With the forecast of another sunny
and calm winters’ day, Dad had arranged to meet Uncle Bob at
the village of Buckden in Wharfedale for this walk. We had been
here before as the start point for climbing Buckden Pike almost
exactly one year ago. Another early start in the dark saw us
driving along the familiar road to Hawes. Just before Ribblehead,
Dad took this shot of the rising sun shining on Whernside.
After Aysgarth we turned down
Bishopdale and then climbed up out of this dale, to drop down to
the hamlet of Cray in Wharfedale. The next village was Buckden.
As we turned into the car park we spotted this magnificent
highland cow standing in the frost covered field.
Uncle Bob arrived minutes later and
they were both soon ready for the off, so we hopped into
Dad’s rucksack. As we passed through the gate we saw that
the Highland Cow had a calf…
Ah! We called him Hamish, as he
looks just like our hug member who was rescued by Alasdair and
Rory when they were out for the day with Dad in Peebles in
Scotland.
The path now climbed up through
Rakes Wood where we had to stand aside while a farmer passed by
on his quad bike taking hay for his sheep. His trusty dog was
with him too.
The path continued along Buckden
Rake, where the views over the dale opened up and we were able to
see the village of Hubberholme at the entrance of Langstrothdale.
This name means the long valley.
The hill in the centre is Horse
Head that we had climbed last year. When we had descended off
this, the view in front had been of Yockenthwaite Moor, so today
we were glad that finally this summit was going to be bagged. Our
eventual route today would take us along above the woods on the
right.
Dad and Uncle Bob were chatting
away and did not notice a gate in the wall. We called out that
this was the way but they did not hear and consequently wandered
on. After nearly half a mile they realised their mistake and so
had to walk back. Well it was their legs not ours!
Can’t see how they missed it!
The path now descended quite steeply to the hamlet of Cray with
its pretty bridge and stepping-stones over Cray Gill.
Here too is the White Lion Inn.
No, we did not stop here, but
mention it in relation to the Memorial Cross on Buckden Pike.
When the plane crashed on that night in 1942 the eventual sole
survivor of the Polish crew had to battle down the fell. He was
brought to this inn to recover.
Taking the path behind the inn we
then crossed Crook Gill and walked along above Hubberholme Wood
passing a cairn marking a superb viewpoint down the length of
Wharfedale. The direction of the sun precluded any photographs
though. Finally reaching Strans Gill we left the path and turned
up the fell, passing this ruin. Uncle Bob poses at the front door!
The path went through a gate in the
wall behind. Then over trackless ground there was a steady climb
to the ridge. The top like many fells in the Dales was a large
relatively flat expanse of peat hags and bogs. Suddenly the trig
point marking the summit came into view. A beeline to it was
impossible due to the bogs and we had to pick our way carefully
winding left and right to finally reach it.
The photograph clearly shows the
hags and bogs behind. A quite god forsaken place and no wonder
the walk we were following made reference to the fact that the
summit was for "Peak Baggers" only! We all decided we
would not be coming up here again ever. On the way to the summit
we had passed the remains of a small shelter perhaps once long
ago used by shepherds. It had one room with a fireplace and
another room to the side probably for the storage of firewood etc.
Uncle Bob’s camera has a time delay setting and so we were
all able to be in this photograph. Fantastic sky don’t you
think?
Photo
courtesy Bob Woolley (Uncle Bob)
Taking a bearing due south from
here we made the long descent, negotiating our way though some
crags, finally picking up a path leading to a barn by a wall,
that we then followed down to the hamlet of Yockenthwaite. The
name is Norse-Irish from "Eogans’ Thwaite" meaning
clearing of Eogan. Here we joined another section of the long
distance path the Dales Way. Turning left we walked along
Langstrothdale by the River Wharfe to the village of Hubberholme
with its nice church.
Hubberholme was a favourite place
of the playwright J B Priestley and when he died his ashes were
scattered in the churchyard.
The furniture in the church is oak
and was made and carved by the famous Robert Thompson of Kilburn.
He was known as the "Mouseman" from his trade mark
carving of a mouse on each piece. Although the origin of this has
an uncertain history, the story told by Robert Thompson himself
is that one of his craftsmen remarked "We are all as poor as
church mice." Whereupon Robert carved a mouse on the church
screen he was working on. That particular mouse has never been
found but it has continued as a trade mark of quality and
dedication to craftsman ever since. Dad once visited the church
and found six mice carvings. However his pride was somewhat
dented when a local man told him there was no less than 200 in
the church! Much more is on the website www.robertthompsons.co.uk.
Taking the road through Hubberholme
the path eventually rejoined the river for the final stroll to
Buckden seen here over the fields.
Note the prominent white building.
This is the shop and tearoom, where yes you’ve guessed it
Uncle Bob and Dad went for a refreshing pot of tea and scone. We
of course had our picnic in the car and chatted about all we had
seen today. We really are so lucky having a Dad to take us to so
many interesting places on our adventures.
