1st February 2025 - Around Dallowgill
Walk Details
Distance walked: 13.0 miles
Total ascent: 1431 ft
OS map used: 298 - Nidderdale
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Layby at Harper Hill on road to Kirkby Malzeard-Dallow Moor-Skell Gill Farm-Drift Lane-Grange Allotment-Wetshod Lane-Belford Lane-Kirkby Moor Road-Carlesmoor-Hawset Riggs-Kirkby Moor Road-Potter Lane Farm-Dallowgill-Dallowgill Moor-Kettlestang Shooting House-Kettlestang Hill-Kettlestang Shooting House-Dallowgill Moor-Dallow Moor-Layby at Harper Hill on road to Kirkby Malzeard
For my walk this weekend I'd decided to do a route around Dallowgill, which is just to the east of Nidderdale, and is the upper part of the valley of the River Laver. The route that I worked out made use of moorland tracks, country lanes, bridleways, and public footpaths, most of which were new to me. The only bit that was familiar was around Carlesmoor, and that was from the walks that I'd done from Nidderdale across Kirkby Malzeard Moor and back. For the most part it was a pleasant enough and easy walk except for when it came to trying to follow a public footpath across Dallowgill near Potter Lane Farm in the afternoon. There was no signposting of the footpath, and once I was sure I was going the right way it became quite clear that it had fallen out of use. The quagmire I had to negotiate below Potter Lane Farm was most unpleasant, I definitely won't be going that way again. The forecast was for a grey and cloudy winter's day, and that's exactly how it turned out. There was a bit of brightness from time to time, but sightings of blue sky were thin on the ground.
From where I parked my car in the layby at Harper Hill Farm on the the road to Kirkby Malzeard I crossed the road and took the track opposite onto Dallow Moor. I followed this track west, then southwest across the moor until it joined another track where I turned left and followed this east to the road to Kirkby Malzeard. I crossed the road and took the bridleway opposite to reach Skell Gill Farm, then east along the road to Skelding Grange. Here I turned left and took Drift Lane north (it soon became a track), to the moorland of Grange Allotment, then the track of Wetshod Lane north to reach the road to Kirkby Malzeard. After a brief walk east along the road I took Belford Lane on the left and followed this north, it becomes a track down to a ford and footbridge over the River Laver. After a stop for lunch here I crossed the footbridge, took the track on the other side and followed it north, across a footbridge over Stock Beck, then up to Kirkby Moor Road. A brief walk down the road brought me to a track on the right, and a public footpath which I took through Carlesmoor to the moorland of Hawset Riggs, and then up to the road above. I then walked up to the road junction on Swetton Moor, where I went straight on and up the road towards Stope Bridge to reach a public footpath on the left down into Dallowgill. There are no footpath markers, and it took me a while to convince myself that going down a sunken way between walls was correct. I eventually reached a bridge across North Gill Beck below Potter Lane Farm, and after crossing this I tried to follow the line of the footpath up onto Dallowgill Moor. When I reached access land I made my way up the moor to Kettlestang Shooting House. After a there and back to visit the trig point on Kettlestang Hill I took the track east from Kettlestang Shooting House across Dallowgill Moor and Dallow Moor to reach the track junction I was at in the morning. I turned left and took the track northeast and east back to where I parked my car in the layby at Harper Hill Farm on the the road to Kirkby Malzeard.
Total ascent: 1431 ft
OS map used: 298 - Nidderdale
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Layby at Harper Hill on road to Kirkby Malzeard-Dallow Moor-Skell Gill Farm-Drift Lane-Grange Allotment-Wetshod Lane-Belford Lane-Kirkby Moor Road-Carlesmoor-Hawset Riggs-Kirkby Moor Road-Potter Lane Farm-Dallowgill-Dallowgill Moor-Kettlestang Shooting House-Kettlestang Hill-Kettlestang Shooting House-Dallowgill Moor-Dallow Moor-Layby at Harper Hill on road to Kirkby Malzeard
For my walk this weekend I'd decided to do a route around Dallowgill, which is just to the east of Nidderdale, and is the upper part of the valley of the River Laver. The route that I worked out made use of moorland tracks, country lanes, bridleways, and public footpaths, most of which were new to me. The only bit that was familiar was around Carlesmoor, and that was from the walks that I'd done from Nidderdale across Kirkby Malzeard Moor and back. For the most part it was a pleasant enough and easy walk except for when it came to trying to follow a public footpath across Dallowgill near Potter Lane Farm in the afternoon. There was no signposting of the footpath, and once I was sure I was going the right way it became quite clear that it had fallen out of use. The quagmire I had to negotiate below Potter Lane Farm was most unpleasant, I definitely won't be going that way again. The forecast was for a grey and cloudy winter's day, and that's exactly how it turned out. There was a bit of brightness from time to time, but sightings of blue sky were thin on the ground.
