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The Source of the River Ribble |
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The area of the walk a mile or so north of Ribblehead |
We decided on a circuit beginning near Gearstones on Blea Moor Road and working a clockwise route using the Dales and Ribble Ways by leaving the road a few yards further north.
From the start it was wet and muddy underfoot and the clouds threatened rain. At first we had drizzle blown by the wind and then a brief period of warm sunshine, of which we took advantage and stopped for an early lunch by some convenient boulders on what is named Black Rake Road.
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A newly built grouse butt |
We saw that some new and nicely designed grouse butts have been built but there were no shooters out - even though it was the 12th! The rain then came on more heavily, but although wetting us quite a bit the shower was relatively short. We reached the road leading into Dentdale but turned right towards Newby Head Gate and then on to cross the Widdale Road.
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Area around our detination |
Unlike on my previous visit to the source of the Ribble the route from there was easy to follow, being a wide track which had been covered with large chippings. This is no doubt because the route has become part of the Pennine Bridleway system. It does not follow Jam Syke very closely and consequently is quite dry unlike on my earlier visit when the thin footpath had been difficult to follow near the stream.
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The crag from which Jam Syke emerges |
When we reached Gavel Gap, the wall between the former West and North Ridings of Yorkshire, we had only a few yards to go to reach the spring pouring from the base of a limestone crag - the 'official' source of the River Ribble. I filled my drinks bottle!
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Pure, drinkable River Ribble! |
For the next section of the walk I had planned to join up with the Pennine Way at Cold Keld Gate, and had we kept to the obvious track we would have followed the designated Pennine Bridleway without a problem. Andrew's OS map, though, shows a pecked line angling away from the wall further towards the east, and we saw what appeared to be a path on the ground. We followed it for some distance, but it was a false trail which petered out very quickly.
We pressed on and came across two ancient gate posts and an equally old broken wall shown on my OS map as a path. The real track further west, which we later located, is clearly a very old one, but its course is shown on my 2008 revision OS map only by the green diamond symbols of the Pennine Bridleway. and not at all on Andrew's. However, the on-line map at OS Maps shows the old track very clearly, although I think a bit further south than it actually lies, and omits the old wall altogether. Perhaps the Ordnance Survey ought to be apprised of the errors?
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Shown on the printed map as a footpath |
We pressed on and came across two ancient gate posts and an equally old broken wall shown on my OS map as a path. The real track further west, which we later located, is clearly a very old one, but its course is shown on my 2008 revision OS map only by the green diamond symbols of the Pennine Bridleway. and not at all on Andrew's. However, the on-line map at OS Maps shows the old track very clearly, although I think a bit further south than it actually lies, and omits the old wall altogether. Perhaps the Ordnance Survey ought to be apprised of the errors?
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Feeling quite tired by this time it was good to find ourselves at last on the tarmac of Cam High Road at Cold Keld Gate. The surface reverts to earth and stones at a diversion to Cam Farm to the east. The road then continues as Cam High Road, used by the Romans 2000 years ago and by me on 18 August 2000!
We stopped for a rest, and then continued along the track to where a new forest road down into the valley has been built to permit access for forestry operations. We could see that many of the trees have already been felled. This has caused much anxiety in the matter of conservation, both historical and environmental, though the ancient trackway has been given a firmer surface than I found it on 18 August 2000 when there were very deep ruts. It is thankfully still open to the public as a highway.
It was, though, a rather weary plod, hard on the feet, down to the crossing of Gayle Beck, which is the main tributary of the Ribble, and then on to the modern road noisy with speeding motor bikes.
An interesting trip.
