A Circuit from Sedbergh including Fairfield Mill.

Start. Sedbergh.

Route. Sedbergh - Vicarage Lane - Settlebeck School - New Bridge - River Rawthey - Straight Bridge - Fairfield Mill - A684 - Lane End - Millthrop - Dent Road - Archers Hall - Grid 655 910 - Birks Mill - Birks - Birks House - Sedbergh School - Sedbergh.

Notes. Sedbergh in the shadow of the Howgill Fells, a sleepy backwater tucked away in the folds of the hills. You get the impression this tiny market town should be much bigger, having held a market charter since the 13th century, it was once a staging point for commercial routes across the Pennines and out to the west coast.

We had an early afternoon start today and were shocked to find the streets of Sedbergh packed, market stalls lined the main thoroughfare, for a change the place was bouncing. After a quick look around we headed down Vicarage Lane, passed Settlebeck School then followed a foot-path to New Bridge and the banks of the River Rawthey. With the song of the river for company we wandered up stream as far as Straight Bridge, after crossing said bridge the right hand of two lanes ushered us between hedge rows and dry stone walls to Fairfield Mill.

This fine old building sitting on the banks of Clough River once resounded to the song of weaving, the constant chatter of looms. The Victorian woolen mill is now a renowned arts and crafts centre, Sue did the arty bits I did the cafe, a fair deal I think. The place was closing when we left, it was now late afternoon, we had miles to cover. Back on track we wandered passed The Row a line of mill workers cottages, the path then cut between dry stone walls over the surface of what was once a narrow lane, it deposited us on the A684, the main road to Hawes. Taking great care we wandered to the next lane on the left, followed the tarmac surface to Lane End from where we joined another narrow lane signed Dent, this in turn guided us to Millthrop, another tiny hamlet built to house mill workers.

Millthrop Mill was not as lucky as Fairfield Mill, originally built to mill corn later converted to a cotton mill, it closed in 1931 to be burnt to the ground in the 1960s. We wandered through the village, the lane we followed ejected us onto the Dent Road, this ribbon of tarmac leads to the delightful village of Dent, at this time of day most people were returning home, the road was rather busy, we carefully wandered against the flow of traffic until reaching a finger-post promising passage to Birks. Relieved to escape the busy road we strolled through green pastures, a way-marked path guided us to the banks of the River Rawthey, we turned right, the short stretch of riverside rambling deposited us at a fine footbridge, directly across the river the featureless facade of Birks Mill.

Another reminder of the thriving industry that once employed many people from the surrounding dales, all ghosts now. Built in 1796 to spin cotton for the textile industry it was later converted to bobbin and brush head production. We crossed the river then wandered into the tiny hamlet of Birks, next to Birks House a path leads back to the river, or through the grounds of prestigious Sedbergh School, we opted for the latter. Way marked paths then guided us through the school grounds then back into the streets of a now quiet Sedbergh.

view route map.

home.

Our guide out of Sedbergh, Vicarage Lane.

New Bridge over the River Rawthey.

Crook, Sickers Fell and Knott seen from the banks of the River Rawthey.

In the distance rising above the tree tops the flat top of Wild Boar Fell.

Baugh Fell a lump of a hill rising between the Rawthey Valley and Garsdale.

The River Rawthey near Pinfold Caravan Park.

The only thing I found interesting in Fairfield Mill (Sue would strongly disagree), a Vortex Turbine installed in 1896 by Gilbert Gilkes and Co of Kendal.

Winder as seen from the footpath leaving The Row.

A splash of colour at Millthrop.

This path found on the edge of the Dent Road at Grid 655 910 guided us through fields to the River Rawthey at Birks.

The Pepper Pot, one of the few remaining features of the Akay Estate, now restored for use by the community.

The River Rawthey at Birks.

Long shadows over the immaculate manicured playing fields of Sedbergh School.

Dating back to the 1500s St Andrew's Church, Sedbergh.

Stormy skies over Garsdale.

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