Home  1999-2001  2002-3  2004-6  2007-9  2010-17  2018  2019  2020
 Coastwalk  LE-JOG  Counties  Random Search within km of
Hiking in Britain

The Dales Way

 

P20053265210	Limestone pavement and a rainbow.
     
P20053275300	The descent down from Cam End.
P20053265210 Limestone pavement and a rainbow.
     
P20053275300 The descent down from Cam End.

Background

The Dales Way is an 81-mile stroll from Ilkley in the Yorkshire Dales to the shores of Lake Windermere in the Lake District. The first half of the walk follows the River Wharfe as it heads northwestwards to its watershed, and a more varied second half hops between river valleys into the Lake District.

Few long-distance paths could ever be called easy, and the Dales Way certainly is not, but there is little complexity in it. The Way can easily be split into a relaxing six or seven day's walking, with accommodation available at the end of each day, or treated as a harsher backpacking expedition over a shorter period. It would make a good training walk for harder long distance paths such as the Coast to Coast or Pennine Way, but it s a good walk on it's own.

There are three southern extensions; from Leeds, Harrogate and Bradford to Ilkley, but I have done none of these (I have walked between Leeds and Ilkley using a different route, following the Leeds and Liverpool canal and heading over Ilkley Moor). These extensions are covered in many of the relevant guides.

The map.

 

P20053255136	Bolton Abbey.
     
P20053255157	Barden Bridge.
P20053255136 Bolton Abbey.
     
P20053255157 Barden Bridge.


The walk statistics:

Planned Completed To do Percentage completed
Distance 81.8 miles81.8 miles0 miles100 %
Legs 5 5 0 100 %

 

Total duration of walk 1 days, 13 hours and 3 minutes
Stopped time 3 hours and 18 minutes
Shortest completed leg Staveley (Stockbridge Farm) to Bowness on Solway at 6.5 miles
Longest completed leg Sedbergh to Staveley (Stockbridge Farm) at 20.3 miles
Average distance per leg 16.36 miles

 

 

P20053295519	The view over Bowness towards Windermere.
     
P20053255180	The suspension bridge at Mill Bridge.
P20053295519 The view over Bowness towards Windermere.
     
P20053255180 The suspension bridge at Mill Bridge.


The walk in full:

No.From To Distance Status
1 Ilkley Grassington 17 Completed
2 Grassington Swarthgill 18 Completed
3 Swarthgill Sedbergh 20 Completed
4 Sedbergh Staveley (Stockbridge Farm) 20.3 Completed
5 Staveley (Stockbridge Farm) Bowness on Solway 6.5 Completed

 

P20053275301	The footbridge over Gayle Beck.
     
P20053275306	The path between Gearstones and High Gayle.
P20053275301 The footbridge over Gayle Beck.
     
P20053275306 The path between Gearstones and High Gayle.


Further information

If you want more details of the path, then have a look at the following book. I used this book throughout my walk, and it proved to be invaluable. It includes information on the southern extension to the path from Leeds to Ilkley if you wished to extend the walk to over one hundred miles. Please click on the image below to go to the Amazon page for this book.

cover

There are also the following good websites about the Dales Way:

  • The Dales Way Association website is a superb resource for walkers of the Way, detailing some of the publications available and route diversions.
  • The Sherpa Van project webpsage on the Dales Way. A commercial site detailing the Sherpa Van service (a firm that carries your bags to your evening accommodation for you whilst you walk), it has much useful information on the Way on it's pages.
  • Mick Brockhurst's superb site, including details of the Dales Way.

More Dales Way photos

 

P20053295481	A stream in Staveley.
     
P20053295485	A stream in Staveley.
P20053295481 A stream in Staveley.
     
P20053295485 A stream in Staveley.

 

P20053295508	The path heading west from Outrun Nook.
     
P20053295516	The path near Holme Farm.
P20053295508 The path heading west from Outrun Nook.
     
P20053295516 The path near Holme Farm.

 

P20053295521	The last bench on the Dales Way.
     
P20053295530	The view over Windermere.
P20053295521 The last bench on the Dales Way.
     
P20053295530 The view over Windermere.

 

P20053285369	Sedbergh Church.
     
P20053285380	A bridge over ther river at Birks Mill.
P20053285369 Sedbergh Church.
     
P20053285380 A bridge over ther river at Birks Mill.

 

P20053285391	The ford near the Lune Viaduct.
     
P20053285398	The Lune Viaduct.
P20053285391 The ford near the Lune Viaduct.
     
P20053285398 The Lune Viaduct.

 

P20053285409	The River Dee on the way to Crook of Lune.
     
P20053285418	The River Dee at the Crook of Lune.
P20053285409 The River Dee on the way to Crook of Lune.
     
P20053285418 The River Dee at the Crook of Lune.

 

P20053285445	The River Mint.
     
P20053285458	The River Kent on the way to Bowston.
P20053285445 The River Mint.
     
P20053285458 The River Kent on the way to Bowston.

 

P20053285466	The River Kent at Cowan Head.
     
P20053275294	The view back towards Cam Houses.
P20053285466 The River Kent at Cowan Head.
     
P20053275294 The view back towards Cam Houses.

 

P20053275319	Scow Force.
     
P20053275331	The River Dee to the east of Dent.
P20053275319 Scow Force.
     
P20053275331 The River Dee to the east of Dent.

 

P20053275337	Dent.
     
P20053275357	The river in Sedbergh.
P20053275337 Dent.
     
P20053275357 The river in Sedbergh.

 

P20053265192	The River Wharfe in Grassington.
     
P20053265197	Grassington.
P20053265192 The River Wharfe in Grassington.
     
P20053265197 Grassington.

 

P20053265202	Limestone pavement to the north of Grassington.
     
P20053265206	Limestone pavement to the north of Grassington.
P20053265202 Limestone pavement to the north of Grassington.
     
P20053265206 Limestone pavement to the north of Grassington.

 

P20053265235	The view from New Bridge in Kettlewell.
     
P20053265261	The River Wharfe in Langstrothdale.
P20053265235 The view from New Bridge in Kettlewell.
     
P20053265261 The River Wharfe in Langstrothdale.

 

P20053265277	Swarthgill.
     
P20053255114	Myself by Old Bridge in Ilkley.
P20053265277 Swarthgill.
     
P20053255114 Myself by Old Bridge in Ilkley.

 

P20053255123	Addingham Church.
     
P20053255130	A building in Low Park.
P20053255123 Addingham Church.
     
P20053255130 A building in Low Park.

 

P20053255178	Stepping stones near Mill Bridge.
P20053255178 Stepping stones near Mill Bridge.

Back to walks index Back to walks index  Back to index of named paths Back to index of named paths 


Please visit my ramblings blog at: https://walkerramblings.blogspot.com/


Hosted by Spellings.net