Great Knoutberry Hill from Dent Station.

Start. Dent Station.

Route. Dent Station - Coal Road - Galloway Gate - Pikes Edge - Great Knoutberry Hill - Cross Pits Colliery - Arten Gill - Artengill Viaduct - Stonehouse Farm - Dales Way - Cow Dub - Cowgill - Coal Road - Dent Station.

Notes. Believe it or not at 2204ft above sea level Great Knoutberry Hill is the sixteenth highest hill in the Yorkshire Dales, it's summit adorned with a squat trig point jealously guarded by vast tracts of boggy ground. Not many people visit Upper Dentdale, I was expecting to have the hill to myself, as the day unfolded I met two fellow walkers braving the elements on this Bank Holiday Monday. With changeable weather sweeping in from the west I was also expecting a good soaking, rain, hale, sleet and snow and sunshine I got the lot, I hate dragging myself up hill trussed in waterproofs but on this occasion they were a necessity.

After parking at Dent Station which interestingly is five miles from Dent, I had a long conversation with a gentleman from the mountain rescue, who obviously thought I was ill equipped for the task ahead, did I look that naive. With the tarmac surface of the Coal Road under foot I ascended the hill, on reaching the junction with Galloway Gate, a bridleway that hugs the 1650ft contour, I left tarmac to follow said bridleway. The Coal Road and Galloway Gate were constructed to service 25 coal pits on the hillside above Dent Station, coal was mainly mined for domestic use with any excess sold, this practise continued until the coming of the railway in 1875, bulk coal was then able to be transported into the dale.

With Great Knoutberry Hill rising to my left and dry stone walls to my right, Galloway Gate guided me south to reach a fence line running down the hill side, this was to be my handrail to the summit. Dragging my gortex clad body over peat bog and sphagnum moss was hard work, I stopped many times to take pictures into the tempest that relentlessly battered my body. By the time I reached the summit the jungle drumming on my hood that accompanied me up the hill had stopped, I stopped to chat to a fellow walker before making my descent.

At the summit I swapped the fence line for a boundary wall, this guided me down the hill passed Cross Pits Colliery to access Arten Gill, part of an ancient drover's route linking Dentdale to Wensleydale. Arten Gill guided me off the hill via the spectacular Artengill Viaduct safely depositing me at Stonehouse Farm in the valley bottom. With the quiet valley road, the Dales Way and the waters of the River Dee to guide me, I wandered north, passed the Sportsman's Inn at Cow Dub and on to Cowgill where I joined the Coal Road for a leg burning ascent back to Dent Station.

view route map.

home.

Dent Station, perfectly proportioned with stunning views.

Great Coum and Crag Hill seen from the tarmac surface of the Coal Road.

The unmistakable flat top of Ingleborough rises above the lower slopes of Whernside.

A Golden glow on the summit of Rise Hill.

On the slopes of Great Knoutberry Hill looking to Baugh Fell over Garsdale.

A cloud kissed Whernside on view from Galloway Gate.

Heavy weather sweeps up from the valley bottom, bringing with it sleet and snow.

Toiling up the strength sapping slopes of Great Knoutberry Hill, looking back to Whernside and Great Coum.

From the slopes of Great Knoutberry Hill, the Howgill Fells as seen through Garsdale with Baugh Fell rising to the right.

Looking over Dentdale from near the summit. of Great Knoutberry Hill.

Through a window in the cloud, Whernside.

Widdale Great Tarn, I had intended to visit it's shores, but had second thoughts when I discovered how wet it was under foot.

Raise Hill seen over the valley of Cowgill.

The summit Great Knoutberry Hill.

Across the divide of Arten Gill, the dry stone walls and walker friendly fields of Wold Fell.

Dropping into Arten Gill with views to Ingleborough and Whernside for company.

Carrying a little snow, Dodd Fell with Snaizeholme Fell rising above Widdale.

The high skyline, Whernside seen on the descent from Great Knoutberry Hill.

My guide to Arten Gill with views over Widdale to Dodd Fell.

Grey on the far horizon, Pen-y-ghent.

The many arches of Artengill Viaduct.

The impressive stone work of Artengill Viaduct, one of two fine viaducts found in Upper Dentdale, the other being Dent Head Viaduct.

Dentdale as seen from the Coal Road.

I started with a view of Dent Station, so lets finish with one.

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