2022

Langcliffe to Stainforth Circular

Easy

4.7 miles | 7.6 km | 192m Ascent | 5.7 Naismith miles | Peter Lennard
The Bentham Footpath Group has a tradition of making the walk between Christmas and New Year an easier and shorter walk than usual, so that we can combine it with a meal at a local venue. Our aim is to make the walk accessible to all our members and to ensure that we can be at our venue by lunchtime.
Does that mean the route needs to be dull? Absolutely not – as this walk shows. We start from Langcliffe and then take the path up the western side of the river Ribble as far as Stainforth Force and the historic pack horse bridge. From there we cross the river and take the bridleway into Stainforth village and then over fields to the fascinating Hoffmann Kilns at the old Craven Lime Works. Finally, another short section of field crossings brings us back to Langcliffe.

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Great Mitton

Easy

5.2 miles | 10.7 km | 170m Ascent | 6.0 Naismith miles | Alison Kinder & Colin Stroud
This easy riverside walk starts from Edisford Bridge in Clitheroe and follows the Ribble downstream, to Mitton Bridge, where we cross and return.
The route could easily be combined with a day out in Clitheroe – the castle and museum are well worth visiting.
During the summer months, the bridge and the banks of the River Ribble are a magnet for families enjoying picnics; The Bentham Footpath group tackled the walk on a cold and icy winter’s day, so we had the place to ourselves.

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Heversham

Easy

6.5 miles | 10.5 km | 312m Ascent | 8.1 Naismith miles | Sandra Craggs
This short and relatively easy walk brings Bentham footpath Group back to the Kent estuary again – and on a good clear day (not the case on the day of the group walk unfortunately) – great views of Farleton Knott, then the Howgills, the Lakeland fells and finally the Kent estuary and the viaduct at Arnside are revealed.
Add a curious folly tower, an old railway line that is slated to be converted to a pathway, a toposcope, and a 12th century church with beautiful grounds, to make this a walk well worth the effort.
The route is essentially a figure of eight, so there is the opportunity to make it two shorter walks, and as part of this route intersects with other BFG walks, there is scope to use it as a basis for longer combined routes.

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Lord’s Lot

Easy

7.2 miles | 11.5 km | 411m Ascent | 9.2 Naismith miles | Susan Badley
Lord’s Lot is a modest hill in South Lakeland offering tremendous views of the Lakeland peaks to the Northwest and the Howgills to the Northeast. Despite being only a few miles from Windermere this area is refreshingly quiet – the group met no other walkers during our walk despite the near perfect conditions.
This circular walk is classed as easy because it’s below our 12km threshold, but you should be aware that there is some climbing up to Lord’s Lot, and that the paths can be muddy in winter. The views make all this worthwhile though, and if you pick a spring day to do this walk, you can also enjoy the spectacular white blossom that the countless damson orchards in the area produce.

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Dowbiggin

Easy

6.6 miles | 10.6 km | 312m Ascent | 8.1 Naismith miles | George Sheridan
The Howgills, are a firm favourite of Bentham Footpath Group: These distinctive rounded hills with their lovely velvety appearance offer a wide variety of walks with peaks such as The Calf, Calders, and Arant Haw, along with the spectacular waterfall of Cautley Spout.
This easy walk does not do any of these big climbs – instead we focus on gaining a great view of the wider area. It starts from New Bridge just outside Sedbergh and then heads East along the Clough River, before turning North at Dovecote Gill. We pass through Dowbiggin and then cross the Hebblethwaite Hall Gill before heading West at Hebblethwaite Hall. We then press on to the A683 via an Alpaca farm at Ghyllas, and after a very short section of road walk take the Pennine Journey path along the Rawthey back to New Bridge.

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Giggleswick Scar

Easy

7.4 miles | 11.9 km | 400m Ascent | 9.4 Naismith miles | Sandra Craggs
This walk starts from Giggleswick Village and then heads up through Lord’s Wood, past the quarry, to join the top of Giggleswick Scar at Schoolboy’s Tower where we get great views across the Ribble valley. From there we walk along the top of the scar until we meet the path coming up from Buck Haw Brow, when we head North to Feizor Thwaite.
A sharp turn back along the Pennine journey path brings us down to Stackhouse, and from there we stroll back to Giggleswick along the side of the Ribble at Settle.
Although this walk is classed as easy because it’s (marginally) less than 12 km, be aware that there is a steep climb and some terrain that can be wet and slippery in poor weather.

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Norber Erratics

Easy

5.9 miles | 9.5 km | 348 m Ascent | 7.6 Naismith miles | Graham Cooper
A quick glance at the “Big Map” page on our website shows just how much Bentham Footpath Group favours Austwick as a base for walks, and a look at today’s gallery clearly shows why.
For this easy walk, we park near the Traddock Inn and stroll through Austwick and out to the Horton Road where we pick up Townhead Lane to start the climb up to the Erratics. When we meet the Pennine Bridleway we take left to enter the fields that lead up to the Erratics, where we explore for a while, before heading across Nappa Scars and over to the Wash Dubs. From there we walk gently downhill to Wharfe and across to Wood Lane which we follow as far as Austwick Bridge, and the Traddock.

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Austwick

Easy

6.4 miles | 10.3 km | 305 m Ascent | 7.9 Naismith miles | Bernie & Sheila Garrett
This circular walk starts from Austwick– where there is generally parking available free of charge on the roadside: For this walk we start by the Traddock Hotel.
We stroll through Austwick and out to the Horton Road where we pick up the footpath over Flascoe Bridge before taking the bridleway over to Feizor. The Dales Highway then takes us up toward Little Stainforth, but before we get that far we divert up to Smearsett Scar, before looping round to enter the top of Wharfe Wood.
We walk through Wharfe Woods, and then through parts of Oxenber wood before heading back downhill to Wood Lane which we follow as far as Austwick Bridge, and the Traddock.

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Staveley Tarns

Easy

7.0 miles | 11.3 km | 477 m Ascent | 9.4 Naismith miles | Kate Rowe
Staveley is a great place to walk, and one that the Bentham Footpath Group has often visited: Not only is the area beautiful, but it’s easily accessible, and relatively quiet when compared with the “honeypot” towns of Kendal and Windermere, between which it sits.
This walk falls within the distance and ascent parameters for a BFG “easy” walk, but you should expect some steep climbing as we set of to find three of the tarns on Potter Fell: Potter Tarn itself, then Gurnal Dubs, and finally Ghyll Pool.
We return via Hundhowe and Hagg Foot and then track upstream along the banks of the river Kent as it winds through the woodland at Beckmingle Ing.

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Pen-y-ghent

Easy

6.8 miles | 11.0 km | 617 m Ascent | 9.9 Naismith miles | Peter Lennard
Pen-y-ghent is the smallest of the “three peaks” at 694m (2277ft).
This circular walk goes anticlockwise so that we tackle the steep ascent at the South end of the hill first followed by a gentler downhill return with views over to Horton, Ingleborough, and Hull Pot.
BFG walks are rated based on a combination of distance and ascent, and this one is quite short and so is classified as “easy”. Be aware through, that the climb to the peak is steep and rocky, so care is needed.

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