12th December 2008

Winter Walk - Burnsall, Yorkshire Dales

Following the recent snowfall we saw in early December 2008, Victor Marcinkiewiecz and myself recently completed a circular walk from Burnsall in the Dales. On what turned out to be a glorious day for walking in snow, we arrived quite late in the morning (around 10:30), finding the route to Grassington littered with No Parking cones as the village was closed to parking for a Dickensian Fayre. Parking on the car park by the bridge, near the Red Lion, it was like a giant skating rink - completely iced over.

Setting off, our route was initially along the river bank of the River Wharfe to Woodside (near a farm) where we headed up a track to Kail Hill onto Appletreewick Pasture. Once on the pasture, it was like winter wonderland - completely snow covered - and the only person we met was a young lady out riding. Our destination was to be Trollers Gill but, on the way, we ventured past Hell Hole Pot. Although this looked inaccessible, subsequent investigation suggested there was a route down, maybe a boulder scramble but not something to do in the conditions we were walking in (one to return to at a later date, possibly with our esteemed Hut Secretary). Watch out for the spiders!

Following the track where other walkers had recently walked, we came across some old mine workings at Gillheads Lead Mine. Walking into what seemed like a stone shelf area, we soon found the entrance to the workings as well as various other mine levels - the entrance was supported by a semi-circular metal frame with sagging roof timbers. It didn't look too safe but, as usual, Victor isn't one to let something like that stop him. Venturing just inside, the entrance way opened up considerably to a large cavern - another one to explore later.

Our initial plan had been to enter Trollers Gill from the top end, but the route down from the pasture (according to Victor's book) meant trying to negotiate a rickety fence surrounded by barbed wire. Had it been dry, we might have attempted it but, in the conditions we were walking, we retraced our steps back to the mine workings and headed back down the track to the bottom end of Trollers Gill. En route we passed several other mine levels that warranted further investigation at a later date, but our day was getting short. Heading up Trollers Gill, it was virtually dry with water seeping between the rocks (check some photos on www.walkingenglishman.com/leedsharrogate10.htm to see that we were lucky), and there was a well defined path up. Arriving at the top, we ventured over the ladder stile to stop for lunch - beware, it was almost like Scotland with the volume of flies!

Descending back down Trollers Gill, we noted at least one mine level worthy of another visit, before heading down a well trodden track past Parcevall Hall, a religious retreat. En route, we walked past what was left of a dam that once held back a reservoir used to supply mills further down the valley. Again, we found another cave / mine entrance hidden behind trees near here - one for another day. Heading down to Skyreholme, we took a field track that led us above Howgill Lodge Caravan Site - what looked like a really nice location. The path that we followed across the fields, though snow-covered, really stood out, almost as though it had been deliberately highlighted for us.

Heading back down a track, we returned to the riverside track by the River Wharfe from the start of our walk and headed back to Burnsall. What an excellent day's walking - great location, good weather, excellent visibility, and very few people to distract us. I know we'll be returning here at some point, hopefully not to far in the future, if not just for the walking but to explore more of the valleys and mine workings (carefully, and better equipped).

Perhaps even to sample the liquid delights of the Red Lion and / or the several tea shops we saw near the car park……...

Stuart McDonald