Two Strolls Around Halton Gill

Total Distance: 6km; Negligible ascent; with Kim, Rachel, Jim, Edward and Rebekah (first walk), Lynsey and Isabel (second walk); Sunny, hail and snow!

See route in new window

We were away for the weekend in the Yorkshire Dales, staying in a bunkhouse in Halton Gill for Colin's birthday.  After a wet and windy morning, the weather improved and Kim, Rachel, Jim, Edward, Rebekah and I headed out after lunch for a short 4km stroll along the far eastern slopes of Plover Hill.  Lynsey and Isabel had stayed behind at the bunkhouse for an afternoon time so I had volunteered to carry Edward for the walk.

Halton Gill

We wandered up the valley to the end of the minor road at Foxup from where we turned left onto a bridleway and began to ascend the hillside with good views of the surrounding hills.  Soon the grey clouds moved in from the west and we were pelted with hailstones for 10-15 minutes before the sun came out!

Halton Gill and Horse Head Moor

After crossing some small limestone outcrops we reached the Silverdale Road, which we followed back towards the village with excellent views of Horse Head Moor in the sunshine behind Halton Gill.  At the road bridge on the edge of the village there were pleasant views downstream towards Littondale and upstream towards Foxup.  After admiring the views and commenting on how much the weather had changed in such a short space of time, we returned to the bunkhouse just before 3pm.

View down the River Skirfare towards Littondale

View up the River Skirfare

Later that afternoon once Isabel had stirred from her nap, Lynsey & I went out for a brief stroll down the valley from Halton Gill, with Isabel in the rucksack carrier.  It was dry when we set off but soon there was a mini-blizzard!  However this only lasted a few minutes, and after around a kilometre we turned road and headed back to the bunkhouse for dinner.  It had been a good afternoon, with a nice couple of shortish strolls and we pretty much had four seasons worth of weather in the space of a few hours!

Written up in April 2012 from memories and photos