill Wood-Barkin Gate Wood-Barkin Bridge-Lower Salter-Haylot Farm-Melling Wood-Mallowdale Bridge-High Salter-Goodber Beck-Harterbeck Farm-Wray Wood Moor-Alcocks Farm-Pike Gill Wood-Wray Bridge-Wray
I missed out on a bluebell walk last year, for obvious reasons, so I was keen not to do so this year. The first place I thought of going to was the village of Wray and Roeburndale in the Forest of Bowland. The displays of bluebells in Outhwaite Wood in Roeburndale are the best that I've found, and they haven't disappointed me yet. This was my third visit and on this occasion I finally managed to keep to the permissive paths that I wanted to the first two times. The area that I went astray in before seemed to have been freshly signposted, and I found that once I was down by the River Roeburn in Barkin Gate Wood I had no trouble in finding my way to Barkin Bridge. The rest of the route then took me across the farmland above the eastern side of the dale back to Wray. I'd booked Friday and Monday off work, which was lucky, as they have better weather forecast than the weekend does. Today was mostly cloudy but dry, with the cloud breaking up in the second half of the afternoon to provide some sunshine for the walk back to Wray, where I picked up an ice-cream from the Bridge House Farm Tearooms.
After parking in the layby at Meal Bank Bridge on the B6480 just outside Wray I took the path south by the Rivers Hindburn and Roeburn to Wray Bridge in Wray. I crossed the road and walked past the Bridge House Farm garden centre and then up the steep road opposite. I followed this uphill past Above Beck Farm to reach a bridleway on the right that headed down into Pike Gill Wood, across Hunt's Gill Beck and up to the road on the eastern side of Roeburndale at Alcocks Farm. I then turned left and after walking up the road I reached a public footpath on the right that heads down across a couple of fields and into Outhwaite Wood. I soon left the public footpath for the permissive paths. I took the one on the left that's reached more or less as soon as you enter the woods and then I followed the paths through the woodland, eventually ending up at the exit point at the top of Bowskill Wood. On exiting Bowskill Wood I followed a path across a couple of fields and down into the woods by the River Roeburn. After crossing a footbridge over the river I carried on following a permissive path to reach Barkin Bridge on the road on the western side of Roeburndale. I then had a short walk along the road south up the valley past Lower Salter and then onto the byway up to Haylot Farm. A footpath from here was taken down into Melling Wood, up to Mallowdale Farm, then along a track over Mallowdale Bridge and up a path to High Salter. After walking round the farm to the end of the road to it I took the footpath on the right across fields and Goodber Beck to Harterbeck Farm. This was the last farm I visited, my route then took me across the fields above the eastern side of Roeburndale and Wray Wood Moor and past Outhwaite to the road on the eastern side of Roeburndale. From here I retraced my outbound route to where I was parked outside Wray.
Route map
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Looking across to Wray from Meal Bank Bridge
The Rivers Roeburn and Hindburn meet just outside Wray
The River Roeburn from Wray Bridge in Wray
A view of cloud covered fells in the Yorkshire Dales before I descend into Pike Gill Wood
The ford across Hunt's Gill Beck in Pike Gill Wood. I'll use the footbridge that's available though.
Looking back along the road at Alcocks Farm
Looking north towards Lunesdale as I take the footpath down into Outhwaite Wood
Lots of photos of bluebells as I follow the concessionary footpaths in Outhwaite Wood................
A rather rickety looking swing bridge that gives access to a camping barn. I wouldn't fancy having to use it.
More photos of bluebells as I make my way south through Outhwaite Wood and Bowskill Wood.......
I leave Bowskill Wood and follow the concessionary footpath down to the River Roeburn in Barkin Wood
Crossing the footbridge over the River Roeburn in Barkin Wood
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I decided to stop for lunch here. A quiet spot by the River Roeburn..
The final stretch of concessionary footpath to reach Barkin Bridge
Looking back as I pass the methodist chapel at Lower Salter
Crossing the River Roeburn on the track up to Haylot Farm
Looking back on the track up to Haylot Farm with Middleton Fell, Great Coum, Gragareth and Whernside in the distance
At Haylot Farm
Salter Fell and Mallowdale Pike from the path to Melling Wood
OS benchmark and stud on a step as part of a stile over a wall. I can't imagine that it's always been there.
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Heading down into Melling Wood
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Approaching the footbridge over Mallow Gill
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Mallow Gill..
Looking down Roeburndale from below Mallowdale Farm
The River Roeburn from Mallowdale Bridge
At the northern end of the track of Hornby Road
OS benchmark on gatepost
At High Salter Farm
Great views to the north to Lunesdale and the Yorkshire Dales as I follow the footpath from High Salter Farm to Harterbeck Farm..
Above the wooded Pedder Gill
The lower of the two waterfalls at the top of Pedder Gill. It would take some effort to reach the base of this one.
The higher of the two falls, with the footbridge across the beck above..
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A short distance upstream on Goodber Beck this waterfall is reached..
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At Harterbeck Farm
Views to the north to Lunesdale and the Yorkshire Dales as I follow the path north from Harterbeck Farm..
The wooded Roeburndale to my left
Heading across Wray Wood Moor..
Looking across Roeburndale to Whit Moor
Looking back to the moors around the head of Roeburndale
Middleton Fell, Great Coum, Gragareth, Whernside and Ingleborough from the northern end of Wray Wood Moor. A bit of sunshine makes all the difference..
Passing the hamlet of Outhwaite
Following the path north back towards Wray with Lunesdale ahead and the western fells of the Yorkshire Dales to my right...
Back on the road to Alcock Farm and the path down to Pike Gill Wood is just ahead on the right
Back across Hunt's Gill Beck
Walking back down the road to Wray and my view of Lunesdale and the western fells of the Yorkshire Dales gradually disappears..
Wray Bridge over the River Roeburn in Wray
Following the path back to Meal Bank Bridge and a field full of dandelions and their clocks put on a colourful display