28th December 2024 - Preston Scar and Castle Bolton
Walk Details
Distance walked: 11.2 miles
Total ascent: 1186 ft
OS map used: OL30 - Yorkshire Dales, Northern & Central areas
Time taken: 6 hrs
Route description: NP car park, Aysgarth Falls-Freeholders' Wood-Aysgarth Falls-Hollins House-Thoresby Lane-Redmire-Church Lane-Wood End Lane-Preston under Scar-Preston Scar-Redmire Scar-Hargill Lane-East Lane- Castle Bolton-Carperby-NP car park, Aysgarth Falls
I suppose it would have been asking for too much for a walk in the blue skies and sunshine above a temperature inversion for a third day in row. Given the way that the cloud was starting to blow up and across the fells when I was Whernside yesterday I wasn't expecting there to be one. I decided not to risk it, and went for the walk in Wensleydale that I'd planned on doing on Boxing Day, before I changed my mind. The route that I'd worked out started from the car park at Aysgarth Falls, and made its way down the dale via Redmire to Preston-under-Scar, then returned via Preston Scar, Redmire Scar, Castle Bolton, and Carperby. The forecast was for a mild and windy winter's day with low cloud on the hills. That was why I went to Wensleydale and as far down the dale as I did. Some shelter from the southwesterly wind gave the low cloud a chance to break up as it crossed the hills, and I was treated to some spells of winter sunshine, especially around the middle of the day.
After parking my car in the NP car park at Aysgarth Falls, I left it by crossing the road and taking the footpath through Freeholders' Wood, visiting Middle Force and Lower Force on the way. On exiting the woodland I took the footpath east across fields to Hollins House, then one northeast towards High Thoresby until I reached a byway that took me east to Thoresby Lane and the road to Redmire. I then walked east along the road passing Redmire to a sharp left hand bend, where I turned right onto Mill Lane, then almost immediately left onto Church Lane. After walking along Church Lane to St. Mary's Church, I carried on walking along the lane, now Wood End Lane until I reached a footpath on the left, which I took northeast up across fields and the line of Wensleydale Railway to the road beneath Preston-under-Scar. A brief walk east along the road brought me to a footpath on the left which took me up to the centre of Preston-under-Scar. I made my way to the eastern end of the village and took a footpath into the woodland just above it to find a bench, where I stopped for lunch. Break over, I made my way back to the eastern end of the village and walked up the road signposted for Richmond. I soon reached a track on the left and a footpath which I took up to and along Preston Scar, across the road at Wensley Quarry, then continuing west by the quarry and along a track on the top of Redmire Scar. I left Redmire Scar by taking a footpath down through fields to a track below, which I walked west along to Hargill Lane. I briefly walked down Hargill Lane, then took East Lane on the right and walked along this to the village of Castle Bolton. I left the village by taking the lane between Bolton Castle and St. Oswald's Church, then a track and byway west across the hillside. This became a bridleway, which I followed south across moorland to Low Gate, from where another bridleway took me down into the village of Carperby. I then walked west along the main road through the village and took the first footpath on the left, opposite the The Wheatsheaf Inn, and followed it south across fields and Low Lane to the road above the NP car park. A short walk down the road took me back to the car park.
Total ascent: 1186 ft
OS map used: OL30 - Yorkshire Dales, Northern & Central areas
Time taken: 6 hrs
Route description: NP car park, Aysgarth Falls-Freeholders' Wood-Aysgarth Falls-Hollins House-Thoresby Lane-Redmire-Church Lane-Wood End Lane-Preston under Scar-Preston Scar-Redmire Scar-Hargill Lane-East Lane- Castle Bolton-Carperby-NP car park, Aysgarth Falls
I suppose it would have been asking for too much for a walk in the blue skies and sunshine above a temperature inversion for a third day in row. Given the way that the cloud was starting to blow up and across the fells when I was Whernside yesterday I wasn't expecting there to be one. I decided not to risk it, and went for the walk in Wensleydale that I'd planned on doing on Boxing Day, before I changed my mind. The route that I'd worked out started from the car park at Aysgarth Falls, and made its way down the dale via Redmire to Preston-under-Scar, then returned via Preston Scar, Redmire Scar, Castle Bolton, and Carperby. The forecast was for a mild and windy winter's day with low cloud on the hills. That was why I went to Wensleydale and as far down the dale as I did. Some shelter from the southwesterly wind gave the low cloud a chance to break up as it crossed the hills, and I was treated to some spells of winter sunshine, especially around the middle of the day.
