SE6795/01: Farndale East and Rosedale West
This walk provides a wonderful cross-section of the some of the best scenery in the Moors. It starts and finishes in the fields of Farndale, with a final stretch along the River Dove. At the right time of year this is where you will find Farndale's famous daffodils.
After that it climbs up onto Blakey Ridge. During the climb make sure to pause to enjoy the superb views back into Farndale. It then crosses an expanse of open heather, before reaching the old Rosedale Railway, which provides equally impressive views into that valley. Only one word of warning - the paths across the ridge are not always clear, so on a foggy day take a compass! Oh, and some of the walk is quite steep, but then most worthwhile paths around the moors have at least one good climb.
Ascent: 1000 feet/ 300 metres
Length: 7 miles/ 11 km
Map: OS Explorer Map OL 26
Last Walked: 19 September 2003, checked in part on 31 August 2006
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Starting from the car park in Low Mill, turn left (down hill) along the road into the village. At the road junction turn left. Follow the road across the River Dove and into east Farndale.
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At the t-junction leave the roads and follow the track that heads due east towards the side of the valley. In the third field after the road, the track splits. Follow the right hand path, heading towards the right of Crag Cottage, clearly visable ahead.
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Behind the cottage the terrain becomes a little more wild, with bracken replacing the grass of lower fields. A path runs north-south along the line of the slope. Turn north onto this path. Our path leaves this path very soon, heading north east, climbing diagonally up the hill. The path crosses two walls before reaching the open heather. Our path should still be clearly visibly, but if not simply head uphill!
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Our path now reaches the road along Blakey Ridge. Our path is signposted, but might not be very clear amongst the heather. Still, its hard to go too far wrong here (on a clear day anyway). Head east across the ridge until you can see the start of
Rosedale ahead of you. Keep going until you cross the Rosedale Railway.
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The Rosedale Railway provides a fantastic walking surface with stunning views into Rosedale. Turn left onto the track and follow it along the side of the valley for just over a mile and a half.
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As you get closer to the head of the valley, a branch of the railway heads off to the left. Follow this branch back to the road over Blakey Ridge.
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Where the railway reaches the road there is a small car park. Turn right along the road until you reach a side road that descends rapidly back into Farndale. Follow this road for a few feet, until a bed of another abandoned railway crosses the road. To the right the track is still very clear, but we want to turn left. Here the line of the railway is still very clearly visible, and a clear but narrow path follows it south, just down from the line of the main road. Follow this until it ends.
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The end of the railway can't be missed. Towards the end it follows a slight embankment across the hillside, which suddenly stops in pile of exposed rocks. Our path now continues on, heading south along the hillside, and slowly loosing height. Just before reaching the line of walls at the edge of the open moors, the path stays level for a short path, before reaching a gate back into the fields.
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A sign on the gate warns of a sudden drop on the other side. Take heed of this warning, and as you pass though the gate keep to the right. Hidden in the undergrowth on the main path there is indeed a short sharp drop where the path has been eroded away. Happily the route around this is fairly clear. The route ahead is nice and clear - a line of open gates following a wall that cuts diagonally across the field pattern, taking us back to the road along the east side of Farndale.
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At that road cross over and follow the farm track on the opposite side of the road, running in the same direction as our path. .
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That path leads to Bragg Farm. Turn right just before entering the main farmyard, and walk past the main buildings (this bit is clearly signposted). As you emerge from amongst the farm buildings ignore the footpath sign ahead, and look to your left, where you will see another footpath signposted. Turn left and follow this path down to the River Dove.
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This last section of the walk follows part of the famous daffodil trail. Turn left at the end of the path down from Bragg Farm, and keep on the path nearest the river all the way back to Low Mill.
