Guided Walk Reports 2021

On this page are reports, in reverse chronological order, on five guided walks that took place in 2021. To jump to any one report, click the relevant link:
Nov – Historic houses of Reeth, Swaledale
Nov – Keld, East Stonesdale, and Crackpot Hall, Swaledale
Sept – Downholme, Swaledale
Sept – Cringley Hill, Reeth Low Moor, Swaledale

November – Historic houses of Reeth, Swaledale
On 20^th November, a Sunday Amble led by Ric, explored Reeth’s architecture and Social History. John Russell explained the geology of the area, the sedimentary rocks of Fremington Edge and evidence of glaciation. We looked at some of the interesting buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries while Ric kept up a fascinating narrative, assisted by Heather. We looked at architectural features of cottages, the many pubs that this ex-mining town once supported, the old and new Poor Houses and the old Wesleyan School, now the Museum.

We walked along Arkle Beck and observed the restoration work which has been done following the floods. We went along Back Lane to Quaker Flats and saw the site of the old Quaker School and its imposing replacement on the hill and finally back into Reeth via the old bank and Silver St. It was a delightful tour of a fascinating area. Many thanks to Ric and Heather for their hard work researching their subject, and for making it such an enjoyable experience.

November – Keld, East Stonesdale, and Crackpot Hall, Swaledale
On 6th November a small group of hardy SWAAG members braved the elements for a walk at Keld, led by Dave Brooks and Sue and Les Knight.

In the foreground is a grass-covered moorland terrace with a lot of loose stones, some in piles. There is a backdrop of a sheer cliff of sandy-coloured rock, maybe 10 metres high, topped by more grass and bracken. Just off-centre to the right, the cliff is interrupted by a grass and stony gully falling steeply down to the terrace. The right side of the gully is formed by a rock and shale bank that rises to the same height as the cliff on the other side. — Beldi fault.

Les began by explaining the geology and geomorphology of the area, then we set off to look at the East Stonesdale waterfall. The Yoredale rocks – repeating sequences of limestones, shales, and sandstones – are exposed along the Swale valley and in the waterfalls. We then followed the track across the slopes of Beldi Hill looking for crinoid fossils, which we found underfoot. Sue identified the lichens and we marvelled at their complexity using hand lenses. There were also some spectacular toadstools.

A white, face-shaped rock lying on wet grass. The rock is covered in small fossils, mostly round or oval shaped but one notably like a piece of ridged tubing, possibly the body of a trilobite. — Crinoid.

Very close view of an all-white-coloured lichen growing on a stone, which is coloured brown and black. The lichen is heart-shaped with an indistinct, almost powdery form form at the edges, but with a cluster of cell-like structures packed in the middle. — Lichen.

After a detour to look at the fault at the top of the Oldfield Gutter, we arrived at the ruins of Crackpot Hall. At the beginning of the 20th century this was a substantial two-storey house, but it now stands derelict because of mining subsidence and its remote location. Sheila shared the research she had undertaken into the buildings on this site and Dave told us about a costly mining dispute, centred there in the 18th century, which eventually reached the Court of the King’s Bench in London.

Side view of six hikers dressed in full winter, rain-weather gear, standing amid large piles of stones, and looking at the barely-standing ruined walls of an old farmhouse. Behind is a two-storey, stone-built barn or cow-house with a slate roof, and which appears to be completely intact. Behind the buildings, the steeply rising moor is covered in bracken, reaching up to a cliff marking the edge of the moor top. — Crackpot Hall

The original intention was to visit the well-preserved dressing floor on the lower level of the Beldi Hill lead mine, but this was thwarted by a length of barbed wire. By this point several of the group’s waterproofs were losing the battle against the driving rain and it was decided to postpone the planned picnic and head back to the car park! Despite the weather, it was an enjoyable and informative walk and a welcome opportunity to chat to other SWAAG members.
J.H.

September – Downholme, Swaledale
On September 12th Ric Carter led a walk starting at Downholme. We visited the small and peaceful St Michael’s church, which has a hidden Celtic stone head built into one of the walls. We saw Howe Hill, site of an Iron Age settlement and wandered down an ancient track with relict hedgerows, a good crop of sloes and elderberries this year. It was a perfect Sunday amble in excellent company. We ended where we had started, outside the pub.

September – Cringley Hill, Reeth Low Moor, Swaledale
On September 1st, Dave Brooks led a well-attended walk around Cringley Hill. He says, “This was the first SWAAG walk since the 2019 lockdown, and it was good to be out and about again with friends. 10 of us altogether set out across Reeth Low Moor around Cringley Hill and down Foregill back to the Arkengarthdale Road and a final steep ascent up Raw Bank back to the cars. Along the route Les Knight explained the geology, geomorphology, and lead mining activities. Sue Knight had us all enthralled – and some of us on our hands and knees – as she explained the mysteries of lichens, and I described the archaeology and showed a few interesting sites, even if we were not sure what they were.

Examining lichen.