Lovely Barbondale

• Connoisseur’s choice for a picnic spot
• Extensive views from the long ridge
• A peaceful and hidden Dales valley

Barbondale is one of my favourite valleys in the Yorkshire Dales. Barbon Beck meanders gently through a geographer’s dream, a steep sided valley carved out by the ice thousands of years ago. A Herriot style road runs next to the beck and rarely has road walking been such a pleasure. The Beck provides some wonderful picnic spots but is never over crowded (I have never found it so anyway)  and as it runs south south west keeps the sun for much of the day. Higher up there are some potholes and caves within the beck and I have seen madmen in full scuba gear plunging the depths. The beck runs through the grounds of Barbon Hall (built specifically for cholera sufferers in the 19th century), which, although attractive in its own right, is most famous for a National B Motor hill climb, held intermittently and presently run by the Westmorland Motor Club. The last race was held on June 12th 2010. The walk starts with a steep climb out of the village of Barbon before it joins a long wide ridge which leads to the Marilyn of Calf Top. The ridge provides easy walking and offers some extensive views in all directions but in particular to the north and west where the Langdales are clearly visible. It is easy to forget that Barbondale is in Cumbria although as we speak the Yorkshire Dales National Park are trying to steal it! Confusing eh.

Recommend: Carry on over Calf Top before descending by one of the walls – however wherever you descend it is very steep, this at least provides the shortest distance to the higher point of the road.

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© Crown copyright 2010 Ordnance Survey. Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

OS Map:	O/S 1.25,000. OL2 Yorkshire Dales Southern & Western Area
Start Point:	628825. After the church the track (hardly seen) heads for the east of a small copse named Ellers. Turn up hill directly opposite the small farm at Eskholme and the track becomes visible aon the slopes above.
Terrain:	Some boggy sections on the high ground and a trackless steep descent are all to watch out for.
Eating & Drinking:	The Barbon Inn in Barbon is a traditional 17th century coaching inn with good food and drink.
Similar Walks Nearby:	Twisleton Scars from Chapel le Dale Great Coum via Gragareth Barbon, Casterton & the River Lune
Places to Stay: