Clapham
Walks from Clapham
Ingleborough Cave from Clapham
About Clapham
The small village of Clapham does great justice to the bulky Ingleborough which dominates it in so many ways and so much more than Ingleton further up the A65. The village itself is split through the middle by Clapham Beck which coupled with the fine Yorkshire stone and commanding views make the village desirable both to stay in but also to live. A grand pub overlooks the river and the village also boasts a more comprehensive village post office than is usually the case, a couple of tea shops, a gallery and a local crafts shop – all of which help make Clapham a great place to stay. Above the village and south of Ingleborough is the fantastically named Clapdale (who would not want to visit somewhere named Clapdale?) where Clapham Beck winds its way through an artificial lake, a world famous caving network to the summit of one of the 3 Peaks. Ingleborough cave is undoubtedly the draw to Clapham but further up the path is narrow Trow Gill and the geologically challenged Gaping Gill. Here Fell Beck falls 104 metres in to a network of caves before it emerges nearly 1 mile later at Beck Head Cave, a neighbour of Ingleborough Cave.
The history of Clapham is typical of the villages along Ribblesdale. A church is usually the starter point; in the case of Clapham this is St James, built in Norman Times. Although the church was burnt down by the Scottish marauders after the Battle of Bannockburn in the early 1300′s it was rebuilt in the 1800′s and now is a splendid site, particularly seen through the tall trees. Clapdale Castle is now long forgotten but the remainder of the history has revolved round a bit of industry, a lot of farming and now tourism. Clapham actually lies right on the Craven fault line which is the boundary between the sandstone to the west and the classic Dales limestone to the west.Classic limestone scenery lies to the south of Ingleborough with the exception of the deep cleft of Clapdale where the ice age erosion has exposed the harder sedimentary base with its acid soils. However the bluebells and rhodendendrums seem to love it!
I have always liked Clapham, less so the walk to Ingleborough Cave. Partly I find it difficult to take when a walk is started with a walking fee (I have never paid the fee but even if it is voluntary I object strongly – walking should always be free) but also as I have always walked to the cave in winter when the woodland always seems dreary and depressing. I once took the girls to see Santa who had set up his grotto in the caves and queued for what seemed like hours in the rain – and though we saw Santa and the girls enjoyed that again I found the rice a little too high. A normal visit to the cave is £6 for adults and 3 for children – judge for yourself. However a recent visit was taken in summer, I climbed Ingleborough, had good pint in the New Inn, enjoyed a scramble through Trow Gill, looked in the shop and Jenny Scott’s Gallery and enjoyed the lot. A good base for any stay in the Dales.
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