Middle march

Middlesmoor is a little village perched high up at a thousand feet in Upper Nidderdale, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

A local woman out with her lurcher said that "it has probably rained itself out"; we crossed our fingers and headed off.

The landscape is that of a side valley to Nidderdale, rough ground on the tops with pasture lower down divided by dry stone walls, a few farms and barns, and lines of trees along gullies and becks.

We walked the pastures - there was not a bovine consensus on the weather and half of the black, buff or brown cattle were lying down. But a stoat was busy, struggling across a field with something dead and heavy, it rested every 20 yards.

We stopped every few hundred yards, not to rest, but to puzzle at the wayward waymarking, mostly non-existent actually. Part of the problem is that the stonework has been notably mobile. There are barns reroofed or derelict or disappeared. Dry stone walls stop in odd places, gateways are isolated like pairs of standing stones. A squeezer-stile is wired up, another lies as two prone lumps. The roof of a one-time fine farmstead is falling in, a gable end collapsed, lath and plaster rotting - romantic?

Later, higher and in the heather, where directional arrows had fallen, we set a compass to be sure. A snipe zigzagged away at speed. There were no other walkers on this, our outward route. Then we intersected with Inn Moor Lane, part of the Nidderdale Way and did a little distance on it northwest for a bird's-eye view of Scar House Reservoir, the penultimate one up Nidderdale. It was holding very little Yorkshire water.

The last couple of miles is an auto-pilot cruise back down the Nidderdale Way on a wide stone track with dry stone walls each side. Part of the heather is supported by the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and there are posh grouse butts.

A raptor flew over Inn Moor; stooped vertically, then again diagonally and came up with something that it ate on a rock. On the far side of the valley there were shotguns.

There was plenty of action on the track, mountain bikers, loads of strollers and a gaggle of adolescents struggling under huge rucksacks. All against a beautiful long view down Nidderdale to Gouthwaite reservoir, or the remnants of it. Just before Middlesmoor, there was a hearse house turned into a garage and, for Beatrix Potter fans, a flock of Herdwick sheep with a plaque that informs that a York professor owns them. In Middlesmoor, St Chad's serves "the Nidderdale flock" and has a graveyard with a famous view.

And if you find that among the tight intricate back alleys, you'll also have found the caf/tearoom where the lady with the lurcher poured me a cuppa.

Driving down Nidderdale we stopped to look at Gouthwaite Reservoir.

Instead of the normal sheet of water, there were ponds, greened-over mudflats and the river meandering along what was probably its pre-reservoir course.

Factfile:

Distance: Four miles.

Time: Two or three hours.

General Location: The Dales.

Start: The village of Middlesmoor.

Right of Way: The complete route is along public rights of way, with a necessary variation.

Date walked: Saturday 20 September, 2003.

Road Route: Seven miles from Pateley Bridge on narrow road, beware busy days.

Car parking: Small free car park above village, or a little roadside.

Lavatories: Near the Crown Hotel.

Refreshments: The Dovenor Caf and Tea Room (opens after noon every day), and the Crown Hotel (shut Monday, limited capacity).

Tourist & Public Transport Information: Pateley Bridge TIC 01423 711147.

Map: Based on OS Explorer 298 Nidderdale.

Terrain: Valley sides.

Points of interest: How Stean Gorge nearby.

Difficulty: Moderate in good visibility.

Dogs: Suitable.

Weather Forecast: Evening Press and recorded forecast 0891 500 418

Please observe the Country Code and park sensibly. While every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers set out at their own risk.

Directions:

When in doubt look at the map. Check your position at each point.

Keep straight on unless otherwise directed.

1. Left from car park, down through village, squeezer on right opposite old Methodist Chapel, through farmyard (metal gates) and contour (fieldgates).

2. About 150 yards from conifer wood cross small stream and take 'usage' route, 11 o'clock to fieldgate to right of barn, 1 o'clock to fieldgate, straight on, stile.

3. Gate to right of large ruined farmstead, cross field, gate to left of farmhouse, 11 o'clock uphill across rough grassland for 200 yards to fieldgate, 11 o'clock for 100 yards near wall on left.

4. Left to track, 2 fieldgate/cattlegrids, 300 yards (i.e. 50 yards before third cattlegrid), grass path on right (small cairn, otherwise unsigned). At left-hand bend after 300 yards (tiny cairn, 20 yards from old post), ignore a faint right fork that continues straight up. Angle towards wall, keep to its right (posts).

5. Fieldgate to walled track. Left for a 1/4 mile for a view of reservoir, reverse and track back to Middlesmoor.

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 16:16 Friday, September 26, 2003