2022

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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Backbarrow and Bigland tarn

Challenging

9.6 miles | 15.4 km | 530 m Ascent | 12.2 Naismith miles | Susan Badley
The Cartmel Peninsula is a popular starting point for walks, and it features in a number of BFG routes.
This circular walk starts at Low Woods near the River Leven just South of Haverthwaite, then tracks up the valley to Backbarrow. We cross the Fell to Hazelrigg and work South to Seatle. From there we walk through woodland to High Cark, and cross Seatle Plantation to visit Bigland Tarn before working down steepish woodland paths back to our start.
This is quite a long walk, so we list it as challenging, but there are no particularly steep climbs nor difficult terrain, and the views toward Windermere and the Southern Lakeland Fells pay dividends, so if this is slightly longer than your normal limit, it’s still worthy of consideration.

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Stocks Reservoir

Moderate

7.6 miles | 12.3 km | 329 m Ascent | 9.2 Naismith miles | Don Cartledge
Stocks Reservoir is just a short drive from Bentham over interesting roads with great views, and when you get there, the choice of walks is impressive.
This walk starts from the causeway linking the two parts of the reservoir, and then loops around the southern, and much larger, part of the reservoir.
At the time of the walk the reservoir levels were deliberately very low – as part of engineering works to increase capacity in the long term.
On the way round this relatively flat route, we see signs of the buildings that were abandoned to enable construction, traces of the railway that enabled materials to be imported, and foundations for the village that temporarily housed the army of builders.

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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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Barbon Low Fell

Moderate

7.6 miles | 12.2 km | 553 m Ascent | 10.4 Naismith miles | Alison Kinder & Colin Stroud
Several Bentham Footpath Group walks start in or pass through Barbon – a reflection of the fact that this pretty village is accessible, and a good base for walks up onto the surrounding fells.
This one explores Barbon Low Fell: We start at the Community Hall in Barbon, and then take the riverside path through Barbon Park until we find the footbridge over Barbon Beck. From there we take the Footpath up toward Bull Beck, but before we get that far we strike out over access land to Hoggs Hills where we enjoy great coastal views.
Finally, we head down to Fell Garth, and strike out North through fields back to Barbon.

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Killington

Easy

7.2 miles | 11.6 km | 435 m Ascent | 9.4 Naismith miles | Robert Baines
Many people associate Killington with the reservoir and the services on the M6.
In fact, the pretty 14th century village that the reservoir is named after is some way to the east of there in the Lune Valley with impressive views over to the Howgills at Sedbergh.
This relatively easy walk takes the shape of a figure eight on the OS map – and there are paths to enable either loop of the figure 8 to be walked independently, so two shorter walks can also be found here.
Apart from some boggy ground at Tarn Moss, the walking is easy though, so we recommend the walk as published here.

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Bleasdale Fells, Fair Snape Fell and Parlick

Moderate

8.8 miles | 14.2 km | 594 m Ascent | 11.8 Naismith miles | Mary & Kate Taylor
One of the many advantages of living in Bentham is easy access to the Forest of Bowland.
We start with a steep climb up the imposing Parlick Hill, rewarding ourselves with a break at the summit where we enjoy westerly views over Lancashire toward the coast and easterly across the Forest of Bowland. From there, we walk the ridge of Blindhurst Fell over to the summit of Fair Snape Fell, where a convenient stone shelter hosts a lunch break.
We then back track a little to take a zig-zag path down the side of the fell to Higher Fair Snape, before striking out across fields toward Holme House. Just before we get that far though, we divert left to Bleasdale with an optional visit to the circle before taking a gentle low level path through pastures back to fell foot and the start of the walk.

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Gunnerside and Old Gang Smelt Mill

Challenging

10.4 miles | 16.7 km | 927 m Ascent | 15.0 Naismith miles | Sandra Craggs
We tend to think of the Yorkshire Dales as a rural idyll, but there is also a great deal of industrial heritage to be found. This walk starts in the lovely village of Gunnerside in Swaledale and then heads up Gunnerside Gill into an area that from the 15th to 19th centuries was the centre of a vast lead mining industry.
We explore remains of the lead mining sites – now mostly reclaimed by nature, before taking the steep scramble to cross Melbecks moor where we find an altogether bleaker and more damaged landscape –the result of lead smelting. This is where we find the Old Gang Smelt Mill, a much larger and toxic operation than the remains we saw at Gunnerside.
From there we walk down to Surrender bridge and then take a return route along the side of Swaledale with fantastic views up the valley to Muker and beyond or down toward Reeth and the North Yorks Moors.

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