Yorkshire Walks

Bolton Castle from the meadows

St Oswald's Church Castle Bolton

Dried-out Beldon Beck

Continuing in the same direction (north) through further meadows affording fine views of the castle we reached the road in Castle Bolton village where we turned left towards the ancient ruin. Passing between the castle on our left and its car park to a farm gate we joined a gravel farm track. Having crossed a small running tributary of Beldon Beck the track became progressively grassy. On our left the main beck was dried out and eventually we crossed it by a bridge, as the track veered from west to south and entered moorland.

After leaving the car parked on the roadside verge at SE 0368 9115 on Scallow Bank Lane, half a mile south of Castle Bolton, we walked the 100 metres back to the Carperby-Redmire road and turned left towards Redmire for 200 metres before taking a small gate on the left accessing a footpath. This passed through five fields and meadows, separated by gated stiles, before crossing the dismantled Hawes railway.

Bolton Castle from the village of Castle Bolton

Heading West from Castle Bolton the track became grassier

Bridge over Beldon Beck

Addlebrough ahead

Right-of-way over rough pasture to Ponderledge Scar

Care was needed when after some 300 metres the route dropped steeply over Ponderledge Scar to the left of a stone wall before joining a track running towards Carperby. From the track we looked down on the recently developed sports field and pavilion opened by English international footballer Peter Crouch.

At SE 007909 we declined the direct route into Carperby on our left and instead continued towards Askrigg for a further kilometre, crossing Peatmoor Lane with a view of Addlebrough ahead and a transmitting station on a hill to our right. On reaching a gate at SD 999905 we turned abruptly left off the track onto an indistinct right-of-way over rough pasture.

Transmitting station on our right

Steep descent over Ponderledge Scar by a stone wall

Carperby Wesleyan Chapel 1820

Carperby Friends Meeting House 1864

Carperby Cross 1674

Next we passed the Wesleyan chapels, dated 1820 and 1890, the Quaker Meeting House and burial ground, and the monumental cross (1674).

However at SE 003899 the right-of-way leaves the track by a stile on the left at a “Private, No Unauthorised Persons” sign and after 100 metres it runs parallel with the track into Carperby. Crossing stiles and weaving between cottages we eventually turned left onto the road running through the village.

Wesleyan Chapel 1890

Disused railway route beyond Freeholder Wood

U-turn under the disused railway at SE017893

At SE 014891 we kept left, to reach pasture where we joined the disused railway route. At SE 017893 a sharp right turn led under the old railway bridge into St Joseph's Wood. Keeping right, we again took a woodland path signed 'Aysgarth' which, within a kilometre, delivered us at Aysgarth Middle Force from where we proceeded to Lower Force by a path running along the north bank of the River Ure.

Opposite the bus shelter and post box we turned right into pasture and bore left through three meadows and gated stiles following signs to 'Aysgarth Falls'. In the fourth meadow a right turn took us on a well-signed route towards the falls. On entering Freeholder Wood through a small gate we turned left and followed the woodland path through a variety of wildflowers.

Aysgarth Lower Falls

Sunbathing rabbit at Hollins House farm

Setting off for Thoresby Lane

The path crossed Kendall Beck before becoming a surfaced road at Low Thoresby farm. Just after the farm we turned left on a crude footbridge over Beldon Beck to a stile and through two fields on a path leading us to the T-junction where our walk had begun - Ray Brown

(To repeat this walk, the only change I would make is to take the direct route into Carperby from SE 007909, so avoiding Ponderledge Scar and reducing the total walking distance by a mile - Ray Brown)

Directed by signposts to Castle Bolton we next veered away from the river to a path, with a fence on our left, which took us through Hollins House farm where a few rabbits were casually basking in the sunshine. Shortly after the farm we bore right off the farm track to head towards High Thoresby and Castle Bolton, but at SE 024898 we elected to keep right towards Thoresby Lane. The next 1.5 km of the route began in pasture but became a narrow, almost overgrown, path running between and beneath high hedge.

Heading towards High Thoresby and Castle Bolton

Thoresby Lane