Brandy Bottle Incline

  1. Take the main road out of Reeth up Swaledale towards Muker.
  2. After the first corner out of Reeth take the first turn right (400m) up a sunken track to Riddings.
  3. Follow the track to the open moor, keeping the stone wall on your left.
  4. Where the wall drops downhill to your left follow the track leading straight ahead, keeping Calver Hill on your right.
  5. This track goes to the road Barras End at NY 992 009 (water-splash).
  6. Turn left and walk down the road for 1Km to Surrender Bridge NY 989 999.
  7. From Surrender Bridge turn right and follow the path upstream past Old Gang smelt mills NY 976 006.
  8. Continue along this track to the point on the map marked Level House, and where the track divides go straight ahead, not left.
  9. After half-a-kilometre the entrance to Brandy Bottle Incline can be seen on your right (now filled in).
  10. After Brandy Bottle Incline the track turns north and north-east. It eventually peters out due to recent working of the waste tips.
  11. Head towards a wall on the left and follow the wall to the trig point on top of Great Pinseat. (This is hard to find because it is on the far side of the wall, which partly hides it NY 970 027.
  12. From the trig point walk on a compass bearing towards Whaw in Arkengarthdale (no bearing given but looks to be about 35°). The village itself cannot be seen from here but there are prominent landmarks to follow.
  13. Although the going underfoot is initially quite rough it does not last long and, once you crest the brow of the hill, you come across more waste tips from the lead mining area and it is easy to pick up a path that takes you down to Whaw.
  14. Cross Arkle Beck into the village, then follow the path by the beck into Langthwaite (pub and lunch).
  15. After lunch follow the path downstream on the east side of the beck to Storthwaite Hall.
  16. Then turn left and go uphill following the path to Hurst NZ 046 023.
  17. On reaching the metalled road in Hurst turn right (south) on to a path which goes through the mine tips with a chimney on your right.
  18. This leads to Fremington Edge, where you suddenly come upon a magnificent view of Reeth.
  19. Follow the path down to Fremington, then walk back into Reeth.