Mewith Lane

Bentham Heritage Trails

Easy

4.9 miles | 8.0 km | 166 m Ascent | 5.8 Naismith miles | George Sheridan
This walk took place on January 3rd 2025, and is not the route originally scheduled – icy conditions on the morning meant that the drive to Dunsop Bridge over the Slaidburn Road was considered too dangerous. We therefore substituted a local walk largely based on the Bentham Heritage Trails: The Under Totridge from Dunsop Bridge walk will be re-scheduled.
The walk may have been planned at short notice, but it still has much to offer: Easy access from Bentham, Great views along the Wenning Valley, information boards detailing local history, crisp crunchy ice, riverside sections, and numerous benches to take a break. What a great place to live.

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Christmas Walk Low Bentham 2024

Easy

4.2 miles | 6.7 km | 123 m Ascent | 4.8 Naismith miles | Mary Pickstone & Valerie Eccles
The days between Christmas and New Year – referred to by one group member as “Twixtmass” – are filled with leftovers, repeats of TV programmes that were lack-lustre the first time round, and a general confusion about what day it really is.
Bentham Footpath Group offers its members a welcome escape from all this by organising a Christmas Walk every year. Our aim is to get out, get some fresh air, and show off those new boots / kit that Santa brought. We generally aim for a short and easy walk, to encourage a good turnout, and end at a pub or café where we share lunch – the recently re-opened Punch Bowl at Low Bentham was our host this year.

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Keasden Church Circular

Easy

4.4 miles | 7.0 km | 143 m Ascent | 5.1 Naismith miles | Kate Rowe
Being able to take a walk on a balmy summer evening is one of life’s treats, and its one that the Bentham Footpath Group try to enjoy a few times each year.
The weather is beyond our control of course, as our August 2023 evening walk from the same starting location showed. This time we were lucky and got good light with excellent views.
The later starting time means that a shorter walk is appropriate, so this walk falls well into our easy category. Easy does not mean dull though -there’s plenty to see with hay meadows in full flower and some great views across the valley to Ingleborough.

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Bents moorland

Moderate

7.7 miles | 12.3 km | 279 m Ascent | 9.0 Naismith miles |Ed Badley
A quick glance at the pictures associated with this walk will show you that we undertook this route on a beautifully crisp icy day – but the date was not as originally intended: our plan had been to walk at Ribblesdale, but the risk of black ice on the journey over prompted this last minute swap.
The walk showcases the best of the local area – with views of the Three Peaks dusted in snow, horses running on the moorland, an exciting clamber down to the delightfully named Burbles Gill using steps installed by BFG many years ago, a view of the Big Stone, and then a walk across the moorland at Bents where we have great views of the Lakeland Fells. We then go to Low Bentham and head up the riverside path back to High Bentham. We love it when a plan comes together.

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Two counties walk

Easy

5.7miles | 9.2 km | 181 m Ascent | 6.6 Naismith miles | Mary Taylor
This easy route – ideal for a summer evening stroll – starts from Bentham and heads into open countryside to the South of the town, passing Lower Flannagill before entering Lancashire at Moorlands. We then go via Fleet House to Whitepits Lane, and then follow County Beck, which marks the county boundary, up to Oakhead.
We head west for a while before passing Oak Bank on the way to Mewith Lane and the County Beck again. We follow this – still in Lancashire – until we get to Kirkbeck where we cross back into Yorkshire, and head across fields back to Bentham.
This walk offers a variety of excellent views, wild flowers, glimpses of old mining activity, and lots of livestock. There are no steep climbs, but sections have the potential to be boggy after wet weather.

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Furnessford & Hindburn Bridges

Moderate

8.5 miles | 13.6 km | 361 m Ascent | 10.3 Naismith miles | Susan Badley
Bentham Footpath Group Walks generally start within an hour’s drive of Bentham – there is so much wonderful walking country within that radius that we are always spoiled for choice. This excellent walk – aided by near perfect weather – highlights the fact that Bentham itself is a great place to start a walk.
We start in low Bentham and cross the Wenning at the pedestrian bridge were the Silk Mills once stood, and then head up Mill Lane as far as Kirkbeck where we take paths across fields to Mewith lane and then across to Spens Farm.
We cross the Hindburn for the first time at Furnessford Bridge, and then head over to Cragg Hall, before descending back to the river to cross at Hindburn Bridge. From there we head up to Mealbank and take paths across fields to follow the Wenning Valley upstream with great views across to Ingleborough and Whernside along the way. Passing Robert Hall, we head down Eskew Lane and back to Low Bentham.

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