Bentham to Ribblehead via Ingleborough
Walk 2 By train: Bentham to Ribblehead via Ingleborough (723m) - 10 ½ miles - 6 hours Back to Ribblehead
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Souther Scales Fell / Bentham Station
From Bentham Station [Link to map of Bentham] proceed along the road into the town. Turn right at the main street and then left along a minor road (towards Ingleton). After 1/4 mile (after road junction) look for footpath on right. Follow path across field and then well signed path across golf course (watch out for flying golf balls!) to reach Dumb Tom's Lane. Cross the lane and large field to reach Aspland Beck situated in a dip surrounded by gorse (look for footbridge). At other side of beck cross further fields, eventually reaching a stile at the rear of Fordales House farm. Pass on the left of the farm and thence along minor road to Ingleton (3 miles from Bentham).
At the main road turn left and then right to pass through Ingleton village centre. At the T junction at theend of the main street turnleft to join the Hawes road (towards White Scar Caverns). The road climbs uphill for about 300m or so passing the old police station. At this point look for a well defined un-metalled vehicle track on the right (Fell Lane). The track is initially very steep but evens out to a more gentle uphill grade to reach the framhouse at Crina Bottom. After passing the buildings on the left the track becomes a path climbing directly to the top of Ingleborough. Considerable work has been done on the path in recent years.
- Ingleborough from Crina Bottom / Looking across Souther Scales Fell from Ingleborough summit
From the summit start to follow path downhill towards the Hill Inn for
a short while but at the gate bear right (across a small stream).
Follow the high level grassy path across Souther Scales Fell and then
onwards to Park Fell (2½miles). This is one of the best fell walks in
Yorkshire. Keep the wall on the right although the path goes across open
fell for a time. The path crosses two stiles the latter being on the slight
uphill to reach Park Fell still with the wall on the right. Do not pass
through the gate at the top but keep the wall on the right.
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An unusual view of Whernside from Ingleborough summit / Ingleborough looking back from Souther Scales Fell
The path then descends very steeply down a grassy slope to reach a stile
- this can be slippy in wet weather. After crossing the stile bear diagonally
left eventually to meet a wall at the left hand side of field. Follow
the wall downhill for 300m or so until a stile is reached. Climb over
the stile and cross the rough pasture with the wall on the right [this
is now Access area and so there is no defined footpath]. Eventually
this reaches a two large gates forming a sheep compound. Passing though
these gates bear slightly to the left to pick up the new English Nature
waymarked trail and pass through a new gate. Take care not to get to
close to the quarry edge. The path descends to reach the quarry floor
from where it is an easy walk to the quarry entrance and the access
road. Upn emerging at the main road turn right and thence under the
railway bridge to reach the Station Inn
The English Nature trail is better described on their website and a leaflet. This is well worth a slight detour at this point and takes in a circuit of the quarry and emerges at the top of the quarry into the limestone karst scenery from where is is a short distance to reach on of the best examples of a Viking settlement to be found in the country. There is a group of three buildings one of these being a traditional Viking long house located on slightly elevated land just before the path returns through a new gate into the quarry enclosure
NB This walk can only be undertaken commencing from stations between
Leeds and Skipton plus Hellifield as it involves going out on one line
and returning on the other