Starting point: The Farmers Arms, Muker  (SD 909979)  Distance: 10 miles  Ascent: 1600'

A walk that starts and finishes in the lovely Swaledale and also explores more dramatic scenery amongst the ruins of the lead mines in Gunnerside Gill.

Route: From The Farmers Arms in Muker turn left by the village hall and walk past cottages to the meadow walk.  Cross the meadows using the paved footpath to cross the River Swale via a stone bridge.  Turn right and take the footpath by the river to pass through the hamlet of Ivelet and continue to cross fields to reach Gunnerside.  Opposite The Kings Head is a footpath beside Gunnerside Beck, which leads into Gunnerside Gill and the ruins of the lead mines.  The first ruins are of the Sir Francis lead mine.  Beyond there the path heads uphill before levelling out near the Bunton mine.  Drop down to cross the beck by the Blakethwaite peat store.  Walk back along the beck a short distance before turning obliquely right to head up to open moor.  Walk across the moor on a wide track.  When this track turns south, look for a thin path on the right, which drops down to cross Swinner Gill at a stone bridge.  Contour around the hillside to reach the ruin of Crackpot Hall with its classic view of the Swale valley.  Descend to Swinner Gill falls and return to Muker via the river path.

Swaledale walls and barns - classic Dales scenery

The River Swale near Muker
Looking up the valley towards Keld

Substantial footbridge

It's a hot day and Beattie cools down!

The hamlet of Ivelet is reached

Those cows were rather interested in Beattie, but I picked her up and we passed through safely

These squeeze stiles can be a challenge.  Breathe in!

The lovely River Swale ...

... and again, from lower down.

Gunnerside ahead

Quiet Gunnerside

Gunnerside Beck

Newly restored barn on the right

Ahead are the remains of the Sir Francis mine

The dressing floor.  Here the mineral ore was crushed and the galena (lead ore) separated prior to the smelting process.

The mine offices on the other side of Gunnerside Beck

Spoil heaps
It will take a long time for Nature to heal the scars!

A desert of spoil heaps

Bunton mine
It's a good place to stop for lunch ...

... with that dramatic view down Gunnerside Gill

This level was used as a means of transporting lead ore to the Surrender mine in the next valley.

The Blakethwaite peat store
Peat was used as a source of fuel at Blakethwaite smelting mill.  It was cut and dried on the moorland above and stored here until needed.

The stone bridge across Gunnerside Beck

The track across the open moor (looking east)

The top of Swinner Gill

Crackpot Hall is a eighteenth century farmhouse.  It was damaged by mining subsidence, but the building has now been stabilised.  The name Crackpot is Norse in origin and means a deep hole or chasm that is a haunt of crows.

A classic view - The Swale valley from Crackpot Hall

Swinner Gill falls

The remains of Beldi Hill smelting mill at the foot of Swinner Gill

River Swale on the return to Muker

Swaledale barn
These barns are characteristic of the Swaledale landscape and the explanation can be traced back to the later Middle Ages.  'In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries a method of inheritance existed known as partible inheritance or gavelkind.  This was a system whereby all the children inherited their parents' holding in equal parts, thus creating a number of very small holdings, often a single field or part of a field.  Although this system was dying out by the eighteenth century, lead mining had increased and many miners eked out their meagre existence by keeping a cow or a few sheep in perhaps one or two fields.  Small barns and byres were therefore required for storing hay and housing stock.  Only since World War 2 have the holdings been joined together to make more viable farms.' Yorkshire Dale National Park Walks Leaflet No. 3

Muker beckons at the end of the walk

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Comment from Little Old Me
She is sweet, I have just been looking at your photos.  We have never walked in the Dales, we have done a few in the peaks. I am about to put the Dales on my list.  You won't be disappointed! derek
 

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Photographs taken with a Fuji MX-2900 Zoom or a Canon EOS 20D
Copyright © 2009 Derek Cockell     All Rights Reserved