TPW 9 – PATELEY BRIDGE to SAWLEY (03.12.08)

1. From the bridge at the foot of the High Street head up the main thoroughfare, swinging right at the top (Ripon Road) to quickly level out.

2. After 150 yards or so an urban footpath sign points up a flight of steps to the start of Panorama Walk.

3. A steep, enclosed tarmac path, climbs past an inscribed stone tablet above a well.

4. On the main route the gradient soon eases and the way remains surfaced, enabling the views to be appreciated effortlessly.

5. On reaching the tiny hamlet of Knott, the track widens into a road.

6. As it swings right to descend to the main road, keep straight on a cart track to the left.

7. After an isolated house it runs on as a tightly enclosed footway.

8. At a fork at the end drop right, again pleasantly leafy to run out onto the B6265 Pateley Bridge-Ripon road.

9. Turn up this a short way.

10. At the first opportunity turn right along a private road past the houses of Blazefield.

11. At the end the rough road drops onto a back road.

12. Turn up this to quickly level out, enjoying superb views downdale.

13. As the road turns sharp left to a T-junction, instead keep straight on another enclosed footway to meet another road.

14. This time turn downhill, just as far as a hairpin bend.

15. Here take an old driveway heading off left.

16. The track ends at a gateway above an abandoned modern house, and a footpath takes over.

17. This maintains the slightly rising course beneath an increasingly colourful bank of heather and outcrops, running on to emerge onto a junction of ways above a farm at White Houses.

18. Go straight across on a cart track opposite.

19. Through much varied vegetation the way narrows to a path to approach a short terrace of houses.

20. Turn down the nearside of the garden to a stile, and descend the fieldside.

21. From the stile at the tapering field bottom go left down the wallside sunken way, crossing the wall at a gateway and slanting down to join an access track.

22. Go left on this short way to a junction where two such ways meet a rough road.

23. Turn right down this a few yards, then go left to a footbridge and ford on Fell Beck.

24. Across, the path forks: while the Nidderdale Way goes right, instead take the stile on the left and turn upstream, a faint track rising outside the wooded environs of the beck. Note that the map incorrectly shows this pasture as being wooded.

25. Climbing away, ignore two stiles into the trees and take the gate at the top.

26. The track rises to another gate then fades. Simply follow the fieldside up to a stile at the top corner.

27. After a few enclosed yards, rise with the right-hand wall to a stile.

28. Now cross the field to meet the driveway at Brimham Rocks House (high North Pasture Farm on the map).

29. Keep right of the buildings and head away on the drive.

30. With the rocks just above, the track runs into the trees.

31. On emerging from the denser patch, with an open field to the left, advance a little further to a National Trust boundary sign.

32. Now in the Trust’s open country of Brimham Moor, double back right on an inviting green path.

33. This curves up beneath the first outcrops, and on through heather to rise to the start of the Rocks proper.

34. Here the end of a well used ‘loop’ path is met.

35. Preferably take the right branch which runs through a parade of wonderful outcrops, passing several natural viewing platforms overlooking Nidderdale. Eventually Brimham House is reached.

36. The direct route is the broad carriageway ahead, but infinitely better is the broad pathway to its right, which takes a meandering course through the myriad of boulders above the western scarp.

37. At the end the path enters the car park. Follow the short drive out onto the road crossing Brimham Moor.

38. Go right for just 100 yards to re-join the Nidderdale Way path on the left.

39. Follow the path across the moor to its end at a gate/stile in a boundary wall.

40. Continue ahead on the path to emerge onto a farm drive beneath Riva Hill and continue on to a corner.

41. Now the Nidderdale way takes the track to the right while our chosen route remains on the concrete farm drive which drops down to the left between walls.

42. Through trees in the bottom it rises as the narrow Chapel Lane

43. Pass an old Methodist chapel with a Victorian post box affixed to reach a junction with an identical cul-de-sac of Warren Lane in this scattered parish of Warsill.

44. Turn left, rising gently to reach Middle South Farm on the right.

45. The easiest option is to continue to a junction, then turn right.

46. Advance along the road past South East Farm on the right.

47. The road then bends left to arrive at a caravan site at Warren Forest.

48. Immediately before it turn into the paddock on the right, and drop down with the wall outside the rear of the site buildings.

49. Simply remain with the wallside outside the wooded site.

50. Pass through several gates and along to a gate at the end back on to a road.

51. Go right just a field’s length and take a gate/stile on the left, to follow the fence along to a plantation corner.

52. A bridle-gate sees us resume outside the trees, tracing the along to a drive just in front of Warsill Hall Farm.

53. Without entering the farm take a gate on the left, and after 30 yards leave the track by a wall-stile on the right.

54. Cross to the far corner of the field, and from the right-hand of two gates, descend the wall side on the right to a gateway.

55. Continue straight down to a bridle-gate into the trees of Booth Wood.

56. A splendid old sunken way slants gently down below a collapsed wall, a dark interlude even on a sunny day.

57. It descends into a clearing and onto a broad forest track to cross the ancient and remarkably overgrown Butterton Bridge.

58. Across the bridge, join a firmer forest road.

59. With no sign of a path in front, go left 60 yards to a junction, where a track climbs back to the right.

60. Double back up this to leave the wood at a bridle-gate.

61. With a spring emerging into a stone trough on the left, bear right up this field enclosed by plantations, aiming for the far end of the row of trees above.

62. A track forms, leading to a stile onto the head of well named Green Lane.

63. After just 80 yards, use a stile on the left and cross to the far corner of the field, passing Lacon Cross.

64. From the stile descend the fieldside past a scattering of stones, embracing some pleasant rolling terrain.

65. At the bottom the path crosses a stile to enter the environs of Lacon Hall, passing through the garden onto the drive between the buildings.

66. Follow the drive out just as far as a cattle grid.

67. Now bear left off the drive, rising gently to the very far end of the field, where a stile sits in a holly hedge.

68. Advance across the next field, merging with the hedge on the right to reach a gate/stile at the far end.

69. Sawley is just ahead now, and crosses one last field to a stile at the far end to emerge onto a junction with Sawley Moor Lane.

70. Go straight ahead to enter the village.