Conistone Pie from Grassington.

Start. Grassington.

Route. Grassington - Main Street - Chapel Street - Bank Lane - Cove Scar - Lea Green - Old Pasture - Conistone Dib - Conistone Pie - Conistone Dib - Conistone - Dib Beck - Lea Green - Cove Scar - Bank Lane - Grassington.

Notes. This was an easy walk on limestone shelves a green trod under foot, a splendid ramble through stunning limestone scenery above the valley of the River Wharfe. For better or worse this wasn't my intended route, the motorway was closed forcing a considerable amount of traffic down the A65, you guessed right, I was too slow or too eager to get to Grassington and got snared up in the jam. Enthusiastic to get on the hill I wandered passed the path junction that marked my chosen route, I soon realised my mistake but was to idle to turn back. That's how I came to be heading along the Dales Way my sights set firmly on Conistone Pie.

I left Grassington later than intended, wandering up Main Street I passed the cobbled market square and many interesting shops, I stopped to look in none. At the top of Main Street I turned left into Chapel Street, the tarmac surface ushered me between typical Dales cottages to a finger-post inviting me to many destinations. I stepped onto the Dales Way, with a promise this would carry me to Kettlewell. Between dry stone walls I wandered, through limestone pastures and onto Lea Green. One of the richest archaeological sites in the north of England, thanks to the gradual migration of the settlement towards its present location, leaving the older sites still exposed. Here you can see Bronze Age burial mounds, Celtic villages and fields, Romano-British settlements, and medieval farmsteads in close proximity. Research has suggested that these settlements date back to around 2000BC. Or so the internet tells me.

I strolled north, through the various historic remains, stiles aided my crossing of dry stone walls, passed a restored lime kiln I walked before reaching the head of Conistone Dib, this dry stream bed would be my descent route, but not just yet. On I walked, straight on at a convergence of paths, above Hill Castles Scar and on to the vantage point of Conistone Pie. This pie shaped protrusion is possibly one of the best view points in the whole of Wharfedale, I sat drank coffee and enjoyed supreme views over Wharfedale and the side valley of Littondale, snow capped hills and a mosaic of dales fields.

Brew over, pictures took I re-traced my steps to Conistone Dib. The descent started with an easy scramble before the dib opened out, soon I was descending between steep limestone cliffs over the sizeable boulders of the lower dib, after a tight squeeze this extinct water coarse ejected me into the delightful, un spoilt village of Conistone. It's a lovely place, I sat and had another brew, I was just killing time hoping a local would turn up, two road signs announced the road was closed to all traffic, I needed to know if it was passable on foot, for my route was to follow the river back to Grassington.

“Y can but I wouldn't ga along the beck in them boots”, I re-thought my route. A path leaves Conistone, ascending through splendid scenery back to Lea Green, I knew because I've been here before, and the farmer advised me to go that way, so I did. An easy climb on a good path into stunning limestone scenery is what I got. The path cut along the edge of Dib Beck gifting me with dizzy views into the deep sylvan ravine, eventually traversing the head of the gorge depositing me back at Lea Green, all that remained to re-trace my steps back to Grassington via that most interesting of pie shops I didn't look in on my walk out.

view route map.

home.

Bastow Wood seen from the approach to Lea Green.

Carrying a little snow Rylstone Fell.

Heading through Lea Green looking to Grassington Moor.

Lea Green settlements with views to Kilnsey Moor.

Walking through the pages of the Wharfedale history books. viewing Grassington Moor over modern dry stone walls laid over ancient field systems.

Lea Green hard to discern but it's certainly an inspiring place.

A quintessential part of limestone country, the lime kiln. This particular example is 150 years old, limestone and coal where loaded into the top, kindling was lit underneath, the fire was kept burning for three days, later the residue would be raked off and used as mortar or to freshen the pastures.

Viewing Conistone Dib from the Dales Way.

The unfolding panorama from Conistone Pie, under snow Chapel Moor and Buckden Pike.

Above the valley of the River Wharfe looking to Old Cote Moor.

A slice of the picturesque, Kilnsey Crag.

Littondale, valley of the River Skirfare on view from Conistone Pie.

Crookacre Wood with views to Great Whernside.

In the confines of Conistone Dib looking to Bull Scar.

Conistone Dib, the middle section, a delightful walking over a green trod.

Squeezing through the enclosed confines of the lower dib.

I've been ejected like a cork from a bottle, to be greeted by the delightful Dales village of Conistone, this building can claim fame to once being the School House.

Old Cote Moor over Kilnsey Crag.

Looking to the rock walls of Dib Beck.

In the distance, Great Whernside under heavy snow.

Rylstone as viewed over Wharfedale.

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