Hebden walk

Hebden was humming with walkers, rooks were squabbling in the sunshine, we were set for a lovely small-scale walk in mid Wharfedale.

We left the little village and headed north along Hebden Beck to night frozen pastures that kink and rarely meet at right angles. This was pre-amble that finished at a spring called Nanny Spout.

Next, rather than an amble, there's a steep 200-foot climb beside a dramatic scar of gritstone where the cracks were of interest to pairs of jackdaws and there is a jumble of heavy blocks below. At the top from 1,000 feet you can still see the roofs of Hebden, but also there are long distance views to the west. It was one of those clear days that come in winter.

After Edge Top and a patch of heather, there's Mossy Moor Reservoir as pretty as you can imagine, the size of a cricket ground and at first glance natural.

The rest of the outward route heads on north, picking up hints of the heavy-duty lead mining industry that peaked here in the nineteenth century. Visible, down by the beck, were small greened-over circular spoil heaps and over the moor a lone, distant and redundant chimney. Heather burnt, smoking black at three points of the compass.

There is the option of another climb, and the Pillars are enticing, but note it's illegal to take a dog up to see them. Said Pillars are fancy cairns of skilfully piled up stones, one is small, one medium, one tall and one is a very slim ten footer. They look good, set on natural plinths of rock. This is the highest point of the walk at 1150 ft and has the best views.

Then you drop to Hebden Beck, turn round and follow the flow, definitely an amble all the way back to Hebden. It's like a bit of Swaledale here, but not so big or severe. The lead mining remains are interesting and include a number of steel-grilled, stone-arched and fern-filled mine entrances.

Blackfaced sheep were showing off their 2006 ID, each had a horn painted yellow. One 20 or 30 foot waterfall was ten percent ice and, in a part of the valley inhabited by hut dwellers, there's a lovely curtain of water 30 feet high and the same wide that should be seen before the trees leaf.

Directions:

When in doubt look at the map. Check your position at each point. Keep straight on unless otherwise directed.

1. From village shop, left 100 yards, cross main road, 50 yards, bridge on right and immediately left to track. Gate to grass path, stile/gate, angle up to stile in corner, wall to left, stile in corner and straight on 100 yards then by wall to right, curve right then path angles 10 o'clock to foot of scar.

2. Small gateway, path uphill steepens then wall to right, gateway at top, cross field and pass house, cattlegrid and large gateway.

3. Left to grassy path beside heather (fingerpost), pass reservoir, slab bridge just before fieldgate (fingerpost), path descends gradually, two fieldgates.

4. At third fieldgate, option to take path on right straight uphill then angle 10 o'clock on narrower path to Pillars.

Otherwise, 100 yards, path becomes gravel, swings left to beck. Two fords close together over a side stream are avoidable.

5. Left to beckside path/track (4 easy fieldgates).

6. Stone bridge to track, becomes metalled into Hebden.

7. Waterfall option: Fieldgate, green 'huts' above and below, (fingerpost signed Edge Top 1/2 ML), path 200 yards to fall.

Fact file

Distance: Four miles.

Time: Two hours.

General location: The Yorkshire Dales.

Start: Hebden.

Right of way: Public, but Right to Roam to Pillars.

Map: Drawn from OS Explorer OL2 Yorkshire Dales, southern and western areas.

Dogs: Legal, but for route to Pillars.

Date walked: Friday 10 February 2006.

Road route: From York: via Pateley Bridge or Bolton Abbey.

Car parking: Roadside.

Lavatories: Hebden, no paper in ladies, hard shiny sort in gents.

Refreshments: Inn and caf/PO.

Tourist & public transport information: National Parks Grassington 01756 752748.

Terrain: Moor and valley.

Points of interest: Next week an adjacent walk from Grassington.

Difficulty: Moderate.

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

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 16:47 Friday, February 17, 2006