Friday Walk - Nine Standards (Kirkby Stephen Circular or to Garsdale) [Carlisle Trip]

Length: 18.1 km (11.2 mi) or 29.3 km (18.2 mi) 

Ascent/Descent: 584m or 899/819m 

Net Walking Time: ca. 5 hours or 8 hours 

Toughness: 6 out of 10 or 9 out of 10

 

Take the 08.24 Leeds train from Carlisle, arrives Kirkby Stephen 09.20 (being an Off-Peak service, Senior Railcards are valid). 

Return trains from Kirkby Stephen: 15.02, 17.06, 18.32, 20.01. 

Return trains from Garsdale: 18.20, 19.49. Buy a Garsdale Return for the Garsdale Ending.

 

This is relatively short excursion up to a magnificent viewpoint at the top of Hartley Fell, overlooking the North Pennines and the Upper Eden Valley, also with views across to the Howgill Fells and the Lake District, despite only reaching the modest height of 660m above sea level. The top is graced by nine enigmatic differently shaped cairns up to four metres high, the Nine Standards. They are at least 500 years old and believed to be markers of the historic boundary between Westmorland and the North Riding of Yorkshire.

En route you experience an exciting stretch of the Eden River, where the water noisily tumbles over exposed rock slabs, down rock faces and a tight gorge, where water and gravel have created holes, cup-shaped incisions and mini-gorges in the river bed. Further along, you follow a narrow woodland path along the rushing Ladthwaite Beck, which speeds down a chute at the bottom of a high rock face and down a waterfall.
The route then joins the Coast to Coast Walk and heads to the top along a good track. The descent leads through some upland peat bog (on a decent path) before entering limestone country with shake holes and swallow holes and follows dry paths around the stunning Dukerdale and around or over Tailbridge Hill. The final descent down Nateby Common provides for fine views across a patchwork of pastures to heathery commons and into the Eden Valley, before passing a tea stop in Nateby, about 30 minutes before the end.

An Alternative Descent leads through Kirkby Stephen town, cutting out Dukerdale and Nateby Common. 

An Alternative Ending leads over exposed high ground along the British watershed to Garsdale Station.

For More Walk Options, see the webpage or the pdf.

Lunch: Picnic 

Tea: The Black Bull at Nateby, 2.3 km from the end of the walk (but closed between 14.00 and 17.00). 

Numerous options in Kirkby Stephen on an alternative route from the top to and through the town. See the walk directions for details.

The Moorcock Inn on the Garsdale Ending is unlikely to be open when we get there.

 

For walk directions, maps, height profiles, photos and gpx/kml files click here. 

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