A monastic grange, an intriguing folly and Guise Cliff with commanding views across Nidderdale.
Table of Contents
The Route
- what3words for start point: ///sling.fabric.tripped
- Start Point: Bewerley, Nidderdale
- Finish Point: Bewerley, Nidderdale
- Distance: 4.25 Miles
GPX Route Map
Download file for GPSWalk Description
Bewerley lies just across the river from Pateley Bridge, the ‘capital’ of upper Nidderdale. This is an attractive village of stone houses and old miners’ cottages clustered around a narrow village green complete with a red ‘phone box and an old water trough still with a working tap. Bewerley is much older than neighbouring Pateley Bridge and was once owned by Fountains Abbey who had a grange, or monastic sheep farm, here. Hidden away along the road through the village is Bewerley Grange Chapel, built between 1494 and 1526 by Marmaduke Huby, the last Abbot of Fountains Abbey before the Dissolution of the Monasteries. This chapel was built to serve the grange, and is still in use as a chapel.
Our walk climbs up onto the moors above Bewerley from where there are wonderful views across Nidderdale towards Pateley Bridge. Visible for miles around, the conspicuous landmark of Yorke’s Folly was built over 200 years ago by the local wealthy Yorke family to provide employment for local people during a period of hardship. There were originally three pillars, however one fell down during a storm in 1893. From Yorke’s Folly a path leads across the top of Guise Cliff, a ridge of sandstone rocks weathered into weird and wonderful shapes with rocks jutting out high above the trees below with precipitous cliffs and crevices – keep away from the edge and children and dogs under close supervision as there are hidden crevices and sheer drops. The return ‘leg’ of this walk meanders through Guisecliff Wood, a wonderful expanse of ancient woodland with a small hidden lake amongst the trees. This woodland is carpeted with bluebells in spring.
