Moderate

Lancaster – City country and coast

7.5 miles | 12.1 km | 139 m Ascent | 8.2 Naismith miles | Sandra Craggs
A couple of years ago, we tried an interesting experiment – we started a walk in the centre of Lancaster and included a significant rural element in our route. That walk was a great success, and with a little time having passed we thought it worth re-running with a few minor changes to the points of interest we visit in the city centre.
Starting from Sugar House Alley, we walk through the city centre to the Lancaster Canal where we head South along the towpath – this gives a very urban view of Lancaster and its industrial heritage.
We leave the canal just after the west coast main line railway bridge, and head down a side street into the Fairfield Association Nature Reserve. That trail brings us back to the canal at Haverbreaks, and we again head South before leaving almost immediately to take a path through Aldcliffe to the Lune estuary where we take the embankment North through the marshes. Opposite Oxcliffe Hill, we head inland through Freemans Wood and on to Abrahams Heights. We are now back in a very urban environment, heading past the bustle of the railway station and then the Priory and Castle, before returning to the city centre, where we visit more heritage sites.

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Cockerham to Glasson Dock

8.2 miles | 13.2 km | 62 m Ascent | 8.5 Naismith miles | David Longton
Bentham Footpath Group enjoyed a great walk form Galgate to Glasson Dock and the Lancaster Canal in June 2024.
The weather was glorious, and the walk was wonderful – but that begs a question: Is this really a good place to walk or were we just enjoying the sunshine? To answer that we return in the autumn. This time we start at Cockerham, catching a bus to Thurnham Hall where we join the canal towpath which we follow down to the docks. From there we pick up the Lancashire Coastal Way which takes us to Lighthouse Cottage, Plover Hill, then the ruins of Cockersand Abbey. To return, we follow the path around the edge of Cockerham Sands and Cockerham Marshes to Pattys Farm where we cross a live airfield runway and watch parachutists landing, before returning to Cockerham via St Michaels church. We conclude that whatever the weather, this is indeed a fascinating area to walk.

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Cotterdale from Appersett

7.8 miles | 12.5 km | 306 m Ascent | 9.3 Naismith miles | Mary Taylor
How many Dales are there in the Yorkshire Dales? It sounds like the sort of question that should have a definitive answer, but not so – the consensus is at least 20 but maybe up to 60 depending on what you define as a Dale, and what geographical limits you accept. What is clear, is that some are less well known as others, and one that is often overlooked is Cotterdale; Not because its unattractive, but probably because it’s a “dead end” dale – the road leads to the village of Cotterdale and then stops, so there is no through traffic.
In our opinion, the lack of traffic is a good reason to visit – but it’s not the only one. This moderately challenging walk also offers a lot more: great views over Wensleydale almost as far as Garsdale Head, a lovely dales village, the potential for a short diversion to a perfect picnic spot, excellent views from Cotter End down to Hawes, before a tranquil riverside stroll back to the start with railway viaducts, a hidden waterfall, and the opportunity to add a visit to Cotter Force, all available on the return leg.

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Chapel le Dale and Ingleborough environs

8.0 miles | 12.9 km | 226 m Ascent | 9.2 Naismith miles | Kate Rowe
Last week’s walk to the Old Man of Coniston from Torver was a real treat, but it’s not a walk that you could decide to do whilst eating your breakfast and be back in Bentham by mid-afternoon.
So, this week we offer a more local walk: For those of us lucky enough to be based in Bentham it is easy to get to, and despite being on the slopes of both Ingleborough and Whernside is generally quiet and peaceful.
We visit a lovely church, see a well-known statue, walk under the most photographed railway viaduct in the UK, have lunch in a nature reserve, before passing close to Viking settlements, seeing some wonderful limestone pavement, and the entrance to a cave. There are great views of the hills all the way along, and you could even have an ice cream or a pub lunch halfway round.

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The Old Man of Coniston from Torver

9.2 miles | 14.7 km | 859 m Ascent | 13.4 Naismith miles | Rick Clapham
Last week’s walk at Waddington took us to the Forest of Bowland, where we noted that there were fewer visitors than our typical Yorkshire Dales walks. This time we do exactly the opposite – we head to one of the best loved peaks in the Lake District, and trust that the stunning scenery makes up for the higher visitor numbers.
So, did this work? Absolutely: A quick glance at the gallery on our website shows that we picked a perfect day – bright late summer sunshine, without being too hot – made the whole day simply perfect.
If you pick this walk expect a steep climb, some clambering over rocks, idyllic tarns, daring rock climbers, jaw dropping views, industrial archaeology, waterfalls, and an ice cream stop. Take your costume and you can add wild swimming to the day’s fun.

