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Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines Index 39. Walking in Littondale
Littondale can be accessed off the B6160 road that runs south from Kettlewell. You take a north-west left turn south of Kettlewell passing through Hawkswick and Arncliffe. You can start an ~9-10 excellent circular walk around Littondale from the 'pub' The Queen Arms Hotel in Litton village, and there is parking space on the side of the road.
Littondale seems quite remote and few people seem to be around in this beautiful glaciated valley. Walk from the Queens Arms Hotel northwest up the village to the small Litton Village Green and turn down left to the river by some fine stone houses.
Cross the River Skirfare onto the south-west bank. Many villages are derived from ancient settlements and field systems and often located north or the northeast side of a river which enables them to enjoy longer hours of sunshine!
Walk over the lovely lush meadow fields of grasses and wild flowers to New Bridge, which looks quite old.
Don't cross the bridge but go virtually due west below Wilson's Pastures, Cow close and onto Dowson Close, all north of Darnbrook Fell.
Looking north up Littondale towards Halton Gill. The typical limestone walls of the Yorkshire Dales, some of these walls were first built in medieval times when prominent monasteries like Fountains Abbey kept sheep in these parts.
There is a lovely green road to walk on and in the north-west the silhouette of Penyghent Fell comes into view. It was Pen-y-ghent Fell that diverted east or south-east moving ice down to create Littondale thousands of years ago.
To the north-east you can see the tiny hamlet of Halton Gill.
On the rough track as Pen-y-ghent gets closer you eventually reach the road that runs north-east to Halton Gill and turn down sharp right onto it.
After a short distance you turn right onto the track which runs east above the hidden gem of the magnificent Pen-y-ghent Gill.
The track runs north-east towards Halton Gill and comes back onto the road at a cattle grid ~500m after Pen-y-ghent House.
Looking west back up Penyghent Gill to Penyghent Fell.
Looking south back down Littondale towards Litton Village. After another ~500m turn left onto the path to Foxup ....
... and eventually looking down onto Foxup, the tiniest of hamlets, accessed by a single road from Halton Gill village.
Foxup Bridge Farm and we like the flowers on the bridge, what a good idea!
After passing by Foxup Bridge Farm, turn right onto the south-west bank of the River Skirfare.
The path by the River Skirfare is most delightful and ...
... beautiful meadow fields on either side.
Eventually you then pass by the large Angram Barn and onto Halton Gill Bridge.
Soon after Halton Gill Bridge the path heads south-east to Heberside Barns and on to Nether Hesleden
Halton Gill from Halton Gill Bridge.
Sheep on pasture land near Halton Gill on the River Skirfare.
Heading for Heber Side Barns.
Bridge east of Nether Hesleden - don't cross it onto the road up to Halton Gill, (initially we went wrong! but you can walk down the road to Litton), but go west through the farm at Nether Hesleden and cross south over the stream from Pen-y-ghent Gill and on to New Bridge and back to Litton Village following the outgoing route south-west of the River Skirfare.
The River Skirfare flows down through the small quiet village of Arncliffe, which we called into on our way back to Kettlewell Youth hostel for the night.
St. Oswald's Church, Arncliffe, beautifully set on the banks of the River Skirfare.
A few sections of the much rebuilt, and restored medieval church of Arncliffe betrays St. Oswald's 'ancient' origins as the first church was built here in the 12th century. Around 1500 the old medieval church was pulled down and rebuilt with a tower, then in 1796, all again was pulled down except the tower and rebuilt to give the present 'Churchwarden Gothic' style - considered 'ugly' but that is most unfair given its setting on the banks of the River Skirfare in Littondale and after a great walk in good weather!
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