GEORGE WILKINSON finds the grass is definitely greener in Grassington
Pay Here, reads the sign in the National Park's Grassington car park, £3.50 on a Saturday, up since last week, a good cause but you should get a guided tour for this.
It took me a while to escape the seduction of its cobbled market place and take a high walled lane up and out. The view builds - rooftops, the southern flank of Wharfedale, traces of medieval village and enclosure you don't see but from above, and purple faraway hills. Lapwings mocked as I climbed, meadow pipits didn't seem bothered. A sunshine day on the edge of weather.
At a thousand feet, we hit a back road and views, to distance, just about all the way round. The dome you see is a reservoir.
Five minutes down the tarmac and we take an open and contouring track south-east. We dip down for a cross-field entry to Hebden. This hasn't been the least energetic route between the two villages, but apart from the views I wanted an appetite for The Old School Tearooms at Hebden which are cheerful, muddy boots oblivious, and provide dog biscuits.
Replete, I staggered out, luckily the rest is virtually effortless.
We go down through the adjacent open-access site and follow the flow of Hebden Beck. Every beck hereabouts has a weir, and where there's a weir there's a fish farm, this one's salmon.
With the beck, we meet the Wharfe, a ten-times broader flow, and spanned by the sweetest of suspension bridges. It's long and low slung, with cast iron columns, lattice work sides, and barely wide enough for a single pair of thighs.
Saturday afternoon strollers were out enjoying the next idyllic two miles of glistening water through riverside horse-chestnut trees, the only disturbance by mallards, oyster catchers and diving ducks.
Nearly back, the valley opens to a grassy plain, with Grassington on the skyline. Green-dripping dragon's teeth stepping stones lead across to a church. Grey and pied wagtails skipped over them. I didn't, not fancying a direct route to God in more ways than one. Our finish is sure and safe but dramatic. The Wharfe crashes and blasts through the gouged out limestone of Linton Falls.
Upstream it rolls exact over weirs. Five minutes up the 'snake path' and you're back at the luxury car park.
DIRECTIONS
When in doubt look at the map. Check your position at each point. Keep straight on unless otherwise directed.
From car park, left to road, right to marketplace, pass Devonshire Hotel, left to Chapel Street, right to Intake Lane. Tarmac to track, round right-hand bend by barn, track.
Fieldgate to field and stay by wall to right (pass large barn), fieldgate, ladderstile, uphill to stile/gateway, 11 o'clock, wallstile.
Right to lane (dead-end), second track on left (opposite house, signed).
Fieldgate into field and ladderstile immediately on right, 11 o'clock downhill, gated squeezer (by four-way fingerpost), skirt farm, gated wallstile, one o'clock, fieldgate and stay by wall to left, ladderstile, one o'clock, fieldgate to track, 50 yards, right.
Left to main road (pavement), second right to lane, snickelgate by old school (far side), to beckside path, stile, gateway, footbridge by weir.
Cross streams, skirt above second part of fish farm by trees (four-way sign), path, gate, snickelgate, pass houses.
Right to lane, 100 yards, gate on left to River Wharfe and right. Three gates.
Gate to track/lane, squeezer on bend above houses and rejoin river, wallstile, squeezer, right at waterfalls to walled path to car park.
FACT FILE
Distance: Five and a half miles.
Time: Two and a half hours.
Start: Grassington. Right of way: The complete route is along public rights of way.
Date walked: Saturday, April 24 1999.
Road route: Grassington is on the B6265, west of Pateley Bridge.
Car parking: Dales National Park Car Park, £2.20 weekdays, £3.50 weekends (all day).
Lavatories: Car park and Hebden.
Refreshments: Numerous tearooms and pubs at Grassington. Pub and tearooms at Hebden.
Tourist and public transport information: Grassington TIC 01756 752774
Map: The OS map is Yorkshire Dales Southern and Western areas, OL2.
Terrain: Opening 400-feet climb. The rest is easy.
Footwear: Walking boots or shoes.
Points of interest: Views, villages, River Wharfe, Linton Falls.
Difficulty: Moderate. Dogs: Suitable for dogs but keep on leads or under close control.
Weather forecast: Evening Press and recorded forecast 0891 500 418
PICTURE:Weirs, rivers and stunning views are all part of the Grassington walk
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