Walking in Malhamdale

The following walks are available to download (map and routes in printable A4 PDF format) in the FREE Malhamdale Brochure available here

Malhamdale offers some of the best walking among some of the finest scenery in the British Isles. The terrain, however, must not be taken for granted and walkers must be adequately prepared, and, in particular,must be properly shod. Proper walking boots giving adequate ankle support are essential for this area as, although some of the most popular paths are now surfaced almost to town centre standards, most paths are uneven if not actually rough. Trainers, for example, are not adequate for most of the walking in the area.It should also be noted that the limestone of which the spectacular scenery of Malhamdale is composed can be a testing surface on which to walk, and great care must be taken especially when the limestone is wet or has a rime of mud on it when it becomes very slippery.  That having been said, the delights of the walking in Malhamdale are self-evident.  A pause for breath at almost any point on any of the walks described here will give the opportunity to look around at some of the most breathtaking scenery you are ever likely to come across!  The backbone of walking in Malhamdale is the Pennine Way which is shown on this map as a broad dotted green line heading more or less North-South. All of the walks described here use the Pennine Way for some part of their journey.  Where this is the case the Pennine Way is not over laid on the map by the appropriate route colouring.  The walks described all start and finish at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority car park in Malham.  (The new Walk 5 starts & ends in Airton)

 

Walk 1 Malham Landscape Spectacular 7kms (4.5 miles)

Turn left out of the YDNPA Car Park and follow the road through the village. By the last building pass through the hand-gate way on the right to follow the well-made and well used footpath, part of the Pennine Way, to Malham Cove. On approaching the Cove,continue straight ahead to gain a view which gives a striking impression of the grandeur of the feature. Back-track to the footpath junction and turn right to follow the path which climbs steeply up the western end of Malham Cove. The path has been stepped for much of the climb. At the top follow the path to the right crossing the limestone pavement. [*] At the far side of the pavement leave the Pennine Way (which veers to the left) and continue ahead and then to the right uphill towards the corner of a wall. Follow the track with the wall on your right for about 250 metres when you will encounter a road which you should cross,going downhill for a few metres to a gate on your left. The path proceeds slightly downhill to pick up the corner of a wall which it then follows, passing a barn on your right. The path turns right and passes through three gates, after which the path leads downhill until it reaches the road. Turn left along the road, crossing a small bridge, to a gate on your left giving access to Gordale Scar. Pass through the gate on your left and follow the path into the gorge of Gordale Scar – a spectacular demonstration of the power of the natural elements. Retrace your steps back to the road, turn right and continue along the road for about 100 metres to access the footpath on your left to Janet’s Foss, an attractive waterfall.Continue past the waterfall as the path follows the Gordale Beck(on your left hand side) through the wooded gorge, carved out of the limestone by the Beck, passing through two gates and outinto the fields on the floor of the valley. Follow the surfaced path through another four gates, keeping the river on your left. After passing a barn on the left, the path meets the junction with the Pennine Way where you should turn right, immediately passing through the first of three gates.As you come back into the village, turn left over the clapper bridge,cross the road by River House and follow the road to the left to return to the Car Park.

 

Walk 2 Malham Cove, Dry Valley, Malham Tarn and Pikedaw 12kms (7.5 miles)
Follow the route of Walk 1 as far as the top of Malham Cove,indicated by the symbol [*]. After crossing the limestone pavement,turn left and cross three stiles as you walk up through dry valley,before taking the right fork in the path, by a footpath signpost and stile (do not cross the stile). Your path leads past the area,on your right, where the stream flowing from Malham Tarn sinks underground, to emerge at Airehead Springs, just south of Malham village. Turn right onto the road, crossing the stream before takingthe footpath on the left by the small car parking area and following the path to Tarn Foot, where lovely views can be had of Malham Tarn and its surroundings. Retrace your steps back to the road turning right onto it and crossing the stream again. Turn left off the road onto the Pennine Way, this time taking the broad track(bridleway) which curves to the right around the hillside (leaving the Pennine Way), and bears left after passing through a gateway to lead up to a road. Bear left along the road for a few metres and, immediately after the cattle grid at Langscar Gate, turn right through a field gate on to a broad, well defined track which leads uphill, curving to the right. Turn left once through the next gateway,and follow the path, still well defined, uphill through three more gateways until you reach the junction with the Malham to Settle bridleway where there is a prominent finger-post beside a field gate. Turn left through the field gate and follow the main bridleway down the hill through the spoil heaps and covered shafts associated with the former mining activity of the area. After about 350myou will see a footpath sign to Malham. Turn right at this sign and follow this less well defined path pausing to take in the spectacular view across Malhamdale and down the Aire Valley beyond Skipton. The path descends steeply to a stone stile, and then continues to descend to a field gate followed by another stone stile next to a barn. Once across this stile, follow the path to a small bridge before crossing a final stone stile into the walled lane. Once in the lane,turn left and after about 450m there is a junction with another walled lane. Turn right here and follow the lane until it turns to the left and drops down hill to join yet another walled lane. Turn right again and follow the lane until it finally bears round to the left and brings you out at the entrance to Malham car park.

