Arncliffe and Litton - a circular walk
This walk is almost a mirror image of the other walk
from Buckden, but if anything it's nicer because the final stage is so much
prettier. And a note to the pedants before we start - yes I know this walk is filed
under Wharfedale, and I know that the walk's in Littondale. I just don't
have anywhere better to file it!
This being a circular walk, it's possible to start from either Arncliffe or Litton.
I started from Arncliffe because I like Arncliffe. It's one of the prettiest villages
in the Dales, but it doesn't have a car park so there's a permanent problem with
parked cars crammed into every available space. Arncliffe is of course famous as
having been the original location for Beckindale in Emmerdale Farm (1972 to 1976)
which just shows how picture perfect it is. Filming stopped in 1976 because the
locals got fed up and it was an awfully long drive from the YTV studios in Leeds.
Anyway, park anywhere you can in Arncliffe and head out of the village past the
church along the road to Litton. As you come to the T-junction with the main road
there's two choices of route. Either take the footpath straight opposite and head
up the hill, or go left up the road for a few hundred yards and take the bridleway
from Old Cotes. Both paths converge very quickly, but I prefer the one from Old
Cotes as it's not as steep.
It's now one very long uphill. But the track is well defined and there are magnificent
views up Littondale, so take your time and enjoy it.
As you reach the top of the steep climb, the path changes direction and heads North
across the fell towards what I presume is a shooting lodge. This is where it's possible
to go wrong. The main track appears to go the Lodge, and it's tempting to go through
the gate in the wall beyond the lodge and continue that way. That's wrong. Before
you get to the lodge the real track changes direction and heads North-East. Look
at the two stone walls running up the fell, you're almost at the left hand one,
and the path goes from here diagonally to finish near the top of the right-hand
one.
Again, it's a well-defined path when you find the right one
, and eventually
the summit is reached. At the summit go through the gate, turn left and follow the
dry stone wall that runs right along the ridge. Half-way along there's a ladder
stile - cross that and continue following the wall. Seems wrong but it's right even
though you slightly double back on yourself.
Continuing along the wall you come to a trig point, and shortly thereafter the Litton
to Buckden bridleway crosses the wall. Turn left here and follow the bridleway all
the way down to Litton. This is another well-defined path and it's impossible to
go wrong.
As you come to Litton, what stands out is the huge white building in the middle
- the Queens Arms. This pub went through a bit of a middling patch, but is under
new management since May 2009. Which is good, because their own micro-brewery is
back in production and the Litton Ale is worth stopping for. And miraculously
they open all day on a weekend. Perhaps some of the other miserable pub landlords
round about should take note. Can't wait to try the beer again once the new brewer's
got a few more brews under his belt.
From Litton there's two routes back to Arncliffe. By far the nicest route is to
turn left and walk down the road for a couple of hundred yards than take the footpath
through the meadows to the stepping stones over the river Skirfare. Uniquely in
the Dales, the footpath includes a warning sign telling you that the ford can be
impassable if there's been heavy rain. And trust me they're not joking. In Summer
the Skirfare is like a babbling brook, but after rain it can quickly turn into a
raging torrent. I once camped just upstream of here with a youth group. For two
days the kids played in the river, and then it rained. A couple of hours later we
had to abandon the camp because the river was just too dangerous to allow little
kids to camp near. So if there's been bad weather, cross the river at Litton and
continue the walk down the riverbank.
But if it's been good weather, take the path through the wildflower meadows, which
are absolutely magnificent in Summer.
From the stepping stones, cross over and walk down the riverbank through Scoska
wood along the path to finish at Arncliffe.
But be warned, if you expect to finish the walk with a refreshing pint at the Falcon
you may be disappointed as the venerable landlord is yet another one who closes
at three on an afternoon. Yes, even in Summer, even on a weekend the pub is closed
in the afternoon. I suppose we should expect this as the Falcon really is a relic
from another age. They don't even have beer pumps, they still serve the beer from
a jug on the bar. I can't comment on how good the beer is because I haven't been
in years, and I finished this walk at ten past three! Once again I was gutted, absolutely
gutted, but a quick drive to the Queens Arms made the world a joyful place once
again. So miserable landlord, the loss was yours not mine.