Askrigg and Carperby walk

Fact File

Distance: 9 miles (14.5km); ascent 1000 feet (300m); Time: 4 hours

Terrain: Good footpaths, tracks and 1 mile of minor road

Start: near St Oswald’s Church, Askrigg, grid ref. SD 948 910, post code DL8 3HT

Map: OS Explorer OL30

Introduction

Enjoy a walk in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It’s about an hour’s drive from Kendal and visits the attractive villages of Askrigg and Carperby, famed for their association with fictional vet James Herriot from the television series ‘All Creatures Great and Small’. The walk follows a high-level path in Upper Wensleydale and returns beside the River Ure.

Askrigg to Carperby route

Walk Description

1. Walk up Main Street and after the Crown Inn keep straight on up Moor Road, signed Muker. At the green, where there is a bench, turn right onto the footpath signed Newbiggin. Go through a wicket gate beside a hedge on the left and ascend across fields to a gate near a barn. Turn right onto the track crossing Newbiggin Beck and in the pretty hamlet cross the road to left of the green. Pass Willow Garth, go through a metal gate and bear left in the direction shown by the fingerpost signed Heugh Lane. The path passes to the left of a barn, goes through a metal gate, ascends through woodland and fields to a stile in the top right corner. Turn right onto the lane then keep left (uphill) and continue ahead along the bridleway. The track, signed Castle Bolton, descends past trees and keeps left at a junction. After 1.3 miles, the track descends past trees and meets another track. To shorten the walk to 5 miles, follow the track downhill to Woodhall, cross the road and walk down Low Lane through the hamlet to re-join the main route at a former railway track, where you turn right (point 5).

2. The main walk keeps left and follows this bridleway signed Castle Bolton for the next 2.5 miles. The path, called Oxclose Road, goes past a disused lead mine then through a Farm Boundary gate. Turn right immediately after the gate and follow the path curving left, going through a wall gap then turning right alongside a wall on the right. After passing a disused quarry, turn right, go through a gate then turn right onto a track descending to Carperby. After the next gate the path leaves to the left of the track and passes left of West End Farm.

Carperby

3. Take a short excursion to view the attractive village green and perhaps visit the Wheatsheaf Inn beyond. This is where Alf Wight (better known as author James Herriot) spent his honeymoon in 1941. Six weeks later, Greta Garbo stayed here after entertaining troops at Catterick Garrison with band leader Henry Hall. Return to the west end of the village and continue beside the road signed Askrigg for one mile. Turn left at the junction signed ‘Aysgarth via Footbridge over River Yore’. Just before reaching the river turn right onto the footpath signed Askrigg. The last four miles of the walk follows the course of the River Yore on the left and a former railway track. The path initially goes beside the river then joins the railway route at the path from Woodhall (followed by the shorter route).

4. After crossing a stile beside a stone barn at Nappa Mill, turn right and walk along the lane. At the junction, take the field path on the opposite side of the road leading to the attractive village of Askrigg.