The Grey Panthers
13 July, - Marske, Helwith, & Washfold
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10.7 miles

Outdoor Leisure Map OL30 - Yorkshire Dales (North)

A "Panther Classic" walk.
Choose a fine day and this walk takes you along some absolutely stunning scenery, in a part of "Swaledale" which is perhaps somewhat less well known than it should be.
There are some modest gradients, and some moorland walking. However, there is nothing especially difficult about the walk, although by the end of the walk you will certainly know that you have had a full day out!
If neccessary, the walk can be shortened by about 2 1/2 miles by parking in Marske itself, rather than near Downholme Bridge. Please note, though, that parking is somewhat limited in Marske.

Memory Map
For a Memory Map overlay of the walk described, please select the above link.
(Overlay made with Version 4 of Memory Map)

Some new mapping software is now availabe which you may want to try, - QUO mapping. You can download the software for free from the link below, complete with demonstration maps. Having installed QUO, you can import and export Memory Map overlays. Thus YOU DON'T NEED Memory Map to use any of the overlays provided on the Grey Panthers website, - just use QUO!!

Quo logo

The start of the walk is from a gravel pit on the main A6108 Richmond-Leyburn road, just North of Downholme Bridge (SE11312 99666). As mentioned above, though, you might want to shorten the walk by starting from Marke itself.

Either follow the minor road over Downholme Bridge that takes you directly to Marske via Cat Bank (the road is fairly quiet) or take the field footpath to Cat Bank and Marske.
Turn right at the crossroads in Marske, to walk uphill past St. Edmund's Church.
At the road junction (NZ105 005) turn left onto the minor road, which then becomes a farm track. Continue on this track past Clints, through Clints Wood, and past Orgate Farm.
Not too far past Orgate farm the footpath divides. The right hand path, - the more obvious one, takes you uphill in a direction you DON'T want to be heading in. The less obvious left hand footpath takes you down the hill to the old stone bridge over the Marske Beck.
Take the path from this bridge to Telft Farm, and once at the farm turn right and head North. Continue on the lesser footpath to the Marske Beck, now flowing West to East, and continue along the footpath beside the Marske Beck to the crossing at Helwith Manor.
Don't cross the beck at this point, but continue along for a short distance in a Westerly direction, now beside the Shaw Beck.
Cross the Shaw Beck by the ford (there is a rather indistinct waymark near the crossing) and continue along the North bank of the Shaw Beck until you come to the old lead mine at White Scar.
Just past the lead mine, the footpath divides again. The (less obvious) right hand path takes you up a field slope to a gap in the wall. The path then continues to the hamlet of Washfold.
Just past the Old School House, there is a walled lane which leads you to the South Easterly direction footpath that heads uphill over farmland.
Now follow the various footpaths in a South Easterly direction to High Greenas, and then the very distinct moorland footpath that heads East towards Marske.
When you eventually reach the minor road just outside Marske, head South for a hundred yards or so until you come to the signposted footpath that takes you back to Marske.