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Originally we had planned to do this walk as it is in the Nuttall's book, but instead of completing it in their suggested 12 miles along with Wild Boar Fell and Swarth Fell - I suspect that they did these longer walks in two days as a tent is mentioned a couple of times - we elected to take two easy days although it meant more mileage and height gain, but what the hell, the hills are to be enjoyed and not feel as though you are competing with the SAS and a place in some foreign combat zone. Okay, so we've contradicted ourselves here, but sometimes on odd occasions like the long ones in the Cheviots and Burnhope Moor they are unavoidable unless, you take a tent, and wild camping is something that E draws the line at, but back in the day…
I have just read a report from john923 who did the very same walk on the very same day as E and I but beat me to posting. I had gone too far down the line to consider cancelling my report so I will continue and hope that I can make as good a job of it as he did whilst trying to put a different slant and photos in my report, sorry for clashing john923. I think that it's called 'sod's law'.
Setting off from home the clouds were low and the temperature mild although a clear day was forecast and we could only hope that it would be so as we drove along through Kirkby Stephen and on to the road for Hawes from which we would turn off for the 1.5 mile drive into Uldale. A quiet and quite isolated but beautiful spot it plays host to Uldale House, New House, and Needle House that is nestled amongst the trees below the road and has a pretty country cottage garden set out in front of it which makes one think that it is now occupied by a retired person and not the farming family of before.
Before setting off the obligatory brew was made under what was now blue skies and brilliant sunshine although the clouds were still to be seen over to the northeast. From the small car parking area there are good views across to the Howgills with their flanks looking as smooth as green beige on a snooker table.
- The Howgill Fells from Uldale road end.
Brew over we set off down the narrow tarmac road towards Uldale House passing through some large and impressive stone gate posts, and it was only after returning that we wondered if Uldale House had any connections to the quarrying company in days gone by as the gate posts made a statement and the old quarry road passes by that way.
Upon passing through the yard of Uldale House we had a chat to the lady of the house for a few minutes and was then met by a cacophony of barking from five sheepdogs fastened up in their own little cages.
- Excited sheepdogs at Uldale House.
We then walked down a dirty lane to pass over Blea Gill Bridge before starting the steady climb up to another dirty lane and Whin Stone Gill Bridge from where soon after we turned left at a marker post to climb a short bank that would put us on the long walk over grass following quad bike tracks and the odd sheep trod across the lower slopes of Holmes Moss.
There are one or two path marker posts with a fair distance between them but they are leading off to the left towards the ridge of Holmes Moss, but whether they are marking the way to Swarth Fell - no path shown on the OS map - or joins up with a route over into the small hollow of Grisedale to the east I have no way of knowing other than following them.
- Swarth Fell rising to the left.
The only views of any worth are back northwest down the valley with just a hint of the Howgills, a few trees, a sheepfold, and an old stone building alongside Rawthey Gill giving some interest to the otherwise plain brown and green grass of the fell sides.
After a while of un-eventful walking we arrived at quite a large sheepfold just below Rawthey Gill Foot where E put her past earned skills of clambering over old dry stone walls and barbed wire fences to good use as she made her way over them and onto the bank of the infant River Rawthey.
- Elizabeth climbing the fence just below Rawthey Gill Foot.
Once on the bank of the gill there was just another tumbledown wall to negotiate and then we were on our way coasting along the left hand side of the rock filled gill with its crystal clear water to arrive at Rawthey Gill Foot proper.
- Rawthey Gill Foot.
We easily crossed over at the junction of Rawthey Gill and Haskhaw Gill that collects its water from the north side of Tarn Hill and East Baugh Fell, whilst Rawthey Gill exploits the position and good nature of the East Tarns as does Broken Gill and Swere Gill that assist in swelling the waters of Rawthey Gill just above the junction with Haskhaw Gill. Once across the gill we arrived on the right hand side to be met with a wide, level grassy bank that one would hope - wistfully of course - that it continued the whole length of the gill and then when rounding the second bend a quite large flattish grassy area was arrived at. This area was also inhabited by a large swathe of rushes but by generous use of a powerful mower the area would have been large enough to play a game of tennis on.