 

Walk 3 Janets Foss, Weets Top, Calton, Airton and Hanlith 13 kms (8 miles)
Turn left out of the YDNPA car park, cross the road by River House to cross the clapper bridge behind the blacksmiths, turn right onto the Pennine Way and follow it to the third gate. Immediately after the gate leave the Pennine Way turning left by the barn onto the path sign-posted to Janet’s Foss and follow the surfaced path through seven gates alongside the Gordale Beck, through the wooded gorge and past Janet’s Foss to the road. Turn right along the road and follow it (steeply) uphill until, just below the crest of the road, a walled, rough track is sign-posted to the right. Take the track to Weets Top and pass through a gate, adjacent to which are the remains of an ancient wayside stone cross, on to the open moor. Just beyond the gate where the surfaced bridleways fork,take the right hand route signed to ‘Calton 2¾ miles’. Follow the footpath downhill for about 450 metres at which point the track from Hanlith joins.If you wish to follow the shorter route, bear right and follow the track downhill over the open moor. After about 1100 metres the track passes through a gate and continues as a lane between two walls (Windy Pike Lane). Just over 1200 metres further on, the track acquires a tarmac surface as it descends steeply into the hamlet of Hanlith. On the second of the downhill hairpin bends look for the Pennine Way signpost and hand gate on the right. [#]Once through the gate, follow the path, now somewhat up the hillside from the river, passing through five gates, which will return you to the point by the barn at which the path to Janet’s Foss turns off, at the start of this walk. Continue along the Pennine Way and re-cross the clapper bridge as you enter Malham to return to the Car Park.For Calton, continue gently downhill following the bridleway across the open moor, taking in the splendid views of Malhamdale and beyond, and after 3.25 kilometres (2 miles) you will descend quite steeply via a zig-zag track into the wooded Foss Gill. Here the track runs beside the beck, crosses a ford and rises slightly between stone walls to enter the hamlet of Calton. Turn right down the road and continue ahead, following the road down and around a right angled bend to the river bridge below the village of Airton. Before crossing the bridge turn right down a short track and over a stile to pick up the Pennine Way footpath. On the opposite side of the River Aire you will see a former mill building (now converted into residential accommodation), which serves as a reminder of the hidden industrial past of this and similar rural areas. The Pennine Way continues alongside the river, and after passing left through a stile and three gates, crosses a wooden footbridge over a stream.(Your route now turns right, however, if you want refreshments the second footbridge ahead gives access to ‘Town End Farm Shop and Tearoom’). Turn right after the first footbridge, keeping the main river on your left. Follow the Pennine Way to Hanlith Bridge, turning right over the stile and follow the road steeply uphill to the right hand hairpin bend. At the apex of this bend look for the Pennine Way signpost and hand gate on the left. Continue to Malham following the instructions from the [#] in the short walk above.

 

