Patton Bridge circuit

Friday 17th July 2026

This had been a wholly enjoyable walk but when I arrived back at the car I realised that, good as it had been overall, its quality improved consistently bit by bit as I progressed. Is that a rare occurence? Perhaps not, but it was something that stood out for me on this occasion.

I had researched the parking spot on Google Earth close to Whinfell Tarn but I was disappointed not to be able to see this feature because of a high hedge and the general lie of the land, ah well!

A few yards down the road a footpath lead off downhill hill on rough pasture followed by a steep climb to  Moorbank Farm. In line with my assessment this turned out to be the most arduous section of the walk. The bonus was the backdrop of Whinfell Beacon which dominated a large part of the walk as it stands proudly claiming full mountain status. The northern side overlooks that other Borrowdale and forms part of its horseshoe circuit, a classic outing and adding nostalgia for me from previous visits over the years.

At Moorbank I mistakenly turned right instead of left and walked two hundred yards down that track and then back. I was cross with myself having vowed that my navigation would be impeccable on this trip and so my ambition of zero errors had come to nought.

A short section of downhill tarmac passed the superbly situated Deepslack farms,  “High” and “Low”  with Whinfell Beacon towering above like a protective giant.

I now turned south on easy country paths trending gently downhill  with Whinfell Fell’s attraction now replaced by distant Docker and Lambrigg Fells. 

Whinhowe Gilll was reached and followed with delight with its dried up limestone rocky bed exposed on account of our current heatwave. Further on its thirst was quenched by a feeder gill coming in from the east and it continued now more at one with its status as a river.

When I plotted this route I had a slight worry because the track from Thursgill Farm dropping down to link with the Dalesway was not marked as a public right of way. The farmer’s wife appeared, permission was granted along with pleasant chat.She had found me looking at my map on my phone, and as always asked if I was lost. I suppose that is understandable, but conscious of my lifetime’s walking history I find myself over eager to try and and overcome my interlocutors perception.

The view from Thursgill is stunning down into the valley and enhanced by the link up with the Dalesway in the bottom. I have a special respect for the Dalesway, but never walked it continuously, only in bits and pieces, but it  is always a pleasure and so it was today. This short stretch was pleasantly unspoiled nor over-trodden all adding to that progressive enjoyment. 

I crossed the River Mint by footbridge and then climbed up to the two country houses at Shaw End dating from 1796 and now offered as luxury holiday accommodation. The history of its development by a local family is quite interesting if you look at the “About” section on their website.

https://www.shawend.co.uk/

I stopped there for my sandwich and coffee before following an old lane back to Patton Bridge. I had plotted my return from here by the red dots on the map below which irritatingly had to retrace a small section of the outgoing route awhich had been the  least attractive part of the whole walk. Looking now again at the map I couldn’t believe how I had missed the alternative running up the western side of Whinfell Tarn (see map). That route gave superb views of this attractive water which I had been denied of at the start of the walk and which now provided a fitting finale to this enjoyable trip.

Top of the steep climb up to Moorbank Farm

Now more pleasant walking

Zoom shot. I had heard loud shouting then spotted the farmer on his quad. The cow had been in the orther field and he has just managed to get it back on this side. 

Deepslack farms , Whinfell Beacon looking over

I like a bit of well patinated ancient ironmongery

Heatwave. lots of limestone, no water, but...

...relief from an eastern feeder 

Bye Mill. Now converted to residence

The view from Tursgood. The Dalesway runs across to the right from the end of the tarmac. Lambrigg and Docker fells on the horizon

Zoom to Shaw End from the Dalesway

This and below, the two houses ast Shaw End. I sat on the wall just off the bottom of the photo for my sandwich break

Patton Bridge and Whinfell Beacon. Pity about the telegraph pole

Whinfell Tarn. My car is behind the first field boundary above the tarn edge

Enviously positioned farm/residence at the head of the tarn

Hyring farm at top end of Whinfell Tarn

Red arrow is location of my car

Clockwise

From Sedbergh and Farfield Mill

 Wednesday 8th July 2026

When Bowland Climber gives ne a call I know I am off on a mystery tour. Today I am only imformed that we are heading for Sedbergh.  Well, I have done quite few walks from Sedbergh so I'm anticipating we may be on familiar territory and when we arrive at the convenient lay-by at the River Rawthey bridge at Millthrop which I have used before my thoughts are confirmed. However, within a few yards of leaving the car we are off uphill on a minor road I have not previously been on. The road becomes a track still climbing quite steeply but typical of the Yorkshire Dales bridleways in those limestone surroundings that I am so attracted to. For half a kilometre we follow Wainwright's "A Pennine Journey" which I have encountered in bits on many occasions over the years.  I reckon W's APJ along with the Dalesway and the Dales High Way could be contenders for the three best walks in the country. I read W's book ages ago smd seem to remember him being a  bit grumpy about it but I can't imagine why except it coincided with the start of WW2. I must do a re-read and perhaps do a blog post review?

Despite my prediction of familair territory we only crossed The Dales High Way twice and then followed part of the Dalesway back down the River Rawthey to our car, and again having walked all the Dalesway in bits and pieces I had no recollection. One of the marginal bemefits of having a poor memory? 

Looking north we had superb views of the Howgills rising high above Sedbergh, the kind of views whichs are enhanced when one has numerous memories of past treks in that particular domain. The Dales High Way which I walked in April 2010 climbs out of Sedbergh to follow the high gound of the Howgills superbly from south to north on its way to finish at Appleby.

