Monday 21st. September 2026
I had walked from upper Wharfedale on my LEJOG past the high point of Addlebrough but from there I had continued down to Bainbridge, and LA's Way branches off at Addlebrough to descend to Askrigg so today I was walking a circular from Askrigg to make the daunting long steep road climb back up to LA's branch-off
The obvious route to Askrigg is by the M6, Sedbergh, and Garsdale, but the Garsdale road is closed until 16th October. I drove to Ingleton and then took the B6255: seventeen miles of a petrol-head's delight - not another car in sight, sweeping bends and undulations and sections with long views ahead, and all traversing wild upland hill terrain.
As I passed by White Scar Cave memories were stirred of an epic walk from Bull Pot Farm and arriving near White Scar as dusk was falling. I descended from that road and crossed the river. It was now dark. I had no torch, and the route back to Bull Pot was not straightforward and I was to put it mildly, knackered. I had to give in. I phoned for my personal mountain rescue. Son and daughter came to pick me up as I waited in the Wheatsheaf at Ingleton. That is one of countless recalls I have as I am driving to locations for yet another adventure to store in that memory bank. As age intervenes I think more and more how valuable it is and fortunate I am to have all that to look back on.
A word of advice to those younger. Keep well organised records of your adventures. You will be glad later if you do.
At Askrigg there is a small car park at the top of the village with an honesty box where I nade a donation, it is actually on LA's Way.
A good downhill start through the village and then a pleasant well established footpath took me to the road into Bainbridge. As I looked over the bridge at the impressive falls they were hurtling down with glistening dark brown turbulence topped by creamy white froth and spray dispelling mmeories of our recent heatwave and drought. A middle aged couple were also taking in the view but seemd reluctant to talk but from accents I gleaned rhey were American. As we carried on up the steep road climb out of Bainbridge these two were ahead, then they stopped and I passed, and then I stopped and they passed, 'twas all a bit irritating. I noticed rhey were conforming to that all too often observed scenario of male out ahead and female trailing often longish distances behind. Evntually I was glad when they peeeld off onto the track for Semerwater.
The one and a half kilometres road climb to the the summit where LA's Way branches off on footpath is relentlessly steep. I adopted a steady small step rhythmical plod and I was well pleased to get rhere with hardly a stop, dare I say that there is some small improvement in my breathlessness?
A broad grassy track, now on my LDP proper followed level for a while with good views of Addlebrough summit to my right until it dropped down steeply to Worton. Again memories of trout fishing on the river Ure there in the Sixties wirh good friends, and many a pint in the Victoria just up the road, now sadly closed I think.
Pleasant walking following the Ure on the northern bank underlined much of quality in this long distance walk as I sat on on a good log with a Gainsborough like view of the Ure downstream and munched my sandwich and sipped my coffee The coffee came from my battered flask that has been with me for a long time having topped most of he Munros and hundreds of Marilyns amnogst its many other travels.
From the Ure I climbed up to Nappa Hall, an impressive fortified farmhouse.
From AI:
History and Architecture
- Built: Constructed between 1459 and 1476 by James Metcalfe and his son Thomas. James received the estate after fighting at the Battle of Agincourt. [1, 2, 3, 4]
- Design: Features a single-storey central hall nestled between a four-storey western tower and a two-storey eastern tower. [1]
- Significance: Historic England regards it as probably the finest and least-spoilt medieval fortified manor house in northern England. [1, 2]
- Status: It is a Grade I listed building, but it is privately owned and not open to the public
There is much on the Intrnet and about Nappa Hall with more tnan usual interesting history too long to include here but rhe most digestible I found was: CLICK HERE
The last mile from here threatened to belie my praise a few lines back. In that mile there were ten field boundaries with a mix of stone stiles with no handpoles and those awaul spring loaded mini gates that threaten to spring back and potentially srrip skin from you shins or calf. However, this had been an enjoyable and rewarding trip.
Only two more sections now, another from Askrigg and one from Hawes.
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| Descending in Askrigg |
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| Yore Bridge and the River Ure |
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| Bainbridge |
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| Bainbridge Falls in pomp |
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| The American couple, her unusually infront... |
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| ...bu now well behind after rhey had branched off my road for Semerwater |
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| Plod. plod, plod up to Addlebrough summit |
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| Looking back down at conquered road |
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| Semerwater |
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| Addlebrough summit |
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| Note the level road, leaving that, now, at last for my missed bit of the Way |
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| Good level going after leaving rhe road |
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| Thistles (gone over) and Addlebrough summit from Lady Anne's Way |
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| Now. descending on limestone path to Warton |
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| Worton and below |
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| Crossing onto the north bank of the Ure |
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| Gainsborough? |
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| One for Alan, it looks a bit old and obviously unused |
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| Nappa Hall |
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| One of the many field boundaries on the last mile. The curious cows had followed me across their field |
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| The car park is about a hundred yards up the road |
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| Clockwise from Askrigg |
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