Nidderdale & Washburn Walks
Pateley Moor
Date: 2nd August 2012
Distance: 6.8 miles
Ascent: 1058 feet
Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
With: On my own
Start Grid Ref: SE158656
Walk Summary:
An initially wet walk that ended in beautiful late evening summer sunshine on the way down from Pateley Moor.
Route Summary: Pateley Bridge - Knott - Blazefield - Cliff Top - Low Bishopside Pateley Moor - Wath Lane - Scot Gate - Pateley Bridge
Pictures:
1. Rain over Guise Cliff
2. An enclosed section of the Nidderdale Way
3. Not something you expect to see in the Dales!
4. Looking back to the distant Brimham Moor
5. Pateley Moor
6. Another view of Pateley Moor
7. Looking towards Guise Cliff with Menwith Hill on the left horizon
8. Scot Gate Quarry
9. Pateley Bridge
10. Late evening sunshine in Nidderdale
11. Sunset over Pateley Bridge
Walk Detail: This was another shortish walk taking advantage of the long days to get in a few post- work evening walks. Starting from Pateley Bridge the first part of the route followed the Nidderdale Way, initially along the route of the Panorama Walk then as far as White Houses before crossing the B6265 and on to the pastures of Low Bishopside.
This first stage of the walk was rather wet. The forecast for the evening had been very promising but almost the moment I got out of the car park in Pateley it began to rain, first quite lightly but by the time I got to Blazefield it was really quite heavy and I was thankful that large parts of this section of the Nidderdale Way was enclosed by bordering trees.
As I crossed the pastures of Low Bishopside the rain finally eased away and the promised sunshine began to put in an appearance. By the time I'd walked up the minor road past the house at South Oaks and on to Pateley Moor itself the late evening sunshine was quite glorious. Taking the short path that cuts across the moor to the head of Near Beck I then continued along another quiet lane before turning off on to Wath Lane and eventually to the remains of Scot Gate Quarry.
From the environs of the quarry there was an excellent view down to Pateley, indeed one of the main reasons I did this walk was because I wanted to take some pictures of the town from this angle. As I descended back into the town the fading sun illuminating the flanks of High Bishopside made the earlier soaking worth it.
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