Hell Gill

Tuesday 7th April 2026

Having an objective for a walk has been aired here on occasions. I recently bought  "Walks to Yorkshire Waterfalls" by Mary Walsh,  a  Cicerone guide published in 1990*. My first foray was Mary's  Hell Gill walk. This would also include a stretch of the multi-named track:  Lady Ann's Way, The High Way, Old Road and Pennine Bridleway. That is one of the most walking friendly tracks I know of and would include a previously unwalked section for me. However,  after descent from the road on rough tussocky  and pathless going,  a serious, breathless  ascent for me was neccessary to gain the welcoming  Old Road. 

That track and Hell Gill were worthy objectives, but they were slightly marked down by the discovery of Lunds Church.

For heaven'sake (note the pun/explanation) why was a curch built in such a sparsley populated area? The restoration mentioned in the Wiki excerpt below has now been completed. The interior is spotless and atmospheric in its sympathetic restoration.  Lunds Church stands in the centre of a field isolated, but like a speck of gold amnongst the tailings in the pan.

From Wikipedia

The current building dates from the mid 18th century.^[2] It was the smallest church in the Diocese of Ripon, with a capacity of 60 worshippers. It closed in 1981 and its condition deteriorated, though it remained in church ownership. In 2011, it was used for scenes in the film Wuthering Heights. Restoration work started in 2023.^[3] It has been grade II listed since 1969.

The climb past Beck Side Farm and up to Shaws, a converted farm property was ever steepening. A mysterious waterfall gill continued above Shaws but I turned left on the good track. Other similar gills and waterfalls appeared to my right as I progressed on the wide cropped turf path with its gentle undulations and extensive views down to what I suppose is Upper Uredale or on the map, Mallerstang. Ahead Wild Boar Fell dominated high on the skyline with the sharp escarpment of The Nab at its far end. The climbing crags recently identified by Bowland Climber and his friends run prominently below the summit ridge. The routes have now been  published I think on the BMC website.

Eventually Old Road arrives at Hell Gill bridge. The savage narrow cleft of the gill is so deep, dark and overgrown that I couldn't even see the water perhaps sixty feet or more down in the depths, and even the bridge was difficult to photograph.

Descending and passing through farm buildings a proper farm track developed and I could then see the stream emerging from the bottom of the gill. Further on the stream drops over Hellgill Force before emptying into the River Ure.

Ordnance Survey shows a footpath across the main road returning to my start point following parallel with the road. I followed unfortuntely with no means of escape until about halfway.That path had unavoidable mud baths every hundred yards or so with a particularly gloopy sticky kind of  mud. On a couple of occasions ,my trainer was left behind sucked from my foot involving difficult retreaval. At last a marked footpath lead back down to the road,from where I walked back to my car.

That walk was certainly worthwhile despite the poor return route. I had much  pleasure being in proper hill country above the intake level with grand views all around on a cloudless blue sky spring day. There is a sharp difference between this and country walking through livedtock fields and the like

(Cannot find out how to alter the varying font sizes, no matter, better trhings to do.)

The tussocky descent taken from the stile leading from the road

Down in the bottom at Beck Side leading to Lunds Church

Lunds Church

"Come unto me and I will give you (rest?)"

Lunds Church in context. My ascent to Old Road is in the background

Starting the ascent

Approaching Shaws. The path climbed through their garden

Lunds Church isolated in centre of field

Gill above Shaws

Steps leading out of Shaws garden to the gate onto Old Road

Old Road, perfect walking.. Distant Wild Boar Fell and The Nab, and below... 

High Hall. Derelict farmhouse - this is at about 1500ft! And below...

Hell Gill Bridge

Hell Gill after the gill and flowing towards Hell Gill Force

Hell Gill Force

All the tractors for Alan

Start/finish from road, bottom left corner, anti-clockwise. N.b. location of Lunds Church in red

*"Yorkshire Waterfalls" Mary Welsh.

Cicerone are now the apex guide book producer having learned from expereience with good maps, colour, and seperation of subjective information from route description. This is one of their much earlier efforts and shows its age. It is entertaining to read, interspersed with glowing refrences to imgianry bird life and other mentions of possible flora and fauna that may be encountered, and local history, but that detracts from  the need for a concise route description. The maps are also quite rudimentary, but sufficient for one to relate to an OS map. Mary Welsh passed away in 2017 at the age of 88. She was a prolific and well respected author of many outdoor/walking publicastions.