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The Pennine Way | |
| Introduction Edale Crowden Globe Farm Slack Top Ponden Thornton Malham Horton Hawes Tan Hill |
 The entrance to Gordale Scar |
Bowes Middleton Langdon Beck Dufton Garrigill Alston Greenhead Twice Brewed Bellingham Bryness Uswayford |
The morning of the 27th was bright and clear with some isolated clouds. I left Thornton-in-Craven along Cam Lane and over a small rise to follow a grassy path to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The towpath led pleasantly along the canal by some fair-sized trees. The canal was surprisingly clean - I've seen others which were full of dirty brown water. If you need refreshment then a detour over the first bridge to East Marton and its inn is possible . The PW used to pass through this hamlet and miss some of the canal path - including the curious double-arched bridge (number 161). A short stretch of road after Williamson Bridge was soon behind me as the path lead through farmland (sometimes indistinctly) to Gargrave. I arrived just in time to stop at a coffee shop for a cup of invigorating hot chocolate.
Once out of Gargrave, a quiet road through Mark Plantation took me back into the countryside and more farmland in the climb to Eshton Moor. There was not much of a path but the waymarkers and stiles kept me on the right track. From the moor top I caught my first glimpse of Malham Cove - the limestone cliff where a waterfall used to be. I dropped down from the moor to the River Aire which was followed nearly all the way to Malham. This was pleasant riverside walking with a couple of small villages on the other side of the river providing picture-postcard views. The river was followed all the way except for a steepish section up the hill towards Hanlith and then down again (nice view along the way). At Aire Head the river suddenly disappeared - the source of the River Aire is Malham Tarn but the outlet from there vanishes at Water Sinks and comes up again here.
 Gordale Beck issuing from a window in the limestone |
When I was in sight of Malham, I took a detour which I recommend to everyone:
After the River Aire begins at Aire Head there is a path to the right (just past Mire Barn). This joins and follows Hell Gill Syke upstream into woods and up to Janet's Foss waterfall. This is not a big waterfall (4 metres at the most) but is perfectly situated in a wooded glade. Climb up from the waterfall to Gordale Lane and turn right to the entrance of Gordale Scar - see the photo above. The well-trodden path into the valley of the Scar is quickly squeezed into a limestone gorge. The creator of the gorge - Gordale Beck - issues forth through a hole in the rock walls at the gorge head. The easiest way to get to Malham is to return and follow Gordale Lane - this is especially quick if you have to walk through a sudden downpour like me!
If you have the time then it is possible to continue along the gorge (climbing up beside the waterfall). Beyond the waterfall a path climbs out of the gorge and onto moorland where a minor road is joined 100 metres beyond a cattle grid. Walk northwards along the road and follow its sharp right turn to where the PW crosses it (about 1 kilometre). The PW can then be taken back to Malham.
I soon found my way into Malham and the Buck Inn where I stayed the night. There is also a youth hostel in the village: Malham Youth Hostel.
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