Nidderdale & Washburn Walks
Round Hill & Beamsley Beacon
Date: 31st October 2009
Distance: 7 miles
Ascent: 1007 feet
Time: 3 hour 5 minutes
With: On my own
Start Grid Ref: SE106504
Walk Summary:
A first walk on to Round Hill, the highest point of Blubberhouses Moor, and a second visit to the fine summit of Beamsley Beacon.
Route Summary: Bonfire Hill - Parks Lane - Loftshaw Gill - Round Hill - Beamsley Hill - Badgers Gate - Middleton Moor - Ellishaw Hill
Pictures:
1. March Ghyll Reservoir
2. Round Hill
3. The top of Round Hill
4. Beamsley Beacon from Round Hill
5. Round Hill from Beamsley Beacon
6. The stones of Old Pike
7. On Old Pike
8. Looking towards the Wharfe valley and Thorpe Fell
9. The trig point and beacon site on Beamsley Beacon
10. Looking back up towards Beamsley Beacon
11. Milestone on Middleton Moor
12. Beamsley Beacon from Ellishaw Hill
Walk Detail: The initial climb up Middleton Moor was on a fine path throughout with hardly a sight of anyone. It was also a completely new tract of ground for me and a most pleasant one at that.
I did have some concerns over my fitness as I puffed a bit on what was a simple climb. The view from the top of Round Hill was quite substantial with the section from Crookrise Crag to Greenhow Hill particularly arresting - Pock Stones Moor and Rocking Hall Moor also stood out.
While I sat and ate my meagre snack (a piece of flapjack and a packet of Seabrooks ready salted) I was fortunate enough to observe a Red Kite swooping over Beamsley level. The walk from Round Hill to Beamsley Beacon was easy enough and was made more interesting by a number of boundary stones including Grey Stone a natural stone with the Boundary marker carved in the rock.
Beamsley Beacon itself has to be one of my favourite of the smaller fells in the area though I was somewhat sad to see the shelter cairn on Old Pike had been completely removed.
After a quick descent I decided to return via Badger’s Gate. This was easy walking as far as Wards End where I was positive I got hit by the spent shot of a gun fired from the farm. Following this rather disturbing occurrence I also had to navigate some rather swampy areas in the vicinity of Foldshaw Slack and Dryas Dike.
All in all this was a thoroughly enjoyable walk and a million times better than my soggy slog to Draughton Moor the week before.
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