Ingleborough and Simon Fell
Posted: Thu May 09, 2019 8:37 pm
With my last three walks being in Wales, I decided to head North. So on Bank holiday Monday I made the 150 mile journey to the Yorkshire Dales to bag Ingleborough and Simon Fell.
Thank you to Chris G for the GPX file.
My starting point was the small village of Clapham just off the A65. There is a small amount of road parking in the village. However, there is a large car park at the visitors centre.(£2.50 up to 2 hours, £4.50 over 2 hours). There are also toilet facilities on site.
The forecast for the day, said light showers in the afternoon.
Leaving the car park at 10.10, I headed North past the church following the signs for Ingleborough cave. As you enter the private grounds of Ingleborough Hall, you pass through a log cabin to pay a small fee of £1 for using the track. You are given a receipt, keep this safe if you intend to return the same way. Otherwise you will be paying another £1 to get out.
The track is broad and firm, it follows the beck through the forest, past the large lake and a disused stone chapel. After around 1 1/4 miles you reach Ingleborough Cave. Shortly afterwards the track turns into a path.
A short distance after the bridge you reach Trow Gill, taking the narrow exit up the steep path to exit the ravine. This path is rocky in places.
The path meets the wall and is crossed at a stile, Ingleborough comes into sight.
The part fenced area of Gaping Gill soon comes into view. Venturing down to take a couple of pictures, a few walkers where making up a tent and a family enjoying an early lunch. Fell Beck was virtually dry.
Leaving Gaping Gill, I made my way back to the path which consisted of flagstones and gravel and lead up to Little Ingleborough. Here the path continues North with you climbing steadily past a line of sink holes to the summit which is marked by a trig point.
Heading East from the trig point a main path descends to a wall with a gate stile. The wall has a barbed wire top. You need to go through the stile and keep the wall on your right to reach the summit of Simon Fell. The summit about half a mile from this stile is a little grassy mound marked with small stones.
Looking over the wall in a southerly direction is a wall heading south. This wall was to be my handrail back towards Trow Gill. You can also follow part of this wall to Lords Seat.
A faint path takes you down towards Brunt Riggs and the Allotment. Keeping the wall on my left I quickly descended, with Gaping Gill coming into sight. I continued down the improved path and through a large metal gate. After a 100 yards or so a ladder stile crossed the stone wall, this path led down the hill to another gate. This was the man path. Turning right would take you towards Trow Gill. I went left, taking me towards Ingleborough Cave.
I was shortly back at the cabin. After showing my receipt from earlier, I left the private grounds and was soon back at my car, enjoying lunch and a brew.