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1st September 2019 - Simon's Seat

Walk Details

Distance walked: 11.5 miles

Total ascent: 1968 ft

OS map used: 298 - Nidderdale

Time taken: 7 hrs

Route description: Grimwith Reservoir-High Shaws Lathe-Nursery Knot-B6265-Black Hill Road-Forest Road-Little Pock Stones-Great Pock Stones-Lord's Seat-Simon's Seat-Dalehead Farm-High Skyreholme-Middle Skyreholme-Skyreholme Beck-New Road-Appletreewick Pasture-B6265-
Grimwith Reservoir

My walk this weekend took me to Wharfedale and an old favourite, Simon's Seat on Barden Fell. After quite a bit of poring over my OS map I managed to come up with a new route to the summit, one that would also take me along paths and tracks that I haven't walked before and up onto Pock Stones Moor. My starting point of Grimwith Reservoir was somewhere new as well. It was a really enjoyable walk and one that I would definitely do again. The weather forecast for the day was a bit mixed and I expected to see a shower or two at some point during the afternoon, with a strong wind up on the moors to go with them. It stayed dry with sunny spells and fair weather clouds into the early afternoon, then the showers arrived. I got caught by quite a few during the second half of the walk and I took advantage of what shelter was on offer on the moors while they passed through. As compensation sunshine and showers does make for some great looking skies.

​From the car park above Grimwith Reservoir I took the track then footpath down to its shore and followed it round to the east to High Shaws Lathe, where I then made my way southeast along a footpath to Nursery Knott and the B6265. I had a short walk west down this road to reach the byway of Black Hill Road, which I followed south to its junction with the byways of Skyreholme Bank and Forest Road, where I turned left and took the byway of Forest Road east up onto Pock Stones Moor. I left the byway at its summit to visit Little Pock Stones, where I took a break, then went back to the track and crossed it, then followed the wall up onto the moor to Great Pock Stones. I then continued by the wall west up onto Barden Fell and the rocky outcrops of Lord's Seat, then from there it was a short walk west to the trig point on the summit of Simon's Seat. After another break I left Simon's Seat by taking the path north down to Dalehead Farm, then from there I followed the footpath north down to and across Blands Beck and up to High Skyreholme. I then walked west down the road to Middle Skyreholme, turned right and walked along the lane to Parcevall Hall, where I took the footpath north by Skyreholme Beck to Trollers Gill and up to New Road. A walk southwest along New Road to a left hand bend took me to a byway north to the B6265, which I crossed, and the track opposite was followed back to the car park above Grimwith Reservoir.

Route map
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© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. License number PU 100034184.

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Views across Grimwith Reservoir as I follow the path east above its southern shore from the car park...
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The restored cruck barn of High Shaws Lathe
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Grimwith Reservoir as I take the path towards Nursery Knot
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There are dramatic skies with fast moving clouds over the moors this morning
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The limestone knoll of Nursery Knott appears ahead
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The moors around Grimwith Reservoir with those around Wharfedale beyond
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Grimwith Reservoir from Nursery Knot
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A gloomy Barden Moor in the distance
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The road across Greenhow Hill to Pateley Bridge in Nidderdale
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The footpath from Nursery Knot has brought me to the B6265 near Stump Cross Caverns. I have a brief walk west along it to pick up the byway of Black Hill Road.
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Heading south along Black Hill Road
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Looking back to Nursery Knot
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As I head south on Black Hill Road Simon's Seat comes into view on the other side of the valley of Blands Beck..
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When Black Hill Road reaches the junction with the byway of Skyreholme Bank I turn left and head east on Forest Road
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As I head east up onto Pock Stones Moor there are increasingly expansive views across Wharfedale when I turn round..
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Heading for Pock Stones Moor
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Simon's Seat and Barden Moor
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A big view across Wharfedale when I turn round, with Great Whernside the highest hill on the right
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Greenhow Hill and the moors around the road to Pateley Bridge
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Fountains Fell, Darnbrook Fell, Firth Fell and Great Whernside from Pock Stones Moor
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Approaching Little Pock Stones, and this would be a good time to take a break
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The moors on the western side of Nidderdale from Little Pock Stones
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Looking down the Washburn Valley
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Looking northeast to the moors around Nidderdale from Great Pock Stones. I followed the wall up from Little Pock Stones.
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Dramatic skies as I leave Great Pock Stones and head towards Lord's Seat. I don't think I'm going to stay dry.
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Looking back to Great Pock Stones
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Approaching Lord's Seat
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Great Pock Stones and Pock Stones Moor from Lord's Seat
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Greenhow Hill and Pock Stones Moor
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and looking in the other direction towards Simon's Seat and Wharfedale, and an approaching shower. Since I have a bit of shelter here I'm going to wait for it to pass through.
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Ten minutes later and I'm in the clear
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The trig point on Simon's Seat is just a short climb away
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As I near the summit I have a great view across to Skyreholme, Parcevall Hall and the area around Trollers Gill
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Wharfedale from the trig point
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Ilkley Moor under a dark cloud to the south with the nearby Carncliff Top on the right
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The rocky outcrops of Lord's Seat just to the east
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I can't resist taking another shot of the view up Wharfedale. The dramatic skies just add to the scene.
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A sunlit Lower Barden Reservoir on Barden Moor
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The weather's closing in again. Time I was making a move..
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The next shower passes through as I make my way down to Dalehead Farm
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It soon clears through and I'm back in bright sunshine contrasting with dark clouds..
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The lights have been turned off again as I head for High Skyreholme
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It's raining again as I walk down the road to Middle Skyreholme and the turn off for Parcevall Hall
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Following the path by Skyreholme Beck to Trollers Gill...
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The entrance to Trollers Gill. With all that wet and greasy limestone I'm going to give it a miss..
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..and take the footpath up the dry valley next to it to New Road
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A sunlit Nursery Knot in the distance from New Road
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On the byway from New Road to the B6265
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Bright sunshine with Simon's Seat under a dark cloud
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A few minutes and the situation is reversed
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Looking across Wharfedale to Barden Moor, Threshfield Moor and Kilnsey Moor
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Grimwith Reservoir as I follow the track back to the car park

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© Alan Kilduff 2016-2023                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
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