Guided Half-Day Walks at Sedbergh

  Up to 4 miles with some ascent

Each day’s half-day guided walking will be selected from the following provisional programme:

Brigflatts and the River Rawthey

Walking from Thorns Hall, we make our way down to the riverside at New Bridge. We follow the River Rawthey, through to the tiny hamlet of Birks, continuing along the river to the world famous Friends’ Meeting House at Brigflatts. After spending a little time there, we cross fields back to Birks before returning to Thorns Hall by way of the Sedbergh School grounds.

Distance: 4 miles

The Upper Eden Valley

After an interesting drive along Garsdale and the Mallerstang valley we leave the coach near Pendragon Castle, supposed to be the birthplace of Uther Pendragon (father of Arthur of the Round Table) and now a ruin. Our route takes us along the upper Eden Valley passing the ruins of Lammerside Castle, before reaching Wharton Hall, the earliest fortified building still standing in the area. We continue to Stenkrith Bridge, where there may be the opportunity to go on to Kirkby Stephen.

Distance: 3 miles

Scout Scar and Helsington Church

High above Kendal we make a short and gentle ascent to the summit of Scout Scar.  From here we walk above a limestone escarpment enjoying glorious views across the Lyth valley to the Kent Estuary and Morecambe Bay. We continue to the tiny church at Helsington and a short walk towards Sizergh Castle.

Distance: 4 miles

The Dales Way and Dent

From Cross House we cross the river by Tommy Bridge and join the Dales Way, a long-distance footpath starting at Ilkley and finishing at Bowness-on-Windermere. We walk a small section of this path as far as Barth Bridge, passing below the village of Dent. We shall then return to Dent for lunch. The church, which was rebuilt in 1417, is worth a visit if there is time.  The village also has links with Adam Sedgwick, the founder of modern geology, to whom there is a memorial stone.

Distance: 4 miles

Smardale Gill Nature Reserve

We leave the coach at Newbiggin-on-Lune, a small limestone village in the shadow of the northern Howgill Fells. We follow a lane to Brownber before joining a track which was once the route of the Tebay to Darlington railway line. This leads into Smardale Gill, now a nature reserve managed by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust.  We cross a viaduct with spectacular views down into the Gill before walking back along an old quarry track to Smardale Bridge. From here we follow tracks and lanes to our starting point for the drive back to Thorns Hall.

Distance: 4 miles