Norber, Thwaite and Long Scar from Clapham.

Start. Clapham.

Route. Clapham - Thwaite Lane - New Close Plantation - Norber - Thwaite - Long Scar - Long Lane - Clapdale - Clapdale Drive - Clapham.

Notes.We found ourselves in Clapham today, one of the nicest villages in the Yorkshire Dales, slate roofed building line the streets along both banks of the village stream. On this short outing we walk through some stunning limestone scenery, a karst landscape borne at the bottom of a warm tropical ocean over 300 million years ago, scoured by ice, sculptured by wind and rain to form the unique scenery we see today, and what better place to see it but the hills above the nicest village in the Yorkshire Dales.

At the north-east end of the village St James Church stands, behind this fine building dark tunnels burrow under the hill side, these tunnels were built by the Farrer family of Ingleborough Hall, an attempt to keep the riffraff using Thwaite Lane out of sight, can’t have the peasants ruining views from the house. They make a perfect portal into the wonders of limestone country, guiding us up the hill into stunning views.

Through the tunnels we walked the rough surface of Thwaite Lane under foot, continuing between dry stone walls, at the top of the climb we ignored the lane to the left (Long Lane) opting to continue along Thwaite Lane. On reaching a ladder stile we left the lane, a green trod then guided us through New Close Plantation towards the cliffs of Robin Proctor’s Scar, following the dry stone wall we soon reached a finger-post pointing in a number of directions, it was up the hill to Norber for us.

The boulder fields are an eerie site especially in the mist, the finest group of erratic boulders in Britain. Laid down when the Crummack Dale ice sheet melted around 12000 years ago, erosion over the preceding years has left them perched on limestone blocks as the land has been eaten away around them.

We wandered between the monoliths exiting via a ladder stile at the top of the field, we then ascended Thwaite, a plateau of limestone pavements and scars, a tract of high moorland with sensational views, but watch where you put your feet. We carefully picked our way north linking cairn to cairn, over limestone pavements and grassland sometimes crabbing from sheep track to sheep track, our aiming point a large cairn on Long Scar.

From the cairn we descended into Clapdale, entered Long Lane then descended between dry stone walls to access a ladder-stile, after crossing said stile a steep slippery descent deposited us on Clapdale Drive above Ingleborough Show Cave (it was closed). The drive then ushered us through the plantings of Reginald Farrer famous Victorian plant collector, father of the rock garden. The drive, a rough track guided us passed a limestone grotto followed by a fine body of water before depositing us in the streets of Clapham.

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home.

The church of St James in Clapham was founded in Norman times, and originally dedicated to St Michael. It is mentioned in records dating back to 1160. The village and church were burned during a Scottish raid following the Battle of Bannockburn in the early 14th century. The church tower was probably erected following this incident, but the rest of the church dates from the 19th century.

Built by the Farrer family so traffic using Thwaite Lane could not be seen from Ingleborough Hall.

The white cliffs and scree of Robin Proctor's Scar.

Rising into a blanket of cloud, Ingleborough.

Stunning views from Thwaite Lane, in shadow Moughton with Malham Moor in the distance.

Dappled light across the Ribble Valley.

Rivers of shattered rock and petrified stone, Robin Proctor's Scar.

Looking to Nappa Scars with Moughton dark rising behind.

Erratic boulders on the path to Norber.

Norber boulder field the finest group of erratic boulders in Britain, this picture doesn't do it justice, come explore for yourself.

From the Norber Erratic's stunning views down the Ribble Valley.

Sunlit Crummack Dale.

Magical view from the ascent of Thwaite.

From one of Thwaite's many limestone pavements views to Pen-y-ghent, wrapped in swirling cloud.

A field of stone with views to cloud kissed Ingleborough.

Cairn on Long Scar.

High, wide and handsome views from the cairn on Long Scar, Pen-y-ghent free of cloud.

Viewing Trow Gill a wooded limestone ravine closing the head of Clapdale, believed to have once been an underground cavern cut by glacial melt water.

In the late 18th century it became fashionable for landowners to construct ornamental buildings on their land, this is the Farrer's effort, The Grotto.

Simply christened The Lake, this artificial body of water, just above the village of Clapham, was constructed in the 18th century as part of the remodeling of the Ingleborough Estate, it drains under Encombe Bridge via an artificial waterfall and ....

....a spectacular waterfall it is, consisting of three tiers although only one can be seen from the village.

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