Length : 17.2 km (10.7 mi) [shorter walks possible, see
below]
Ascent /Descent: 559m
Net Walking Time : 4 ½ hours
Toughness : 5 out of 10
Take the 09.20 Carlisle train from Leeds City Station (Shipley 09.33, […], Settle 10.21), arrives Horton in Ribblesdale
at 10.30.
Return trains: 16.21, 17.49, 19.54,
21.51.
An ascent and descent of the distinctively shaped and often
hidden-in-the-clouds Pen-y-ghent and its neighbour Plover Hill along quieter
approach and return routes than the usually busy Three Peaks Route takes.
You cross the River Ribble and the Horton Beck and follow a quiet wooded
lane along the beck to the open countryside, then follow farm lanes to the
initial ascent up Dub Cote Scar Pasture to pick up Long Lane, an ancient
trading route. An engineered path veers off and up the southerly flank of
Pen-y-ghent. Halfway along, the Three Peaks Route joins and a final steep pull
with some short and easy scrambling moments gets you onto the narrow plateau
with its trig point and storm shelters.
Follow a wall along the quiet elongated ridge through a shallow drop to
the partly boggy Plover Hill, before descending with fine views to some hills
and valleys in the easterly Dales through Foxup Moor along another engineered
path to a good bridleway that skirts the bottom of the hill through some wild
and remote landscape. You cross the watershed back into Ribblesdale and pass
through Horton Moor on the track to reach Britain’s largest natural hole with
its 18m drop: Hull Pot, where the Hull Pot Beck falls and sinks to only
re-emerge a couple of kilometres away at Brants Gill Head, close to Horton.
From near the pot, you return to Horton along a gravel track-with-views across
Ribblesdale to the Forest of Bowland and Pendle Hill.
Walk Options:
A Morning Shortcut follows the usually
busy Three Peaks Route more directly up the side of Pen-y-ghent, along an
engineered gravel or stone path. Cuts 2.1 km and 25m ascent.
An Afternoon Shortcut follows the usually busy Three Peaks Route more
directly down Pen-y-ghent, cutting Plover Hill, Foxup Moor and the Hull Pot,
this cuts 4.4 km and 70m ascent.
A Variation of the Shortcut includes Hull Pot in the shortened route,
this cuts 3.7 km and 60m ascent.
On the hill plateau, an alternative route to the right of the drystone
wall running between Pen-y-ghent and Plover Hill briefly provides for some
protection from westerly winds. After 370m turn left through a gate to the
left-hand side of the wall, as there won’t be another crossing point after that
(i.e. ignore the gate ahead).
Bus Line 11 (Horton in Ribblesdale to Clitheroe) starts in Horton near
the railway station, with a late afternoon last bus (Mon-Sat at 15.55 (as of
06/24)). This is a good alternative to the infrequent train service if staying
in Settle or Giggleswick.
Lunch: Picnic.
For walk directions, map, height profile, photos
and gpx/kml files click here . T=swc.441
1 comment:
Several departures from the weekend's contingent as well as several others doing their own thing meant that we were n=14 today on this short walk (even without using any of the shortcuts). The weather was as forecast: grey skies to start with, about 10 minutes of rainfall, with the clouds then lifting while we ascended the hill, and having been blown away by the time we reached the top. It then stayed sunny with passing clouds. 7 each opted for the main walk and the shortcuts.
On the main walk route, views were tremendous from the top, the bits of bog hopping always needed on the way to Plover Hill were a bit more 'fun' than usual after yesterday's rain, and all the streams off the flank of the hill had water in them for once. Not enough though to fill the Hull Beck sufficiently for its waters to reach the lip of the waterfall into the Hull Pot, where it disgorged about 5 metres below the surface level from out of the rockwall.
On to Horton, where everyone went to The Crown or The Golden Lion. 16.21 train (14.27 for the Shortcutters, via Ribblehead).
W=low-clouds-lifting-in-good-time
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