28th April 2025 - Roeburndale bluebells
Walk Details
Distance walked: 10.0 miles
Total ascent: 1803 ft
OS map used: OL41 - Forest of Bowland & Ribblesdale
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Wray-Alcocks Farm-Outhwaite Wood-Backbottom Farm-Barkin Bridge-Lower Salter-Haylot Farm-Melling Wood-Mallowdale Farm-Mallowdale Bridge-High Salter-Goodber Beck-Harterbeck Farm-Wray Wood Moor-Alcocks Farm-Wray
It's usually the middle of May when I try and do a bluebell walk, but with the warm and dry spring so far, and the bluebells around where I live coming into bloom I'm early this year. It wasn't very imaginative of me to go to the village of Wray and Roeburndale in the Forest of Bowland for the fourth year in five, I didn't bother last year, but the displays of bluebells in Outhwaite Wood in Roeburndale are the best that I've found, and they haven't disappointed me yet. My route was a variation of previous visits, walking up Moor Lane on the western side of Roeburndale after exiting Outhwaite Wood on my outbound walk, and then walking down the road on the eastern side of Roeburndale for my return to Wray. The displays of bluebells and wild garlic were up to their usual high standard, and after a dull and cloudy morning it brightened up for the walk across the meadows above Roeburndale in the afternoon.
After parking in Wray I walked up the road on the eastern side of Roeburndale, passing Alcocks Farm, until I reached a public footpath on the right. I took this and followed it down through 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 footbridge across the River Roeburn below Backsbottom Farm. I crossed the bridge, followed the footpath up a track, and then a permissive footpath that carries on up the track to and through Backsbottom Farm, and up to the road on the western side of Roeburndale (not on the map). I then had a walk south along the road up the valley, crossing Barkin Bridge, passing 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 walked down the road back to Wray, and where I'd parked my car.
Total ascent: 1803 ft
OS map used: OL41 - Forest of Bowland & Ribblesdale
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Wray-Alcocks Farm-Outhwaite Wood-Backbottom Farm-Barkin Bridge-Lower Salter-Haylot Farm-Melling Wood-Mallowdale Farm-Mallowdale Bridge-High Salter-Goodber Beck-Harterbeck Farm-Wray Wood Moor-Alcocks Farm-Wray
It's usually the middle of May when I try and do a bluebell walk, but with the warm and dry spring so far, and the bluebells around where I live coming into bloom I'm early this year. It wasn't very imaginative of me to go to the village of Wray and Roeburndale in the Forest of Bowland for the fourth year in five, I didn't bother last year, but the displays of bluebells in Outhwaite Wood in Roeburndale are the best that I've found, and they haven't disappointed me yet. My route was a variation of previous visits, walking up Moor Lane on the western side of Roeburndale after exiting Outhwaite Wood on my outbound walk, and then walking down the road on the eastern side of Roeburndale for my return to Wray. The displays of bluebells and wild garlic were up to their usual high standard, and after a dull and cloudy morning it brightened up for the walk across the meadows above Roeburndale in the afternoon.
After parking in Wray I walked up the road on the eastern side of Roeburndale, passing Alcocks Farm, until I reached a public footpath on the right. I took this and followed it down through 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 footbridge across the River Roeburn below Backsbottom Farm. I crossed the bridge, followed the footpath up a track, and then a permissive footpath that carries on up the track to and through Backsbottom Farm, and up to the road on the western side of Roeburndale (not on the map). I then had a walk south along the road up the valley, crossing Barkin Bridge, passing 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 walked down the road back to Wray, and where I'd parked my car.
Route map
© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. License number PU 100034184.
Walking up the road on the eastern side of Roeburndale past Alcocks Farm
I leave the road and follow the footpath down to Outhwaite Wood
Lots of photos of bluebells as I follow the concessionary footpaths in Outhwaite Wood...............
Common Bugle
|
Walking through a carpet of wild garlic
|
By the banks of the River Roeburn
The footpath goes through a small orchard..
..and then across a footbridge over the River Roeburn
Some time later and I reach Moor Lane above Backsbottom Farm. Looking across Roeburndale to the cloud-topped Yorkshire Dales in the distance.
Walking south along Moor Lane
Views across Roeburndale to my left. I'll be walking across the moorland over there in a few hours time..
Following the road south down Roeburndale. The northern slopes of Ward's Stone form the backdrop.
Passing the methodist chapel at Lower Salter
Lower Salter Farm
On the byway up to Haylot Farm
Across the River Roeburn
Looking back down Roeburndale
At Haylot Farm. The footpath goes through the gate, then round to the left and into the field.
Alderstone Bank and Mallowdale Pike as I follow the footpath to Melling Wood
Down through Melling Wood
Across the footbridge over Mallow Gill
|
Mallow Gill
|
Looking down Roeburndale from below Mallowdale Farm
The River Roeburn from Mallowdale Bridge
Haylot Fell behind the hillside with Mallowdale Farm on it, from the path up to Higher Salter Farm
Heading up to Higher Salter Farm
At the northern end of the track of Hornby Road at Higher Salter Farm
Views to the north to Lunesdale and the Yorkshire Dales as I follow the footpath from High Salter Farm to Harterbeck Farm
Down to the footbridge over Goodber Beck at the top of Pedder Gill
The higher of the two waterfalls at the top of Pedder Gill, with the footbridge across the beck above
Heading up to Harterbeck Farm and I don't need to use the footbridge to cross Goodber Beck. It's not much more than a trickle.
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 back to the moors around the head of Roeburndale
Great Coum, Gragareth, Whernside, Ingleborough, and Penyghent from the northern end of Wray Wood Moor. I'm going to go onto access land on the other side of the wall and take in the view from there. The weather has brightened up quite a bit during the past hour.
Looking east and southeast to the moorland of Goodber Common..
and south to the moors around the head of Roeburndale
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 past Alcocks Farm and down to Wray