Crummackdale & Moughton Scars

Sun 16 Feb 2014

You can find an index to most of my walks here. This is the first in chronological order. Click Newer post at the bottom to move forwards.

Sunny all day, but with a cold wind. I set off at 8:45 for Wharfe. Very muddy paths after the unusually heavy rains.

The path above the village was dry

A farm boy passed driving a quadcycle at the ford by the Washdub Field. Then I had more mud and large puddles up the lane on the east side of the valley.

Roof repairs to a barn

The cairn on Moughton Scars

The terraced west side of Moughton from the cairn

There was no shelter from the cold wind at the cairn on Moughton Scars so I decided to follow the edge path and dropped down to Beggar’s Stile. A little further along the track to Thieves Moss I found a comparatively sheltered place for my lunch stop. A woman passing had already been all the way up Ingleborough, and was returning to Austwick where she lived.

A spring I had not seen before

When I was walking back along the lane towards the Washdub Field I spied a spring with a low wall on three sides and took a photo. But just as I was dropping down in to Wharfe I realised I hadn't got my walking pole! Damn! So when I got back to the car instead of brewing up I drove over to Austwick and up the lane to Crummack. Ignoring the “No cars beyond here”sign I parked near Crummack farm and walked to the gate that gives on to the valley pastures. But there was no walking pole. As I drove back I suddenly recalled taking the photo of the spring and realised I must have left my pole against the wall. Sure enough, someone had found it and stood it up at the junction of the lanes. The pole was placed sensibly at a spot where it would almost certainly be seen. It's so good to know there are thoughtful people about.

A good parking spot - if you arrive early!

I drove back to my parking place near Wharfe and brewed some tea. A couple arrived in their car, announcing they were going up on to Moughton. It was almost 3 o'clock, but they said they had headband lamps and seemed undaunted by the late hour. I was astonished to learn that they had come from Lockerbie in Scotland - just for the day!

I shall, no doubt, feel stiffness tomorrow or Tuesday, but the walk was worth it. I didn't think I would do as much on the first real walk since November 2013. A lovely day in some of my favourite countryside.