From where I parked my car in the layby at Harper Hill Farm on the the road to Kirkby Malzeard I crossed the road and took the track opposite onto Dallow Moor. I followed this track west, then southwest across the moor until it joined another track where I turned left and followed this east to the road to Kirkby Malzeard. I crossed the road and took the bridleway opposite to reach Skell Gill Farm, then east along the road to Skelding Grange. Here I turned left and took Drift Lane north (it soon became a track), to the moorland of Grange Allotment, then the track of Wetshod Lane north to reach the road to Kirkby Malzeard. After a brief walk east along the road I took Belford Lane on the left and followed this north, it becomes a track down to a ford and footbridge over the River Laver. After a stop for lunch here I crossed the footbridge, took the track on the other side and followed it north, across a footbridge over Stock Beck, then up to Kirkby Moor Road. A brief walk down the road brought me to a track on the right, and a public footpath which I took through Carlesmoor to the moorland of Hawset Riggs, and then up to the road above. I then walked up to the road junction on Swetton Moor, where I went straight on and up the road towards Stope Bridge to reach a public footpath on the left down into Dallowgill. There are no footpath markers, and it took me a while to convince myself that going down a sunken way between walls was correct. I eventually reached a bridge across North Gill Beck below Potter Lane Farm, and after crossing this I tried to follow the line of the footpath up onto Dallowgill Moor. When I reached access land I made my way up the moor to Kettlestang Shooting House. After a there and back to visit the trig point on Kettlestang Hill I took the track east from Kettlestang Shooting House across Dallowgill Moor and Dallow Moor to reach the track junction I was at in the morning. I turned left and took the track northeast and east back to where I parked my car in the layby at Harper Hill Farm on the the road to Kirkby Malzeard.
Route map
© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. License number PU 100034184.
From the layby at Harper Hill I take the track opposite onto Dallow Moor..
I soon meet another track and take this one east, back towards the road across Dallow Moor..
After crossing the road I take the bridleway opposite, which runs along a rough track then takes to the open moor
Looking south across Skell Gill to Eavestone Moor
Following the bridleway east to Skell Gill Farm..
From Skell Gill Farm I follow the bridleway east along a lane
Looking back to Skell Gill Farm
Skelding Grange Farm
Onto the track of Drift Lane
Skelding Moor
Looking back south along Drift Lane from Grange Allotment
Lumley Moor Reservoir to the east
From Grange Allotment I continue to follow the bridleway north..
..and along Wetshod Lane
I've seen mosaics like this before when I've been walking close to here. They could be marking out a local trail.
After a brief walk along the road to Laverton, I take Belford Lane north, going straight on when the road goes left
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Heading down to cross the River Laver..
After crossing the River Laver, I continue north along the track, crossing Stock Beck on the way...
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Looking south across the valley of the River Laver
Passing another mosaic
Taking the footpath along the track to Carlesmoor..
Past Carlesmoor House Farm and on the footpath west to the ford over Carlesmoor Beck
After crossing the ford I follow the track up the moorland of Hawset Riggs to the road above
Looking back across Hawset Riggs to Kirkby Malzeard Moor and Stock Beck Moor
Heading up to the road junction on Swetton Moor, where I'll go right and head uphill
Looking across the moorland of Hawset Riggs to Stock Beck Moor and Carlesmoor
I leave the road and take the footpath down to North Gill Beck, and across the valley of Dallowgill. It's not signposted, and it took me a while until I was convinced that I was going the right way.
Some time later and I'm heading up onto Dallowgill Moor
Looking back across Dallowgill
Through the gate and onto the open moor. I can make out Kettlestang Shooting House on the hillside ahead.
Views across Dallowgill Moor as I head up to the shooting house..
At Kettlestang Shooting House
Looking east across Dallowgill Moor from the pond next to it
At the trig point on Kettlestang Hill
Returning from the trig point to Kettlestang Shooting House via a strip of cut heather
From the shooting house I follow a track east across Dallowgill Moor
Looking back to Kettlestang Hill
Following the track east across Dallow Moor and past the stone of Long Rod..
Finally approaching the road and layby at Harper Hill