27th April 2024 - Moughton and Crummack Dale
Walk Details
Distance walked: 9.8 miles
Total ascent: 1628 ft
OS map used: OL2 - Yorkshire Dales, Southern & Western areas
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Austwick-Flascoe Bridge-Wood Lane-Oxenber Wood-Wharfe Wood-Pennine Bridleway-Moughton Nab-Moughton Scar-Moughton-Moughton Scars-Sulber Gate-Pennine Bridleway-Thwaite-Norber-Crummack Lane-Town Head Farm-Austwick
I decided to head to the Yorkshire Dales for my walk this weekend, and since the forecast is for a mostly cloudy day I decided not to bother with going onto the high fells. So I needed a route that would keep to a fairly low level. In the end I came up with a walk that took in a circuit of Crummack Dale from Austwick, one that I've done a few times before. On this occasion I included Moughton, and Thwaite, as well as Oxenber and Wharfe Woods. I included Oxenber and Wharfe Woods to see how the bluebells there were doing. I knew that I was probably early, there were a few starting to flower, but the majority were probably at least a couple of weeks away, the middle of May, when they're usually at their best. I set off from Austwick under cloudy skies, but through the morning I did enjoy some sunshine before the skies tended to fill in with cloud during the afternoon.
After parking in Austwick I walked north through the village along the road to Helwith Bridge until I reached a bridleway on the right, which I took across Flascoe Bridge to the track of Wood Lane, where I turned left and followed it northeast. I soon reached the public footpath on the right that let me onto the access land of Oxenber and Wharfe Woods. At the eastern edge of Wharfe Wood I left access land and picked up the Pennine Bridleway past Higher Bark House to Lower Bark House, where I turned left to take a bridleway down to the Austwick to Helwith Bridge road. After a right turn and a brief walk along the road I took a footpath up through fields to above Dry Rigg Quarry, then the footpath up to Moughton Nab and then Moughton Scar. I then made my way north across the limestone pavement of Moughton to eventually arrive at the trig point, where I stopped for lunch. More limestone pavement was crossed to Moughton Scars and then to Sulber Gate. It was now time to head south, back towards Austwick. I started with taking the Pennine Bridleway to Long Scar. I left it here for the hill of Thwaite, and when I reached its southern end I made my way down through the Norber erratics to pick up the public footpath below Nappa Scars and down Norber Brow to Crummack Lane. I crossed the road and took the footpath down through fields to the track of Thwaite Lane, crossed it and continued on the path down to Town Head Farm. From Town Head Farm I walked down Crummack Lane and through Austwick to where I was parked.
Total ascent: 1628 ft
OS map used: OL2 - Yorkshire Dales, Southern & Western areas
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Austwick-Flascoe Bridge-Wood Lane-Oxenber Wood-Wharfe Wood-Pennine Bridleway-Moughton Nab-Moughton Scar-Moughton-Moughton Scars-Sulber Gate-Pennine Bridleway-Thwaite-Norber-Crummack Lane-Town Head Farm-Austwick
I decided to head to the Yorkshire Dales for my walk this weekend, and since the forecast is for a mostly cloudy day I decided not to bother with going onto the high fells. So I needed a route that would keep to a fairly low level. In the end I came up with a walk that took in a circuit of Crummack Dale from Austwick, one that I've done a few times before. On this occasion I included Moughton, and Thwaite, as well as Oxenber and Wharfe Woods. I included Oxenber and Wharfe Woods to see how the bluebells there were doing. I knew that I was probably early, there were a few starting to flower, but the majority were probably at least a couple of weeks away, the middle of May, when they're usually at their best. I set off from Austwick under cloudy skies, but through the morning I did enjoy some sunshine before the skies tended to fill in with cloud during the afternoon.