From here on the walking conditions get a little mixed as we continued along the right hand bank first of all alongside the gill but before long - and not mentioned by the Nuttall's - we had to cross over to the opposite side as the bank now got a lot steeper and it was found to be impossible not to cross at some point. We were now entering a quite closed in section with the banks rising quite steeply on either side with ever diminishing walking space alongside the gill - also omitted from Nuttall's account of the walk along here - which was not E's idea of comfortable walking, and although she now has undeniably good skills at fence and wall hurdling she is absolutely useless at boulder hopping and the thought of having to do this several times along the length of the gill was too much for even her usually indomitable spirit.
Plan B was brought into play, climb up the steep bank side and walk along the top for some 500 metres until the narrow valley/ravine opened up again before dropping down to continue alongside the gurgling waters of the waterfall infested gill, that plan worked out well, just for now. Whilst we were above the gill we decided to have a break where at least we had a view of the creases and folds in the narrow valley/ravine sides and a glimpse of the lower slopes of Baugh Fell.
- Swere Gill on the left joins Rawthey Gill.
- A view along Rawthey Gill.
Once back on the bank of the gill all went well until we once again had to make a crossing to the left bank that was made easy enough by some large rectangular blocks of stone but on progressing up the gill we encountered a roughly 3 metre high waterfall that was enclosed on both sides by the steep sides of the ravine just at this point.
- First waterfall on Rawthey Gill.
Well it's not hard to figure out what the next move was to be, a reversal of route to aforementioned crossing place from where we once again had to climb above the gill although not as high as the last time to get past this stumbling block - or waterfall in this case.
Well that was easy enough as we dropped down once again to the gill side only to be met by a second waterfall but this one was a bit more user friendly as there was room to manoeuvre and access past it could be gained by a short - about 2 metres - but near vertical step up the side of it. As I was weighing it up I could fair sense E's hands going on hips and chin jutting out in readiness for a rare show of defiance and a refusal to scale a wet grass and moss covered 2 metre high obstacle that she was faced with.
- Second waterfall on Rawthey Gill.
Before she could get into her stride I pointed out that apart from going back climbing up the side of the fall was the only other option and that I would either give her a shove up or haul her up after I had got up it. Needless to say I had to go first to check out the conditions, and although it was a bit wet with the grass and moss being too loose and soft to be much use of pulling on there was a fairly stable bit at about knee height that made for a decent toe hold and a bit of rock sticking out of the moss just below the top which made for a helpful tool in getting up. It was whilst clutching at a stand of rushes to my right that I encountered a stabbing pain in my fingers and giving out an "Oh dear" I quickly withdrew said fingers to then notice a large, dead thistle lurking amongst the rushes. Two days later I was still extracting the broken spines from my middle finger.
Now for E. She got herself off the ground and whilst suspended as though stuck to face of the Eiger I reached down and dragged her up as gently and politely as possible with the only damage sustained being that E finished up with very wet and dirty knees whilst I suffered a Scottish verbal barrage of complaint and why do we do this. Well it's simple really, this is what we do and enjoy, isn't it?
- Mini waterfall on Rawthey Gill.
From this waterfall that I might name 'Elizabeth's Leap' the going was much better with the promised sheep trods still virtually non-existent but at least the sides of the gill were now wider and easier to walk along and we were soon approaching the bend that would lead us to Gill Head. The gill is understandably very narrow now and the sides are not as steep as we neared the top where we spotted an easy sloping grassy rake on the opposite side that we made our point of departure from the gill. Apart from a few obstacles on our journey along the gill this is a nice steady climb up with the height gained being so gradual that it hardly seemed as though you have climbed at all.
- Looking down from Gill Head towards Wild Boar Fell in the distance.
Once we had left the grassy rake we made our way up the easy slopes of Tarn Rigg Hill slowly swinging around to the southeast over the rough moorland grass and scattering of grey stones and small boulders. It is like a great open prairie with just miles of the brown, rough grass in sight and the ground rising in front of us into the distance in the direction of the summit of Baugh Fell. After a while a few scattered peat hags appeared but caused no problems, then it was the turn of areas of rock strewn ground followed by a large boggy area covered in bright green moss and swathes of attractive red grass that is usually an indication of wet ground. Amongst this wet area there are dry islands of rock covered peat that we used as well spaced out stepping stones to cross over instead of circling around and making our journey longer.
