Great Whernside from Kettlewell Walking

The Pennine Hills are often described as "the backbone of England". There are few places where this is as apparent as on the broad summit ridge of Great Whernside, which sits on the eastern boundary of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, between Wharfedale and Nidderdale. On a clear day, a substantial part of the north of England can be seen from here, from the North York Moors to the Lake District. This circuit from Kettlewell ascends through a secluded valley and returns via extensive earthworks, then along an ancient lane looking down on picturesque Wharfedale.

A jumble of boulders on the summit of Great Whernside.  © Chris Scaife
A jumble of boulders on the summit of Great Whernside.
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Detailed description

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SD9682172302 Head out of the pay and display car park in Kettlewell and turn left, following the road into the village. Take the first road on the right just before the bridge, then left at the next junction, marked by Kettlewell's famous maypole, to pass the church. If you have a few minutes to spare, it's worth wandering through the serene churchyard. Follow the road beside Dowber Gill Beck, passing some characterful cottages, then where the road crosses the stream via a stone bridge continue straight ahead on the footpath. The path soon crosses the stream by a different stone bridge. Turn right to follow the stream, then cross the stile.

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SD9750672619 The path now forks, with the left branch providing a direct route to Hag Dyke Hostel along the grassy rib between Cam Gill and Dowber Gill. However, a more interesting approach is to take the right fork through the secluded Dowber Gill valley. Here, the steep grassy slopes on either side are interspersed with the occasional ash, hawthorn and patch of exposed limestone. Just before the valley splits in two (the branch to the right has the wonderful name Dowber Gill Wham) there is a concrete platform next to the beck. This is the excavated entrance to Providence Pot, which in 1955 was connected to Dow Cave - far to the north - to create a classic caving through trip via Dowbergill Passage.

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SD9922272891 Follow the small path to the left, uphill through bracken, and soon you will reach the off-grid Hag Dyke Hostel, adorned with solar panels. Turn right and follow the obvious path uphill to the top of Great Whernside. Initially steep, the path levels out after a rocky section, then steepens again for the final push. The summit cairn and trig point are surrounded by millstone grit boulders, which can provide ample shelter in inclement conditions. The name - confusingly similar to North Yorkshire's highest peak, Whernside, many miles west of here - comes from quern or millstone, and refers to these boulders.

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SE0024773876 Turn left at the summit and walk along the broad ridge, passing several patches of millstone grit, until you reach the corner of a drystone wall. Now go left, downhill, beside the wall, then over a stile and follow the obvious path down to the road. The impressive earthworks of Tor Dike are met just before the road, and these continue westwards along the contour line.

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SD9860475692 Cross the minor road and follow the grassy path slightly to the left. Follow this path around the head of the valley to a junction. Now turn left on to Top Mere Road, part of an old monastic route between Coverham Abbey and Kettlewell. This is a straightforward descent southwards along a gravelly lane, and you'll soon reach the road in Kettlewell. Follow this road back to the car park, going straight on at the crossroads by the village store, and left opposite the Blue Bell Inn and Racehorses Hotel. As you may have guessed, there are a fair few watering holes/eateries to choose from if you want to linger in this charming village.

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