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Waddington

7.9 miles | 12.7 km | 212 m Ascent | 9.0 Naismith miles | Mary & Kate Taylor

Bentham Footpath Group have started a number of very enjoyable walks from the villages around Clitheroe, and we generally find that they offer quieter, less crowded routes than some of the honeypot walks in the Yorkshire Dales and the Lakes.
Why are they quieter though? They are after all no harder to get to, they are no less scenic, they offer equally good views and provide lots of historical interest.
All we can think of is that the Forest of Bowland cannot match the “brand awareness” that the Dales and the Lakes have mastered. And perhaps that’s no bad thing – enjoying a day’s walk without needing to worry about finding a parking place or walking in a crocodile of tourists is a real pleasure, so let’s try and keep the Forest of Bowland “undiscovered”. So, do this walk by all means . . . but don’t tell anyone else.

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Sedbergh and Winder

7.7 miles | 12.4 km | 438 m Ascent | 9.9 Naismith miles | Valerie Eccles & Mary Pickstone

Sedbergh is a great place to use as a base for a walk – and it is location that Bentham Footpath Group have used a number of times. The usual choice is between quite steep walks on the Howgill Fells, or gentle riverside strolls. This excellent walk offers both on a route that delivers great views, trig points to tick off your list, a toposcope, disused railway lines, grand buildings, weirs, impressive Victorian bridges, a monument of disputed function, a lost mansion, and a stroll through the town centre, with opportunities for ice cream.
Add in the sunshine at the end of August when the first hints of autumn colours are starting to show, and this could well be a perfect walk.

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Askham

8.6 miles | 13.9 km | 317 m Ascent | 10.2 Naismith miles | Susan Badley
As a group, we put a huge amount of effort into researching our walks and scheduling them such that we make the most of the seasons. That diligent planning ensures that when we set out for the Levens Estuary (as we had always planned for this day), we do so safe in the knowledge that we will be enjoying the mid-august sunshine in complete safety.
Sometimes though, the weather doesn’t match our plan, and we find ourselves facing flood warnings on the route we had chosen: We are lucky that our walk leaders have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the area and can create a fresh walk out of thin air at short notice. This walk therefore is just such a piece of magic – a reprise of one that we did a few years ago which feels just as fresh and well prepared as usual. Keep checking the website to see whether we re-run the Spark Bridge and Levens Estuary walk, but in the meanwhile enjoy this excellent alternative.

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Train to Horton-in-Ribblesdale then walk to Settle

8.6 miles | 13.8 km | 429 m Ascent | 10.7 Naismith miles | Sandra Craggs
Most of the walks that Bentham Footpath Group offer are circular – that’s not a policy, just a practical constraint. However, the fact that one of the most scenic railway lines in the UK runs through “our patch” offers the opportunity to add linear walks where we let the train cover one half of a larger loop.
This walk does just that – we start from Settle and then take the train to Horton in Ribblesdale, before walking back.
There are many ways we could plan a walk from Horton to Settle, and in this case we opt to take a route via Brackenbottom and Dub Cote, before picking up the Pennine Journey and then Ribble Way paths to take us to Stainforth. We then climb Stainforth Scar past Lower Winskill, and then descend into Langcliffe before taking a quiet lane back into Settle. This involves a number of ascents – none of them too challenging, but together placing this walk at the top end of our “moderate” category.

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Whelp Stone Crag from Rathmell

7.9 miles | 12.7 km | 307m Ascent | 9.4 Naismith miles | David Longton
One of the benefits of living in Bentham is easy access to the Yorkshire Dales, the South Lakes, and the Forest of Bowland. That means great scenery – but at times, significant numbers of visitors. As this walk demonstrates though, think beyond the obvious honeypot locations, and it’s still easy to find a great walk which can be enjoyed in solitude, or with your favourite walking group.
From the easily accessed village of Rathmell, we head out on minor roads to Higher Lumb Gill Wood then stay on lanes to the oddly named Ragged Hall, before arriving at Whelpstone Lodge. From there we climb to the Trig point at Whelp Stone Crag – where we have our passports ready for a brief entry into Lancashire, before returning via Brayshaw, Boostagill and Cappleside. There are great views along the way, and because much of this route is on minor roads, the going is generally easy.

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