Frostrow Fells and Dentdale.

Start. Sedbergh (Back Lane).

Route. Sedbergh - Vicarage Lane - Winder House (Sedbergh School) - Dent Road - Millthrop Bridge - Millthrop - Bank Cottage Farm - Low Hollins - High Hollins - Side Farm - Frostrow Fells - Hunder Moor Hurrock - Long Moor - Lunds - Hollow Lane - Hall Road - Barth Bridge - River Dee - Ellers - Mire House - Craggs Farm - Leakses - Burton Hill - Hewthwaite - Gap - Gap Wood - Riggs - Millthrop - Dent Road - Winder House - Vicarage Lane - Sedbergh (Back Lane).

Notes. The modest little Frostrow Fells an expanse of rough moorland, a barrier between Garsdale and Dentdale. They may be modest and unassuming but gift the walker with splendid mountain scenery, classic dales walking backed by grand vistas. We tackled this walk by two totally different routes, ascending over low moorland returning through sheep pastures passing through a number of dales farmsteads clinging to the shirt tails of Dentdale.

Our day started in Sedbergh, the tarmac of Vicarage Lane guiding us into the promised land, when the lane swung left we continued straight on passing through a metal kissing gate, field paths then guided us passed Winder House, (Sedbergh School) then on to Millthrop Bridge (road bridge can get busy). We crossed to access a narrow lane climbing to Millthrop a typical Yorkshire mill village based on cotton, unfortunately the mill was destroyed by fire in the 1940s. Enjoy the ambience on the way back when the route passed rows of tiny mill cottages.

In the village we turned left, a single track road guided us to a finger-post promising passage to Bank Cottage and the Frostrow Fells. Field walking deposited us at Bank Cottage where we joined a track climbing the hill, this we followed into the wilderness of the Frostrow Fells. For a while we followed obvious paths then to avoid wet ground we spent some time crabbing from sheep track to sheep track, eventually reaching a dry stone wall running across the apex of the hills.

With a decent path under foot and the wall to guide us we wandered slowly east hunting for a stile that would allow access to Long Moor and the Dales High Way (path), once located we descended, first to Lunds then down a narrow lane to Barth Bridge, we crossed said bridge to access the Dales Way heading north. With the River Dee for company we wandered along it’s tree lined banks, once at Ellers (a scattering of farm cottages) we left the Dales Way, re-crossed the river at a convenient footbridge, way marked paths then guided us to Mire House on the valley road. The short stretch of road walking that followed deposited us at Craggs Farm, opposite the farm house a finger-post invited us to Millthrop.

Through sheep pastures we wandered, quaint dales farmsteads came and went, Leakses, Burton Hill, Hewthwaite and finally Gap. At Gap we stepped back onto the Dales Way, a good track then guided us over Riggs gifting us with stunning vistas over Sedbergh to the Howgill Fells. The track descended to Millthrop, passed rows of tiny mill cottages we walked before turning left to re-join our outward route. It seemed an awful long time since we passed this way but all that remained, to re-trace our steps of earlier and, not get run over crossing Millthrop Bridge, we safely crossed and lived to walk another day.

view route map.

home.

Looking to Winder over Sedbergh,

Winder and Crook split by deep cut Settlebeck Gill.

Millthrop Bridge over the River Rawthay.

Rising from Rawtheydale the steep slopes of Middle Tongue backed by Great Dummacks.

At Frostrow viewing the bulk of Baugh Fell across Garsdale.

On the gentle slopes of the Frostrow Fells viewing Wandale Hill and Harter Fell.

Sue soaks up views to the Howgill Fells.

Looking back over the Frostrow Fells, just visible in the valley the small town of Sedbergh.

Seen over the tussock grass and racing shadows, the great monster of Baugh Fell.

Descending the Dales High Way on Long Moor, viewing the dark slopes of Whernside.

Sunlight kisses the pastures of Dentdale, tucked away in the folds of the hillsides tiny Dent.

Descending one of Yorkshires green lanes, viewing Combe Scar across Dentdale.

Field barn near Lunds with sunlight on the lower slopes of Aye Gill Pike.

Strolling along the banks of the River Dee.

Behind the birch cops the shadowed face of Helms Knott.

Seen from sheep pastures at Burton Hill the Dentdale slopes of Holme Knott the northern end of the Middleton Fells.

The Dales Way across Riggs gifts the lucky walker with....

....stunning views over Rawtheydale to the Howgill Fells.

Looking across the mouth of Rawtheydale into Lunesdale with Firbank Fell in shadow to the left, Winder also in shadow to the right, in the gap grey on the distant horizon the Shap Fells.

Capturing the sun Fell End Clouds and the flat top of Wild Boar Fell.

Sue descends to the quaint streets of Millthrop.

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