Walk 4 Malham, Kirkby Malham, Airton, Hanlith 9 kms (5.5 miles)
Turn right out of the YDNPA car park, and walk up the road for 320 metres until you cross a stile on your right, signposted to Kirkby Malham. The footpath is not very distinct in the field you have now entered so aim towards the left of the hummock in front of you,going diagonally up hill, crossing the farm track and over the stile.Continue along the edge of the field, keeping to the fence which bends to the right, on your right hand side, until reaching the corner of the field where there is another stile. Follow the path slightly downhill to another stile. Cross the next field to a stone stile to the right of a field barn, after which bear slightly right to cross the field to another stone stile set to the right of a large tree. Cross the field to another stone stile and then bear slightly left to reach a field gate, before turning right onto the road. Follow the road for 300m before turning right onto a track signposted ‘Footpath’. After 100m turn left at the footpath finger-post to ‘Cow Close Lane’. Cross the stile to follow this path, keeping a stream bed to your left towards a field gate which appears to the left of a disused small quarry.Once through the gate continue ahead, curving round to the left in front of a farm house (New Close) and crossing a stile to climb slightly uphill to the right to access the farm track. Turn left along the track and follow it to Cow Close Lane, where turn left again and go downhill to Kirkby Malham. At the commencement of the village houses turn right to follow the roadway to the front of the parish church. (If refreshment is needed at this point the Victoria Inn is about 75 metres ahead.) In front of the church, (known as ‘the cathedral of the dales’ the 500 year old church of St Michael the Archangel is well worth a visit) by a parking/turning area, follow a signpost for the footpath to ‘Otterburn 2¾ miles’ over a footbridge and up some steps through two gates. Turn to the right, uphill, to cross a stone stile, and then bear left to cross another stile at the lower left corner of a small plantation. Continue uphill keeping the small plantation on your right. Cross the farm track and over the stile into a field and navigate diagonally left over the crown of the field down to a stone footbridge alongside Deepdale Plantation.Uphill and slightly right will bring you to a stile in the right hand wall, adjacent to a field gate. Cross the stile and turn left, following the wall on your left uphill to a hand gate on your left signed to ‘Airton ½ mile’. Through this gate, the path drifts slightly left, downhill to Deepdale Barns where, after passing through the field gate,look for the hand gate (with a ‘Footpath’ finger-post) over the wire fence on your right, the hand gate being to the left of another field gate. Bear left around the corner of the field wall, and, before reaching the gateway ahead, turn right to follow a more distinct footpath along the wall side and over stone stiles. Immediately after the third stile, follow the fork in the path diagonally to the left which picks up another field wall on your left. Follow this footpath through a stile and four gates, the last one of which drops you into the main road along the valley. Turn right to follow the road slightly uphill for about 70 metres. Here a footpath on the left through agate is signed to ‘Malham 2½ miles’. (If refreshment is required at this point continue along the road for another 50 metres for Town End Farm Shop and Tea Room at Airton.) Follow the footpath down to the footbridge over the infant River Aire, cross the bridge and walk ahead towards another footbridge but turn left before the second bridge to follow the Pennine Way as it follows the riverside to Hanlith Bridge. Turn right on to the road and continue up hill through the hamlet to the acute right-hand bend of the road,from the left of which the Pennine Way continues up the valley to Malham. On entering the village turn left over the stone clapper bridge, cross the road and return to the starting point.

 

Walk 5 WALK 5 Airton – Bell Busk – Airton 9.5 km (6 miles)

Turn right out of Town End Farm Shop car park. Walk along the road into the village. Turn right at the first junction signed to Settle. At the green turn left and take the path way between walls just to the left of the white gate. Sign post marked ‘BW Town End’.Follow footpath between houses to where track becomes surfaced road again. When footpath meets road, turn right and immediately turn left on road to Bell Busk. At split in road take the right fork to Kirk Syke Farm. Sign post says ‘Bell Busk 1 ¼ miles’. When road turns right into farm yard keep left on track between walls. If ford is impassable use footbridge on left. At farm buildings on the right,keep left down the hill. After approx. 100 m pass through 5 bar gate. Keep right on footpath along wall. Pass through another 5 bar gate. The footpath will become a gully with raised field to the left and walls/stone to the right. After passing disused barn on right carry on into field and head for another 5 bar gate approx. 150m ahead. Use gate on left in stone wall and make for barn ahead,approx. 300 meters keeping fence on your right. After reaching the barn take the footpath across small stone bridge across stream.Head for metal 5 bar gate across the field. After passing through gate keep on footpath keeping barns to your right. Pass between cottage and barn and emerge onto road. Turn left. After approx. 300m turn left over ‘Red Bridge’ and take track to your right, known as‘Mark House Lane’.Follow Mark House Lane for approx. 400m until your meet entrance to Hesper Farm. At this point turn sharp left and head up hill on disused farm track. Carry on until track turns sharp right. At this point go through metal 5 bar gate in front of you and carry straight on.  Follow grass track keeping quarry and Haw Crag & trig point to your left. When cresting the rise you can take small detour to walk up to Haw Crag for great views of Malham Cove to the north, Pendle Hill to the south, Settle-Carlisle railway to west and Embsay Fell to east. From crest head straight ahead to small gate/stile in wall straight ahead of you. After crossing wall head straight ahead for approx. 100m until you meet footpath crossing your path. This is the Pennine Way. Turn left on Pennine Way. Carry on Pennine Way across field heading for wooden gate in the corner of field. Pass through double gate and head for sign post in middleof the field and from there carry on to gate in the corner of the field. Pass through another double gate and carry on keeping wallthe left and road to the right. Carry on until seeing gate in wall to your right. Pass through gate and head along river to small wooden bridge. Cross bridge and turn slight right to follow path keeping river to your right. Carry on along path passing through gate inwall keeping river to your right. Cross small wooden plank bridge and head to small opening in wall onto road. Turn right on road and turn left after crossing river on the road. All marker Pennine Way. Follow footpath all the way back to Airton keeping river to your left. On reaching small gap in wall onto road cross road into small lane and then gate into field opposite converted mill, now apartments. Follow Pennine Way keeping river to you left until you reach 2 wooden footbridges. After crossing second bridge turn left up hill and continue until you meet the road. Turn left on road and entrance to farm shop is approx. 100 m on your right.

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