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WALK 1 - Melbecks Moor and Surrender Bridge Location: Gunnerside
is situated on the B6270 Richmond to Kirby Stephen
road 6 miles west of Reeth. Start:
Centre
of Gunnerside near the bridge opposite the King's
Head Inn. Grid
Ref: 951
982 Parking: In
the village square near the Literary Institute or
on the outskirts of the village by the bridge over
the river Swale. Distance:
9
miles circular. Allow 4.5 hrs. OS
Maps: Outdoor
Leisure Map 30 (1:25,000) or Landranger 98 and 92
(1:50,000) Refreshments: The
King's Head Inn, The Ghyllfoot Tea Rooms Public
Toilets: Near
the King's Head Inn. Other:
Post
Office/general store, telephone, bus
service. 1
(GR:
951 982) Leave Gunnerside heading over the
bridge towards Reeth and turn immediately left onto
a track opposite the King's Head Inn (SP
Gunnerside Gill). Follow the track for about
150 yards (135m) to a large white gate, turn right
and climb up some steps. Pass through a small gate,
turning left to join a clear path, continue over a
broken wall staying close to the beck
side. 2
(GR:
950 987) Go through a gated stile and pass
through a small wood. Continue along the beck side
through an area with large boulders and after 300
yards (270m), go through a gated stile on the
right, climb up some steps and continue to a
signpost (SP Gunnerside Gill Woodland Path).
Follow the path over a wooden stile and through the
wood. 3
(GR:
944 993) Leave the wood via two gap stiles
and turn left. Stay with the left wall through two
more gap stiles to reach the remains of the Sir
Francis Crushing Mill. Keep to the left of the
ruins, following the yellow waymarks. 4
(GR:
941 998) Cross a wooden step stile and
follow a path up through the bracken. Go over
another wooden step stile and through a gap stile
to join a well defined track. Follow this track for
about 0.75 mile (1.2km) to reach the ruins of the
Bunton Mines. 5
(GR:
940 013) 200 yards (180m) past the ruins, a
cairn/signpost is reached. Turn right here (SP
Surrender Bridge) and climb the Bunton Hush
onto Melbecks Moor. (This section is difficult
to follow although nearer the top the route becomes
obvious.) At the top, head half left to reach a
broad stone track. Turn right onto this track and
follow it for about 1.75 miles (2.6km), passing
through a line of grouse butts and the ruins of the
Old Gang Lead Mine, to reach Flincher
Gill. 6
(GR:
964 013) Cross the gill over Level House
Bridge, turn right and go through a gate, joining
Gruvers Trod (an old miner's track) with
Hard Level Gill to the right. After about 0.25 mile
(400m) a slight detour right leads to Hard Level
Force. Return to the stone track and continue for a
further 1.25miles (1.8km) passing two shooting huts
and the Old Gang smelt mill. A gate leads onto the
road at Surrender Bridge. 7
(GR:
989 999) Turn right and continue over
Surrender Bridge. Follow the road over a cattle
grid and climb steeply uphill At a footpath sign on
the right leave the road and follow a clear green
track across the moor. Continue along this track
for about 1 mile (1.4km) across Feetham Pasture
keeping right at a fork. 8
(GR:
981 989) After crossing a ford, go through
a gate and continue downhill, staying on the track,
to pass through the tiny hamlet of
Blades. 9
(GR:
980 984) Turn right onto the road. When the
tarmac surface becomes a concrete track, follow it
to a bend (which leads left to Smarber),
continue straight ahead on a green bridlepath
keeping to the left wall. When the wall ends
continue on the same heading along the top of Barf
Side Scar. 10
(GR:
964 983) After going through a wooden gate
turn left, descend on a clear green path. The path
becomes enclosed after passing by Heights. Continue
descending, crossing over a beck to reach a tarmac
lane, turn left and follow the lane downhill
through a gate leading onto the main road at
Gunnerside. Turn right and follow the road back to
the village centre. |