- Bog and the Bullstones before Baugh Fell.
There is a ridge of rocks that came into view on the skyline and as they looked interesting and they were near enough in our direction of travel we passed them close by but a hoped for photo opportunity came to nothing. The next thing that came into view was the East Tarns…
- The East Tarns with Wild Boar Fell way back.
with a backdrop of Wild Boar Fell and Swarth Fell and then within just a few minutes we were at the less than exciting grass covered summit of Baugh Fell with not even the accompanying wall adding any glamour to this otherwise featureless top. We tramped about the summit area hoping to hit the right spot and whether we did or not we're claiming it as done.
- Looking to Knoutberry Haw from Baugh Fell.
One thing in its favour is the far and distant views that would have been much better on a clearer day but we'll take what we have as we can see Whernside, Ingleborough, and Pen-y- ghent further over to the southeast. Wild Boar Fell, Swarth Fell, and across to Mallerstang are also visible and looking along the wall towards Knoutberry Haw the tops of the Howgills are just about peeping over the edge of the fell.
There was a cool breeze on this open fell and with nothing else to see and no shelter for a break we followed the wall westwards along some quad bike tracks passing through a few wet and boggy patches, the odd unnamed and small tarns to our right to reach the summit and stone built OS trig column of Knoutberry Haw.
- Knoutberry Haw's stone built OS trig column.
It is a mere two metres lower than the cairnless Baugh Fell but I suppose it warrants having a trig column due to its better views of the Howgills and the valley of Garsdale with Sedbergh over to the west.
- A view towards the Howgills with Sedbergh to the left.
Leaving KH behind we now struck a line roughly just west of north to pass over Black Hill and a couple of areas of disused quarry workings - hell it must have been rough working up here - that were more interesting than any of the two tops that we had just left behind.
- Cairns and area of disused workings at Black Hill.
There are another couple of unnamed tarns and the old workings are better marked with cairns than where we have just been. From KH we walked along a very visible path…
- Elizabeth walking across the moor towards West Baugh Fell Tarn.
all the way to West Baugh Fell Tarn a large and lovely sheet of water overlooked by numerous cairns of which one had part of an old grinding bowl that was in the shape of the letter C.
- West Baugh Fell Tarn with Wild Boar Fell and Swarth Fell behind.
As we continued on from the tarn dark storm clouds began to gather over the western Howgills…
- Storm clouds over the Howgills.
with a mist coming down over the easterly ones. Our way since leaving the tarn is fairly rough and pathless and although we could see many quad bike tracks and sheep trods they all seemed to be going from east to west and not in a northerly direction, our way of travel.
- Wild Boar Fell and Swarth Fell from just below West Baugh Fell Tarn.
We passed over the head of Slate Gill continuing north for a short while longer before turning northwest towards and meeting an old and quite large sheepfold from where we then made our way northeast down a steep grassy bank to arrive at an old quarry track that runs alongside Rawthey Gill.
The track which we followed northwest is fairly well up above the gill and led us past trees that were just getting their autumn colours…
- Rawthey Gill below the hidden Uldale House.
towards a footbridge…
- Footbridge over Rawthey Gill.
from where it continued on around the north end of West Baugh Fell to then connect up with another track that runs between Bluecaster Side and Rawthey Bridge that looks as though it could have been the original traffic route before the modern version of the A684 was connected to the A683.
In any event that's nothing to do with us or this report as we are going to pass over the footbridge and climb up the wide and leaf covered track through the trees to arrive at the narrow lane that leads south to Uldale House and north to northwest back to our car.
- Autumn leaf littered lane after leaving the footbridge behind.
E made another of her famous brews which we sipped at whilst changing and reflecting on another good walk that entailed a couple of adventures and firsts for E. We had been blessed with good weather throughout the walk in spite of a nippy breeze at height. The walk and climbing has been easier than I thought that it would be and far from exciting apart from yanking E up a waterfall. I found the interesting feature of the fell sides around the gills looking like folds and crease's in an old blanket fascinating and wondered how they were formed. And apart from the lower reaches around by Uldale House there aren't many gills or becks that I've been up this year that haven't shown signs of mining or quarrying so it was a pleasant experience to walk along a 'clean' one for a change.