At our first encounter with the Dales High Way at Highside farm we chatted with the farmer and admired his long serving Massey Ferguson tractor which we reckoned had never been cleaned since its purchase - in my scale modelling endeavours errors can be cleverly disguised under the euphemism of "weathering" which rang a bell with me looking at this farmer's well used friend.

BC at the outset had promised a refreshment stop at the halfway point and so we arrived at Farfield Mill, a proud four storey Victorian textile mill now converted into a top class museum and art gallery. The mill stamds on the edge of the Clough River which although somewhat diminutive had the ability to power this huge multi storey mill full of weaving machinery. We had tea snd cakes at the café, a welcome rest from the heatwave temperatures of the day, and then perhaps an hour looking round the exhibits. For some reason I took no photos inside, but BC took many and I'm sure his post will be showing those if you want to look when it is posted, just search "Bowland Climber." There is also comprehensive information and photos if you search Farfield Mill.

A short stretch took us to where Clough River meets the river Rawthey, which we followed back to Milthrop on a short section of The Dalesway.

A modest round under four miles, but sufficient in the intensity of our current heatwave, but country walking at its best and extended by the very worthwhile Farfield Mill visit. A most enjoyable outing.

Parking at Millthrop

Millthrop village

The Old Pottery, and below...

...now a hloiday let

Leaving the tarmac. This is actually the access to a cottage higher up. We were pinned to the hedge to allow their Land Rover to pass on its way down. We didn't think it would be possible  using  a conventional car for at that residence , see next photo.

Looking back down that lane, the "first reserve" in the garage?

The Howgills above Sedbergh

The "weathered" Massey Ferguson. The farmer seemed unsure of its age when we asked

Our tea and cake spot at Farfield Mill

Farfield Mill, and below

Dent and Flinter Gill

Sunday 21st June 2026 

A strange and exhausting day.

I have perviously ascended Flinter Gill from Dent.

Where it forms a T jinction with Green Lane,  an old dales briddleway, I had turned left to complete a circular back to Dent. We so often see an alternative on our walks and it is something of a cliché when we posit a return visit at some time.  Well today I acted on my posit opting to take the right turn on that bridleway.

I wakened early to the miaowing of Pancake,  my son's cat, now my adopted companion since son has found his own lodgings. Pancake is allover black and that combined with her feline stealth makes it difficult to keep track. It seems that somehow she had locked herself in the spare room where I do my scale modelling. All of  that had upset my  precisely detailed morning routine which makes that Morecambe and Wise breakfast sketch seem like a shambles but eventually I was off at 8:00. 

Dent's car park charges £5.00 for 4 hours, then £7.00 for 24 hours. My walk estimate was 4 hours. I paid the £5.00. After messing about putting on boots and other faffs quarter of an hour had passed since I fed the machine, so I was now under stress hoping to be back before I got a ticket.

Flinter Gill climbs steeply on a rugged stony path with the gill deep down on the left and hidden by trees, but quite audible today. Memory Map gives my route 907ft. of ascent which is mainly accounted for by this ascent, but I went well in the shade. There is a welcome bench a few yards before joining Green Lane and I sat looking at extensive views back down Dentdale and across to Aygill Pike, it was great to be bak in my limestone dales.

Levelish and pleasant walking on the old bridleway was now welcome in the increasing heat. Middleton Fell and Calf top above Barbondale reared ahead. I joined the Barbondale road for a stretch before branching off on a footpath back to Dent.

That path went through more fields than I can now enumerate. At one point a rotten stile overhanging back towards me created a tough problem and to start with I thought I may not be able to conquer it, but after much precarious effort and expended energy I was over, but now beginning to feel the heat and also some apprehension about my time schedule. Further on yet another field had a herd of sbout twenty mature bullocks rampaging up and own as a combined pack as if trying to find an exit from this steeply inclined and hillocky field. There was no way I was going through that gate. I followed the wall downhill to a corner where acouple with a baby were just ascending. They had seen the bullocks and diverted lower down round the bottom of some rrees  well out of way and sight of the bullocks now back up at the top of the field. With some trepidation I manged to reverse rheir route and crossed the field without being seen by the herd.

Further on the path became obscure and I wasted more time searching and making minor corrections until I arrived at a substantial ribbed concrete farm road descending steeply to the farm before my uncertain path would branch off  for a short stretch back to Dent village. As I was rejoicing at the firm grip of my Vibram soles on the concrete path I hadn't noticed a patch of wet from water seeping across the path from the right. My first step onto that patch was like butter off a hot knife. I landed hevily on my forearm and jarred one of fingers quite badly and I was lying with the water soakng into my pants. I managed to shuffle to the edge of the concrete where the grass descended giving me the ability to get back up - that is not easy with my two replacement knees which I am loathe to kneel on.

The combination of being shaken up, the heat, the car park problem, snd the number of difficulties crammed into that short part pf the walk after leaving the Barbondale road had me whacked. I got back to the car fifteen minutes after parking expiry time and thankfully no ticket.

P.s. I had not eaten my prepared sandwich or partaken of my coffee. The sandwich formed the substsnce of my evening meal back home later.

A short bit of tarmac leading to Flinter Gill, and below

Now onto the path proper, climbing steeply

Lime kiln. seems an odd locstion

This amd below. Flinter Gill just before it drops steeply into the goge - good looking imestone country

The welcome bench - Green Lane bridleway just through the gate, and from the bench...

Aygill Pike, and...

...looking back down Dentdale. The village is hidden

Starting on the righthand branch of Green Lane

The agressive herd of bullocks charging around en-masse

On my forearm just below my elbow