Easy

Keld to Muker meadows

Easy

6.9 miles | 11.2 km | 408 m Ascent | 9.0 Naismith miles | Sandra Craggs
Bentham Footpath Group has started walks from Keld before – it’s at the top end of Swaledale. On the last occasion – in November 2022 – we headed up to Whitsundale, seeing the rivers that merge to form the Swale in full flow.
This slightly gentler summer walk takes us downstream to Muker via the Pennine Way, where having explored the village a little we walk through the ever popular wildflower meadows before returning on the far side of the river via Swinner Gill then Crackpot Hall and finally East Stonesdale waterfalls. You will notice from the gallery that the Swale was barely a trickle after a prolonged dry spell – such a contrast to our last visit.

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Wigglesworth

Easy

6.5 miles | 10.5 km | 155 m Ascent | 7.3 Naismith miles | Don Cartledge
Bentham Footpath Group considers the Yorkshire Dales, the Forest of Bowland and the South Lakes to be our home territory, and we often venture further afield during the summer months when the days are longer.
However, it’s nice to remind ourselves just how beautiful the countryside on our own doorstep is, and to make the most of the flatter land in the flood plain of the Ribble Valley.
This easy walk loops out from Wigglesworth to the curiously named Hard Head Farm, then over to Cappleside before picking up the Ribble Way to return through the Long Preston Flood Plain Project, Cow Bridge and then via gentle fields back to Wigglesworth, where there is a very inviting pub.

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Roeburndale Bluebells

Easy

6.5 miles | 10.5 km | 351 m Ascent | 8.2 Naismith miles | Kate Rowe
The clue is in the name as they say . . . this walk features the woodland in Roeburndale, and the spectacular bluebells and other wildflowers that make the most of the spring light that reaches the woodland floor just before the trees get into full leaf. Timing is everything, as this phase of spring lasts for just a couple of weeks; we scheduled our walk for early May.
Is this a worthwhile walk at any other time? It absolutely is. Roeburndale, like the rest of the Forest of Bowland is quieter than the Dales or Lakes, yet this particular part of it is very accessible. The village of Wray has an interesting history, and an excellent tearoom. On the walk we pass an abandoned rope bridge, a hidden orchard, see slow worms, and there are great views over the three peaks. So, this is a great walk at any time, and or is perfect in early May.

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Stainforth

Easy

6.9miles | 11.1 km | 329 m Ascent | 8.5 Naismith miles | Bernie & Sheila Garrett
What are the ingredients for a perfect walk? For some it’s something easily accessible with good parking and not too far from home, perhaps with riverside walks, and a waterfall or two. Or you may prefer ancient packhorse bridges, and traditional village greens, and perhaps a war memorial and village church. Or water mills and abandoned industrial remains excite you.
This walk has all of these and is so densely packed with interest that all this is delivered within our 12 km limit for an easy walk.
What more could you want? No wonder we had such a good turn out for this walk.

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Littledale & Caton

Easy

6.1 miles | 9.9 km | 313 m Ascent | 7.7 Naismith miles | Mary & Kate Taylor
Bentham is a great place to live – particularly for those who like walking: We have access to the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District, and as we see in this walk, the Forest of Bowland.
Of that trio, the Forest of Bowland is the least visited, so it’s possible to find a quiet walk with unspoiled countryside, without seeing anyone else all day.
This easy, but interest-filled walk starts from a free car park at Little Cragg outside Brookhouse. The high farmland here offers great views over Morecambe Bay to the Lakeland Fells, before we drop down and cross the Udale Bridge, then climbing up to Crossgill with Caton Moor on our left and Littledale Hall on our right.
We head up one side of the valley at high level and then descend to the river (Closegill Beck) to return at low level, before exploring the woodlands next to the Hall and then heading back via Littledale and Sweet Beck to Little Cragg.

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Storth and Arnside

Easy

7.4 miles | 12.0 km | 183 m Ascent | 8.3 Naismith miles |Sue King
Arnside is a firm favourite of the Bentham Footpath Group, and this is the second walk in this area in the 2023 spring program. So why do we like Arnside so much?
Well, where else can you find an easy walk that combines a sandy estuary with a backdrop of the Lakeland fells, a disused railway track bed converted into a safe and accessible path, industrial archaeology, beautiful riverside meadows, a country house and deer park, an ancient corpse road, atmospheric paths through rock fissures, a pele tower, and a seaside town with a unique railway viaduct.
The entire area is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) so expect to see interesting flora and fauna too.

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Sedbergh Riverside and the Lune Viaduct

Easy

6.3 miles | 10.1 km | 248 m Ascent | 7.5 Naismith miles | Peter Lennard
The Dent Foot walk that we completed on 17/03/23, connected with two of the three rivers in and around Sedbergh – the Rawthey and the Dee. This walk completes the set by adding the Lune.
We start by heading out onto the fells at the base of Winder, with great views over to the Lune Valley and the disused railway viaduct. We then cross farmland to pick up the Dales Way and have a close look at the spectacular viaduct.
From there we follow the Lune downstream before cutting back to Ingmire Hall. Next, we head down to the beautiful Friends Meeting House at Brigflatts, and finish by following the Rawthey upstream back to Sedbergh. The walk is classified as easy – althtough there is a bit of a climb at the start.

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Sharp Haw and Flasby Fell

Easy

7.1 miles | 11.5 km | 374 m Ascent | 9.0 Naismith miles | Sandra Craggs
Living in and around the Dales means that we often drive through Gargrave, and as we exit the town on the Skipton side, we see an attractive fell ahead of us with a wooded side and a ridge that looks inviting as a walking area.
That’s our destination for this walk: The woods are Crag Wood, and the peak behind them is Sharp Haw and Flasby Fell. Rather than approaching them from Gargrave though, we head over to the B6265 Grassington Road so that we approach Sharp Haw from the Southeast on the Dales High Way. This route keeps more of the spectacular view over the Ribble and Aire Valleys hidden until a big reveal at the peak of Sharp Haw. We then continue round Flasby Fell to Flasby Village and return via forestry tracks through High Wood and Crag Wood, enjoying excellent views over Gargrave toward Clitheroe.

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Dalton Crags

Easy

6.5 miles | 10.5 km | 283 m Ascent | 7.9 Naismith miles | John Smithson
The triangle formed by the pinch point of the M6 and the A65 is often overlooked as a walking area – it’s not the Yorkshire Dales, and it’s not the Lakes – it’s not even the Forest of Bowland. But it is easy to reach, it offers great walks and not surprisingly then, is popular with The Benham Footpath Group.
This relatively easy walk focusses on Dalton Crags – the area of limestone pavement to the South of Hutton Roof. We start at Plain Quarry car park and then meander South through the rolling hills around Dalton Old Hall before heading back up to Burton-in-Kendal where we pick up the path along Slape Lane and into Pickles Wood, before taking a track through Storth Wood. This takes us part way up Dalton Crags, where we have a good look at the limestone pavement before heading back down to the car park.

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Arnside

Easy

6.4 miles | 10.3 km | 236 m Ascent | 7.5 Naismith miles | Don Cartledge
Arnside is a favourite with Bentham Footpath Group – this small and very accessible area provides a huge variety of interesting features such as The Knott, a tidal bore, estuary views, a Pele tower, a Marylin, a wonderful railway bridge, Victorian architecture, rare butterflies, atmospheric distorted trees, and a seaside promenade.
This walk forms a figure of eight shape, so there is a good opportunity to approach it as two smaller walks, or because there are so many paths in the area, there are many ways that it could be combined with other BFG walks in our library to make a more challenging route.

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