The High Way from Moorcock Inn

 Thursday 23rd July 2026

A curate's egg walk. However, we start with the good bit.

There is a small lay-by opposite the Moorcock Inn which I knew of but was not sure if it was for exclusive use for Moorcock's customers, fortuntely there was no such indication and at 9:00am it was vacant: a good start.

The Pennine Bridleway climbs from the Moorcock up to the High Way, also known as St. Anne's Way, Old Road, et al. My objective was to fill in part of that track not previously trodden by me. That is one of the very best of those old dales lanes for good easy going and magnificent views.

After only a hundred yards on the track I was rewarded by two black grouse rising up and chortling off as they do. A little further on I had a rare chance to get a photo of what I think was a Red Admiral butterfly which against all my experiences of butterfly photography remained still long enough.  

It is a steep ascent, but I went well. but still restricted by my breathing affliction.

Once on the more or less level High Way it was all delight. I felt I wanted to to make this part of the walk last longer than this relatively short stretch would require. I stopped to sit on a limestone rock for a coffee from my flask soaaking up the  panoramic view and  my ascent from the Moorcock, and away on the horizon The Calf, highest in the Howgills. As I was enjoying all this in the now warm sunshine I became aware of rhythmical steps approaching from behind. A lady backpacker arrived and we chatted. She was walking all of St. Anne's Way and was obviously a veteran backpacker with a good lightweight sack with everything stripped down to a comfortable carrying weight; she was moving quckly and anxious to be off. I am aware of Lady Anne's Way which covers about a hundred miles from Skipton to Penrith. On my return home I researched it a bit more. I would guess this rivals the Dalesway and the Dales High Way for a superbly represntative dales walk.

As I continued focus was now switched from The Calf to Wild Boar Fell ahead. Reluctantly I had to leave The High Way and descend by Shaws with their stone stairway through their garden, then on down to Beck Side and Lunds Church. That part of this walk I had done on a recent walk posted here, but at least this time it was in the opposite direction. I now had the choice of walking out to the road or following footpaths back to the Moorcock as pre-planned. I decided on the latter. That turned out to be the bad part of the curate's egg. From Beck side I walked a couple of hundred yards uphill on the wrong path (see the red line on the map below) and had to trek back down through high reeds and tussocks, supposedly to get back on the proper path. That turned out to be non-existant as were the rest of those paths shown on the map.. I battled on as the now midday sun intensified.  That was hard going through reeds and tussocks and I was becoming decidedly hot and bothered. I looked for the shortest possible route to get back to the road, but even that was still quite long way in that kind of terrain. Fortunately the road only carries light traffice, but motor bikes whizz past at alarming speed.

I would not recommend anybody to use any of that network of paths between Beck side and The Moorcock. Today I had at least the bonus of everything being dry but if wet at all I reckon it would be even more of a nightmare.

I may consider walking other sections of Lady Anne's Way if circular routes cn be plotted without  reed and tussock thrashing in the lowlands.

Just leaving the road from the Moorcock

The old and the new bridges (see next photo)

The infant River Ure - typical limestone streamery

Red Admiral? Admirably still!

Dandrymire Viaduct, built 1869/1875.
OK, it's a great achivement, but 6 years to build!

d

Back down to The Moorcock

Now on the High Waay

Blades. A solitary existence at over 300m.

My earlier viewing of black grouse seems to indicate they are having some success

Unusual limekiln, somebody wanted to try their skills at arch building?

No need for the bridge today. We are in the midst of heat waves - the shape of things to come, all a bit worrying

Reluctantly leaving the High Way for the descent and then Part 2 of the curate's egg

The steps down through the garden at Shaws.

Beck Side. Turn left for reeds and tussocks

Back to the Moorcock

Anti clockwise from the Moorcock. The red lines are diversions from thr plotted blue route

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