9.5 miles.
Explorer Map No OL30 - Yorkshire Dales, Northern and Central Areas
A walk with delightful views, and not too many problems
with respect to gradients or navigation. Providing that you have an Explorer
Map (as above) and watch out for field patterns, then following the route
is straightforward.
In winter time, when the River Ure runs full, parts of the walk can be
very wet. However, in summer time the walk is highly rewarding.
For a Memory Map overlay of the walk described, please select the above
link.
(Overlay made with Version 4 of Memory Map)
Start out from Askrigg centre, by the Church (SD9479891020).
There is only limted parking here, and on a busy day you may have to use
the village car park to the North.
Opposite the Church there is a narrow lane which soon becomes a footpath
that leads South East to the River Ure. This footpath is over stone trods
for most of the way.
When you reach Worton Bridge over the River Ure, turn left on the road
to take the footpath (SD9557290315) to Nappa Mill.
Past Nappa Mill there is a footpath on your right at SD9603790483 which
follows the disused railway line in an Easterly direction. Follow the
footpath to West End Farm, and then the road on to Woodhall.
Here, turn right along the minor road (though CARE, - traffic) and follow
it for about 3/4 mile until you come to a picnic area by some disused
lead mines (SD9857789889). Cross the small stream to take the waymarked
footpath to Carperby. The footpath leads to a football pitch, which you
walk round to leave by a gate at SE0043589647.
Walk through Carperby in an easterly direction, past the Wheatsheaf Inn,
to take the farm track that leads North towards Ponderledge Scar.
Where there is a red farm gate at SD9968390262, take the track West under
the scar and past old quarry workings. Follow this track to where it joins
the Oxclose Road (path), - this section requires you to look at the field
patterns on the map.
Once on the Oxclose Road, continue West, then North West until you reach
a track at SD9621191771. At this point, there is a footpath down into
Newbiggin from where you descend to Askrigg.