Walks in Arncliffe
From easy city strolls to challenging trails, discover the best of Arncliffe on foot.
Walk: Wharfedale and Littondale
This is a delightful exposed and dramatic walk with stunning views into Wharfedale and Littondale both at the beginning and end of the day. The Route what3words for start point: ///premises.spaceship.bins Start Point: Arncliffe Finish Point: Kettlewell Distance: 8.45 Miles GPX Route Map wharfedalelittondale2Download Walk Description Starbotton has been a village since the Iron Age times and still has only 75 residents! The village is criss crossed with a web of ancient routes from the times of the great monasteries of Fountains Abbey, Jervaulx and Rievaulx. The River Wharfe means ‘winding river’ and flows from Beckermonds into the Humber Estuary. As a result Wharfedale is a beautiful valley with steep hills rising on both sides making it one of the most stunning Dales in Yorkshire. The path ascending from Starbotton is an old packhorse track and drovers’ lane with crumbling walls on each side and trees lining the way – it is atmospheric and historic. It climbs steeply to the top of the moor used for grouse shooting in season. Arncliffe, now a conservation area, was used for filming Emmerdale. The fictional village of Beckindale was Arncliffe and The Falcon Inn, the Woolpack. The pub has no pumps for its beer but pours pints straight from the barrel into pot jugs and to the glass! From behind the pub, Malham Tarn can be reached just 4 miles away on the Monks Road. The scars above the village were once home to eagles hence the Old English name Earn meaning Eagle has evolved into Arn Cliffe. Hawkswick is a tiny hamlet with 70 residents. It was named after the first settlement, Hauk’s Dairy. The hamlet later had a Ballroom which still exists but is now a house. The climb over Hawkswick Moor passes Knipe Wood above Knipe Scar and is popular with ornithologists as there are peregrine falcons, redshanks and curlews here as well as dippers, oystercatchers and wagtails.
Walk: Kettlewell and Conistone
This walk explores the fantastic variety of landscapes that Wharfedale has to offer, as well as visiting two lovely villages. The Route what3words for start point: ///wriggled.smile.squeezed Start Point: Kettlewell Finish Point: Kettlewell Distance: 10 Miles GPX Route Map kettlewellconistone-v2Download Walk Description Kettlewell is one of the finest villages in the Yorkshire Dales, set in the magnificent glaciated U-shaped valley of Upper Wharfedale, cradled by moorland heights and rolling fells. With its history stretching back to the Saxons (this was 'Ketel's spring'), Kettlewell prospered in the 18th & 19th Centuries with the development of lead mining on the surrounding hills as well as regular markets and fairs, not to mention the many traders and travellers who came this way on the numerous packhorse routes that still criss-cross the hills. Today, the village is well known for its annual Scarecrow Festival and was used as the location for ‘Knapely’ in the 2003 film Calendar Girls. From Kettlewell, this route follows the old 'peat road' (peat was once cut a dried on the moorland and used as fuel in people’s homes) up to the wonderful viewpoint of Capplestone Gate with its many old lead mine workings; note the change in rock from limestone to gritstone. The OS Trig Point lies just off the path, and is the perfect spot for a break to admire the view. We then drop down Conistone Turf Road, another old peat road, to reach Conistone Dib, a magnificent limestone gorge, only a few feet wide in places, that was scoured out 12,000 years ago by glacial meltwaters. This gorge leads to the attractive village of Conistone and St Mary's Church, the oldest church in Craven that dates back to pre-Conquest times. The return leg of this walk follows the Dales Way back to Kettlewell, a wonderful high-level route with far-reaching views. Of particular note is Conistone Pie, a prominent outcrop of limestone that affords wonderful views towards the confluence of the rivers Skirfare (Littondale) and Wharfe (Wharfedale), known as Amerdale Dub. Indeed, the old name for Littondale was Amerdale. A close look at the map will reveal numerous ancient settlements in this area, many dating back to the Iron Age; their rough stone walls clearly visible and well worth seeking out. Watch Baroness Sayeeda Warsi walk this route on the BBC iPlayer
Walk: The Inn Way - Kettlewell to Grassington
This walk takes in Kettlewell, Capplestone Gate, Bare House, Yarnbury, Hebden, Thorpe and Linton Falls - highlights of the Yorkshire Dales. The Route What3Words for start point: ///discussed.villager.flotation Start Point: Kettlewell, Yorkshire Dales Finish Point: Grassington, Yorkshire Dales Distance: 13 Miles GPX Route Map the-inn-way-day-6Download Walk Description This route follows a fascinating linear route through Wharfedale from Kettlewell to Grassington, from where you can catch a bus back to Kettlewell. It is day 6 on 'The Inn Way to the Yorkshire Dales’ - which totals 76 miles. There is so much to see and experience along this walk, from the breezy heights of Capplestone Gate that affords wonderful views across the Wharfedale uplands to the limestone pavements around Lea Green and the lead mines of Yarnbury. There are also some cracking pubs and cafes along the way too, notably at Hebden, Linton and Grassington. Pretty villages, waterfalls, riversides and rolling hills make this a special day’s walk in Wharfedale.