14th May 2022 - Roeburndale bluebells
Walk Details
Distance walked: 11.5 miles
Total ascent: 1964 ft
OS map used: OL41 - Forest of Bowland & Ribblesdale
Time taken: 7 hrs
Route description: Wray-Wray Bridge-Alcocks Farm-Outhwaite Wood-Bowskill Wood-Barkin Gate Wood-Barkin Bridge-Lower Salter-Middle Salter-Pedder Gill-Middle Salter-Haylot Farm-Melling Wood-Mallowdale Farm-Mallowdale Bridge-High Salter-Goodber Beck-Harterbeck Farm-Wray Wood Moor-Alcocks Farm-Wray Bridge-Wray
It's the middle of May so it's that time of year when I try and do a bluebell walk. It wasn't very imaginative of me to go to the village of Wray and Roeburndale in the Forest of Bowland for the second year in a row, but the displays of bluebells in Outhwaite Wood in Roeburndale are the best that I've found, and they haven't disappointed me yet. In fact, this is the third time that I've done this walk on the 14th May, it must the ideal time to go. I changed my route a little from previous visits, cutting out going through Pike Gill Wood from the road from Wray to Lowgill, to leaving Wray by walking up the road to the eastern side of Roeburndale, and I also planned on having a look at Pedder Gill. Unfortunately I couldn't gain access to it. I suspect that the public footpath across it was washed away during one of the high rainfall events of recent years. The displays of bluebells and wild garlic were up to their usual high standard, and I enjoyed some lovely spring weather with lots of blue skies and sunshine for the walk across the meadows above Roeburndale in the afternoon.
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 to the Bridge House Farm garden centre and then took the first road on the right, signposted for Roeburndale east. I walked south along this road up to and past Alcocks Farm until 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 up to Middle Salter, where I took a footpath on the left across fields above Lower Salter to reach Pedder Gill. After taking a look at Pedder Gill I retraced my steps to the road at Middle Salter, walked down the road, 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: 1964 ft
OS map used: OL41 - Forest of Bowland & Ribblesdale
Time taken: 7 hrs
Route description: Wray-Wray Bridge-Alcocks Farm-Outhwaite Wood-Bowskill Wood-Barkin Gate Wood-Barkin Bridge-Lower Salter-Middle Salter-Pedder Gill-Middle Salter-Haylot Farm-Melling Wood-Mallowdale Farm-Mallowdale Bridge-High Salter-Goodber Beck-Harterbeck Farm-Wray Wood Moor-Alcocks Farm-Wray Bridge-Wray
It's the middle of May so it's that time of year when I try and do a bluebell walk. It wasn't very imaginative of me to go to the village of Wray and Roeburndale in the Forest of Bowland for the second year in a row, but the displays of bluebells in Outhwaite Wood in Roeburndale are the best that I've found, and they haven't disappointed me yet. In fact, this is the third time that I've done this walk on the 14th May, it must the ideal time to go. I changed my route a little from previous visits, cutting out going through Pike Gill Wood from the road from Wray to Lowgill, to leaving Wray by walking up the road to the eastern side of Roeburndale, and I also planned on having a look at Pedder Gill. Unfortunately I couldn't gain access to it. I suspect that the public footpath across it was washed away during one of the high rainfall events of recent years. The displays of bluebells and wild garlic were up to their usual high standard, and I enjoyed some lovely spring weather with lots of blue skies and sunshine for the walk across the meadows above Roeburndale in the afternoon.
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 to the Bridge House Farm garden centre and then took the first road on the right, signposted for Roeburndale east. I walked south along this road up to and past Alcocks Farm until 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 up to Middle Salter, where I took a footpath on the left across fields above Lower Salter to reach Pedder Gill. After taking a look at Pedder Gill I retraced my steps to the road at Middle Salter, walked down the road, 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
Passing the allotments in Wray as I walk up the road to the eastern side of Roeburndale
Walking past Alcocks Farm. Not far to go to reach the footpath down into Outhwaite Wood.
Following the footpath down to Outhwaite Wood
Lots of photos of bluebells as I follow the concessionary footpaths in Outhwaite Wood............
More photos of bluebells and wild garlic as I make my way south through Outhwaite Wood and Bowskill Wood.........
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Through the last of the bluebells at the top of Barkin 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..
Looking back to Ingleborough in the distance as I take the concessionary footpath from Barkin Wood across to Barkin Bridge..
Passing the methodist chapel at Lower Salter
Lower Salter Farm
Walking up the road to Middle Salter Farm
A nice view of Ingleborough as I reach the top of the footpath in the fields above Lower Salter Farm
On the footpath to Pedder Gill
Looking down into the deep and wooded Pedder Gill. I had hoped to take a look, but I think that the public footpath that crosses it might have been washed away. I found a "Danger. No Entry." sign below.
Looking across to Whit Moor and Warm Beck Gill above Lower Salter Farm as I follow the footpath back to the road at Middle Salter Farm..
Walking down the road towards Lower Salter
On the byway up to Haylot Farm
Looking back down Roeburndale to a hazy Middleton Fell, Gragareth, Whernside and Ingleborough in the distance
Mallowdale Pike and High Stephen's Head from Haylot Farm
Alderstone Bank and Mallowdale Pike behind Mallowdale Farm
Down through Melling Wood
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Across the footbridge over Mallow Gill
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Mallow Gill
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The River Roeburn from Mallowdale Bridge
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High Stephen's Head and Gallows Hill behind the hillside with Mallowdale Farm on it, from the path up to Higher 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..
At the footbridge over Goodber Beck at the top of 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.
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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
Views to the north to Lunesdale and the Yorkshire Dales as I follow the path north from Harterbeck Farm...
Heading across Wray Wood Moor..
Looking back to the moors around the head of Roeburndale
Great Coum, Gragareth, Whernside and Ingleborough from the northern end of Wray Wood Moor
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 past Alcocks Farm and down to Wray
Wray Bridge over the River Roeburn in Wray..
It's a lovely end to the afternoon as I return to Meal Bank Bridge just outside Wray