Brigsteer, Scout Scar

 Monday 8th September 2025

Forecast said sunny with showers. I had to believe it because I couldn't see another weather window for a while. But at 9:00 am it was pouring with rain. That persisted with a vengeance non-stop as I drove the half an hour to park at Heslington church. I have recorded the history perviously and there is plenty on-line if you want to look it up. As I sat in the car looking out at the  rain I wondered if I should just turn round and go back home. I had a coffee from my flask and dithered, but then bevcme  intrtigued by a group of cows sheletring under the trees of the churchyard. A  sort of cowboy film fantasy came to mind - see the first two photos below (click to enlarge to read the dialogue boxes.) The second photo was taken just after the rain seemed to have ceased. So I was out and off, in the opposite direction from the cows.

Back at the main road a path leads off running below the summit ridge of Scout Scar providing excellent grassy limestone walking on a wide undulating track with impressive views across the Lythe valley far below and Whitbarrow crag beyond, and even further the Lake District Coniston range. That view is seen to great advantage from my parking at Heslington church but photos just don't show the dramatic steep drop off just a few yards from the parking, falling away 450ft or so to the wide flat plain spread of the Lythe Valley.

Evntually a narrow, steep rocky path drops away down to Barrowfiled farm. Care was needed on that track with the limesdtone still slippery wet from the earlier rain.

At the farm a Massey Ferguson tractor appeared to have been basnished to doing dirty work in the slurry pit, but round the corner a shiny blue, more modern New Holland tractor was rejoicing in more agreeable duty. See photos below.

 A pleasant track through the woods took me back to the Brigsteer road and then  another  track conquering that previuouly mentioned steep loss of height to regain Heslington church from the Lythe Valley bottom.

A splendid little walk of only three miles not far from home and snatched from doubtful weather - once that rain stopped it had been continuously sunny.

PLEASE CLICK TO ENLARGE

From the church to the distant Lake district hills. Photos cannot do justice to this, one of the best views in Cumbria - see pano below

Just beyond the middflegound row of trees the land drops away steeply for about 450ft to the Lythe Valley floor which is flat for sbout three kilometres before the land rises to form Whitbarrow Scar.

From the road onto the friendly Scout Scar track

The track down to Barrowfield farm goes off just before the steep crags

Zoom to clouds clearing on the Coniston range

The slippery narrow path down to the farm

Perhaps the Massey Ferguson had been naughty whilst...

...goody New Holland was laping it up in the dry fields

Zoom to Arnside and the Knott

Start and finish at the red flag - anti-clockwise