A Walk in Swaledale from Reeth
This is a 6.5 mile walk offering fine views of Arkengarthdale and Swaledale with gradual ascent and descent of Calver Hill and a combination of riverside and moorland scenery to enjoy, and a chance to visit the sleepy village of Arkle Town and the more popular and tourist visited settlement of Reeth.
Start at Reeth. From the green in Reeth follow the road to the right of the Buck Hotel, signposted Langthwaite. At the edge of the village, cross cattle grid and follow the road as it bends to the left, to spot a gap stile and another signpost for Langthwaite on the right.
Go through the stile and curve diagonally left down the field to a stile and pass to the right of a brick barn. Follow the line of stiles through the fields along an obvious route with Calver Hill to the left. Follow a broad green track to the right passing beneath telegraph wires, then swing left to a stile. Continue along the path through a metal gate and begin to drop down to Arkle beck. Half way down the slop, turn left along a level course with telegraph wires to the left, to a gap stile marked with a yellow dot. Don’t follow the track down to the beck. Carry along this level course with the village of Booze coming into view ahead.
Cross in front of West Raw Croft Farm to the gravel drive and, when this swings left uphill, go straight along the vehicle track, which soon curves right to a metal gate in the corner of the field. Continue with the wall on your right for around 600 yards with the beck down to your right, to arrive at a stream across the path. Without crossing, turn left along its side up the slope, past a gateway and turn right through a gap in the wall with yellow dot. Carry on to a gated gap stile giving access to Arkle Beck. Follow the path beside the beck, past a bridge and climb the banking up to Arkle Town, entering by the old grave yard with its weathered tomb stones.
From the graveyard, turn left up the lane between cottages to arrive at the road. Turn left along the road up the hill, Raw Bank, to a cattle grid. Turn right at the wooden fingerpost here to climb the slope through the heather, with great views of Arkengarthdale to the rear. Keep straight on, crossing a small track and a vehicle track until you reach the top of the slope where you will reach a broad green vehicle track. Turn right and follow the track for half a mile as it curves right with a mining tip visible ahead. After the right curve look out for a hole on the left of the track. A few feet after this, there is a shallow valley to the right and a path emerges from the left. Turn left up this path towards Calver Hill. The path narrows and runs into a stronger one coming from the right.
Follow the path as great views of Swaledale open up before you and you begin a diagonal descent of Calver Hill. Keep left when the path forks, passing right of a grouse shooting butt, and the path eventually reaches a green track. Go straight over this and carry on down the slope to join another path at a walled enclosure. Carry on to some cottages and turn left on the concrete track to pass above them. Eventually arrive at a fingerpost where you join a wall on the right. Follow the wall to where it ends. Turn right through the gate and down to sweep left behind a farm/cottage.
You may have to improvise at this point as the way is sometimes unclear or blocked. Go through a gate and immediately turn right through another gate. Turn left by the wall and enter a narrow field lines by walls. At the end of the narrow field turn left through the stile and left again aiming for the small barn.
Turn right through the gate and across the field to the gap stile. Now head through the fields through a chain of stiles as Reeth comes into view ahead. Eventually drop down to the road and turn left down the hill back into Reeth.
For some unique photographic perspectives of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale, have a look at our sister website- Yorkshire-Photography.com.
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