Grassington to Appletreewick (via Thorpe)

Starting point  and OS Grid reference: Grassington village – main pay and display car park (SE 003638)		Ordnance Survey Map OL2 – Yorkshire Dales, Southern and Western. Buy this map from List of OS Maps Commission from map sales is used to fund the website, so keeping it free to use.
Distance: 11 miles overall (but see text for 6.6 or 4.4 mile options)	Date of Walk: 2 October 2015
Ascent: Descent: See Walking Time Calculator	1330ft (405m) 1331ft (406m)
Traffic light rating: or  or                                   - depending on option (see text) (For explanation see My Walks page)
For advice on .gpx files see My Walks page	Click the PDF logo above to give a printable version of this walk without the photos.

To view route as a dynamic Ordnance Survey map click here.

Introduction: This walk from Grassington to Appletreewick goes via the hamlet of Thorpe and village of Burnsall and provides as much interest from the places it visits as well as the lovely views en route.

It is a versatile walk in that if you do not want to picnic, there are good pubs where food and excellent real ale can be purchased at all places (except Thorpe).There are also permutations of distance, in that sections can be treated as separate walks. The most obvious options are:

1)    Full walk as described – 11 miles;

2)    Walk from Grassington to Burnsall and return to start direct from Burnsall along the river Wharfe – 6.6 miles;

3)    Walk from Burnsall to Appletreewick (circular) – 4.4 miles.

The walk starts from the main car park in Grassington. To get there, follow the B6265 north from Skipton and turn north east at Thresfield. The road turns sharp right at the entrance to the village and the car park is after 100 yards or so on the right. It is hardly worth trying to park in the village itself as it gets quite busy especially in peak season and parking is limited. The village is very picturesque, with its quaint cobbled market square and is worth a visit.

En route, notable sights are Linton Falls, the hamlet of Thorpe, which seems untouched by time, Burnsall with its impressive bridge over the river Wharfe and Mock Beggar Hall at Appletreewick, a house dating from the 15^th century (with later additions) and originally a monastic grange belonging to Bolton Priory. You also cross the narrow Hebden suspension bridge, a somewhat interesting experience!

Start: With your back to the Yorkshire Dales National Park centre in the car park  (SE 003638), walk across the car park, bearing left, until you come to the footpath going right, down to Linton Falls. Cross the falls by the bridge and turn right then left at the old packhorse bridge (do not cross it). On reaching the road turn left.

If you want to visit Linton Church, this can be visited by following this road for a few hundred yards to its end. Otherwise, after passing the car park and public toilets,watch out for a footpath on the right (SE 003632) indicated by a sign on the side of a house stating "B6161 via Stickhaw ½ mile" and "Linton Camp ¼ mile". After 50 yards, turn right by the sign “Linton via B6160”. On reaching the road, turn right and at the fork, go left.

About 300 yards from the junction, take the footpath on the left indicated by a fingerpost for “Thorpe Lane ½ mile”, “Threapland 2¾ miles” and “B6160” (SD 999629).

The path goes straight through the farmyard and enters a large field. Head for a spot about half way along the opposite wall and join a broad track through a walkers’ gate. Turn left. You pass a fingerpost for Threapland but do not go in that direction. You soon pass another fingerpost pointing in your direction of travel to Thorpe.

Pass and ignore a track on the left which just goes into a field.

At the top of a slope, enter a large field and follow the left hand boundary to a gate next to which is a gated stile. Through this, head towards the left hand side of the trees straight ahead.

Pass the trees and follow the right hand field boundary to the top right hand corner of the field, go over a gated stile and turn left on Thorpe Lane (SE 005621).

You arrive at a ‘T’ junction (SE 013620). Turn right into the hamlet of Thorpe. Turn left at the fork in the road (SE 013618) and climb the hill out of the hamlet. As it bends sharp left (SE 015619), take the track on the right signposted “Burnsall 1¼ miles”.

It starts off as a stony track then turns grassy. Follow the track to a walkers gate, go through it and follow the well marked path downhill, a few yards right of the trees.

At the end of the trees, follow the wall and fence round to the left crossing a stream via a plank, after going through a gated slit stile.

The path, which is easy to follow, then crosses a series of gated stiles and a couple of stone tracks before arriving in Burnsall. Turn right and follow the road round to the bridge over the river Wharfe.

To return to Grassington (Route 2, the 6.6 mile option), do not cross the river bridge but turn left to follow the left hand bank of the river back. You cross Hebden suspension bridge then follow the right hand bank to Linton Falls, then turn right, back to the car park.

To continue the full walk (or if just doing the Burnsall/Appletreewick option – park at Burnsall) cross the river bridge and after about 100 yards, turn right to follow the Dalesway footpath signposted for “Appletreewick 1 mile” and “Howgill 2 miles” (SE 034612).

Note that the wide curving track on the right, to the river, should be ignored. You want the grassy path bearing left. The path soon joins the river. Follow its bank until you reach a path on the left indicated by a fingerpost for “Appletreewick” (SE 047600), which runs alongside a campsite. Take this path and on reaching the road, turn right into the village.

Pass Mock Beggar Hall then, after passing the church of St John the Baptist, turn left, following the fingerpost for “New Road ½ mile” and “Dibbles Bridge 2 miles” (SE 055601).

As the track bends left, keep straight ahead in the direction of Dibbles Bridge. The walled track opens into a field and goes through a gateway into a second field. Bear left here and as you draw level with the rear of the barn, look over to the left where there is a stone stile. Cross this and turn right.

Head for another stile in the top corner of the field. Over this, follow the footpath signposted “Hartlington”. There are three gates out of the next field.  Between the left two, is a stone stile with a yellow topped post (SE 058609). Cross this and turn left, following the wall on the left. There are good views in all directions along here.

When you reach a broad track, basically go straight ahead to a metal gate, where there is a fingerpost indicating the route as “bridleway”. Stay on the main track ignoring any turns off.

When the track forks, the left hand fork going to a farm, keep right. Follow the track (Kail Lane on the OS map) to the road (SE 041608). Take the track opposite. As you reach a farm, turn right (there is a fingerpost indicating left to Appletreewick and right to Burnsall. Cross a long narrow timber bridge. At the river turn right, retracing your steps back to Burnsall.

From Burnsall, follow the left hand bank back for about a mile then after crossing over Hebden suspension bridge, follow the right hand bank back to Linton Falls where you turn right back to Grassington. En route note the fine Linton Church seen from across the river.

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