After parking my car in the NP car park at Aysgarth Falls, I left it by crossing the road and taking the footpath through Freeholders' Wood, visiting Middle Force and Lower Force on the way. On exiting the woodland I took the footpath east across fields to Hollins House, then one northeast towards High Thoresby until I reached a byway that took me east to Thoresby Lane and the road to Redmire. I then walked east along the road passing Redmire to a sharp left hand bend, where I turned right onto Mill Lane, then almost immediately left onto Church Lane. After walking along Church Lane to St. Mary's Church, I carried on walking along the lane, now Wood End Lane until I reached a footpath on the left, which I took northeast up across fields and the line of Wensleydale Railway to the road beneath Preston-under-Scar. A brief walk east along the road brought me to a footpath on the left which took me up to the centre of Preston-under-Scar. I made my way to the eastern end of the village and took a footpath into the woodland just above it to find a bench, where I stopped for lunch. Break over, I made my way back to the eastern end of the village and walked up the road signposted for Richmond. I soon reached a track on the left and a footpath which I took up to and along Preston Scar, across the road at Wensley Quarry, then continuing west by the quarry and along a track on the top of Redmire Scar. I left Redmire Scar by taking a footpath down through fields to a track below, which I walked west along to Hargill Lane. I briefly walked down Hargill Lane, then took East Lane on the right and walked along this to the village of Castle Bolton. I left the village by taking the lane between Bolton Castle and St. Oswald's Church, then a track and byway west across the hillside. This became a bridleway, which I followed south across moorland to Low Gate, from where another bridleway took me down into the village of Carperby. I then walked west along the main road through the village and took the first footpath on the left, opposite the The Wheatsheaf Inn, and followed it south across fields and Low Lane to the road above the NP car park. A short walk down the road took me back to the car park.
Route map
© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. License number PU 100034184.
Since I'm passing I've got to visit Aysgarth Falls. Middle Force from the viewing platform.
Following the path through Freeholders' Wood
By Lower Force..
After leaving Freeholders' Wood I follow a footpath to Hollins House, then northeast across fields towards Castle Bolton..
..then a byway east to Low Thoresby..
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The byway ends with a tree-lined path that brings me to the end of Thoresby Lane at Low Thoresby..
Walking along Thoresby Lane to Redmire
Sunshine on Redmire Scar behind the village of Redmire
I leave Redmire by walking along Church Lane
Passing St. Mary's Church, and onto Wood End Lane
Redmire Scar in sunshine from Wood End Lane
and looking across Wensleydale to Penhill
I leave Wood End Lane and take a footpath up through fields towards Preston-under-Scar
A great view as I look back up Wensleydale. I can see Bolton Castle in sunshine on the right.
Heading uphill into woodland..
..and across the line of the Wensleydale Railway
The footpath reaches the road beneath Preston-under-Scar. A stop to look back across Wensleydale.
Heading up to Preston-under-Scar
The view from the woodland immediately above Preston-under-Scar. A bench here was a good place to stop for lunch.
Break had, I take a footpath up to Preston Scar
A view across Wensleydale to my left
The path heads west between a pair of fences, with a disused quarry to my right
Wensleydale from Preston Scar. It's clouded over quite a bit in the time that it's taken me to get up here from Preston-under-Scar.
Preston Scar becomes Redmire Scar as I follow a track along its top..
Redmire and Wensleydale from Redmire Scar
I leave Redmire Scar by taking a footpath down through fields to a track below
Following the track west to Hargill Lane
After crossing Hargill Lane, I walk along East Lane to Castle Bolton..
St. Oswald's Church in Castle Bolton
Bolton Castle
I leave Castle Bolton by taking a byway west towards Carperby
Approaching the footbridge over Beldon Beck
Looking back after crossing Beldon Beck to patches of sunshine on the moorland of Rowantree Park
Following the bridleway south towards Low Gate
A view down Wensleydale to my left
From Low Gate I follow the bridleway down to Peatmoor Lane, and into Carperby..
In the village of Carperby
Looking back to Carperby as I take the footpath towards Aysgarth Falls
The sun sets as I head back to the Aysgarth Falls car park