After parking in Austwick I walked north through the village along the road to Helwith Bridge until I reached a bridleway on the right, which I took across Flascoe Bridge to the track of Wood Lane, where I turned left and followed it northeast. I soon reached the public footpath on the right that let me onto the access land of Oxenber and Wharfe Woods. At the eastern edge of Wharfe Wood I left access land and picked up the Pennine Bridleway past Higher Bark House to Lower Bark House, where I turned left to take a bridleway down to the Austwick to Helwith Bridge road. After a right turn and a brief walk along the road I took a footpath up through fields to above Dry Rigg Quarry, then the footpath up to Moughton Nab and then Moughton Scar. I then made my way north across the limestone pavement of Moughton to eventually arrive at the trig point, where I stopped for lunch. More limestone pavement was crossed to Moughton Scars and then to Sulber Gate. It was now time to head south, back towards Austwick. I started with taking the Pennine Bridleway to Long Scar. I left it here for the hill of Thwaite, and when I reached its southern end I made my way down through the Norber erratics to pick up the public footpath below Nappa Scars and down Norber Brow to Crummack Lane. I crossed the road and took the footpath down through fields to the track of Thwaite Lane, crossed it and continued on the path down to Town Head Farm. From Town Head Farm I walked down Crummack Lane and through Austwick to where I was parked.
Route map
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After walking through Austwick and then along the road to Helwith Bridge, I take the bridleway just ahead on the right
I follow the bridleway east, and across Flascoe Bridge..
Looking back to Austwick from the track of Wood Lane
I've left Wood Lane for the access land of Oxenber Wood. Looking across to the hill of Thwaite.
I'm too early for the bluebells, but there were a few early purple orchids starting to flower
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Following the path through Oxenber and Wharfe Woods..
Out of Wharfe Wood and I head north on the Pennine Bridleway
At Lower Bark House I take the bridleway between the buildings, and follow it north to the Austwick to Helwith Bridge road..
Looking towards Austwick in the distance as I take the footpath up to Moughton Nab from Newfield House
Dry Rigg Quarry from Moughton Nab
Looking across Ribblesdale to Penyghent and Fountains Fell from Moughton Scar
Pendle Hill in the distance behind the Smearsett Scar to Pot Scar ridge, with the hills above Settle in shadow on the left
The limestone moorland of Moughton
Ingleborough in the distance behind Long Scar
Looking towards Austwick with the Forest of Bowland in the distance
Making my way up onto the appropriately named Long Scar
Looking back across the moorland that I've just crossed
Limestone pavement and Ingleborough
Passing this cairn means that I'm heading in the right direction to reach the trig point. Pendle Hill in the distance as I pass the cairn..
..and again, as I pass another one
At the trig point on Moughton. Penyghent and Fountains Fell on the other side of Ribblesdale.
Ingleborough on the left, and the moors around Ribblehead in the distance
Pendle Hill in the distance
It's a land of limestone pavement as I leave the trig point and head for the edge of Crummack Dale
A view of Ingleborough and Moughton Scars as I follow the path around the edge of the dale to Moughton Scars
Crummack Dale from the cairn to the southern end of Moughton Scars
Looking along Moughton Scars to Ingleborough and Simon Fell
and north to the moors around Ribblehead
Penyghent and Fountains Fell from Moughton Scars
Ingleborough, the head of Crummack Dale, and Simon Fell as I head for Sulber Gate
I pass Beggar's Stile, on the path up Crummack Dale from Crummack Farm
Following the path up to Sulber Gate..
Looking across Thieves Moss to Penyghent and Fountains Fell from Sulber Gate
and Crummack Dale, with Pendle Hill in the distance
From Sulber Gate I follow the Pennine Bridleway south towards Long Scar
Approaching the huge cairn on Long Scar
At the cairn on Long Scar
Ingleborough and Simon Fell from Long Scar
Heading onto the hill of Thwaite
Great views from the eastern edge of Thwaite, of Crummack Dale, Wharfe and Oxenber Woods, with the hills around Settle, and Pendle Hill in the distance..
..and of Moughton on the other side of the head of Crummack Dale
I've left Thwaite for the boulder field of the Norber erratics. Older Silurian rock perched upon younger Carboniferous rock...
I leave Norber by the path to Nappa Scars and Norber Brow
Looking across Crummack Dale as I follow the path down Norber Brow to Crummack Lane
Having crossed Crummack Lane, heading south to cross Norber Sike
Passing a barn with Moughton as the backdrop
Approaching Town Head Farm at the top of Austwick, and I have a walk through the village to finish