South Pennine Walks
Skipton Moor
Date: 5th February 2005
Distance: 5.9 miles
Ascent: 1033 feet
Time: 2 hours 40
With: On my own
Start Grid Ref: SD989516
Walk Summary:
A pleasant little walk up on to Skipton Moor before returning to the town via the towpath of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.
Route Summary: Skipton - Jenny Gill - Skipton Moor - Millstone Hill - High Bradley - Horse Close Farm - Leeds/Liverpool Canal - Skipton
Pictures:
1. Skipton Moor
2. Approaching the top of Skipton Moor
3. The summit cairns on Skipton Moor
4. Skipton Moor from Standard Crag
5. The rocks on Millstone Hill
6. The Leeds-Liverpool Canal with Flasby Fell in the distance
Walk Detail: This was only the second time I'd been out for a walk on my own and it was just what I needed really as the day before I'd handed my notice in at work and I found the whole thing terribly depressing.
As I had yet to take my driving test I picked Skipton Moor almost by default as it was one of the few places I could easily reach by bus. It was cloudy day but I was glad to see it was not covering the top of the moor when I arrived in Skipton. It took me just over 45 minutes to make it to the summit via a steepish climb up the side of Jenny Gill. Once past the plantations though the terrain changed quickly to a very bleak moorland grass with patches of marsh.
I was completely on my own up there and it was a quite wonderful feeling. The summit is on a ridge of the moor and apart from the trig point there are some interesting crags and a couple of large cairns that look out towards Beamsley Beacon. It was also obviously a great viewpoint but while the cloud was not particularly low visibility was poor and so landmarks such as Flasby Fell and Crookrise Crag could only just be seen.
Between Standard Crag and Millstones Hill I was suddenly confronted with having to cross Black Sike. This provided a bit of temporary excitement when I nearly did not make my leap across and almost slid into the aptly named watercourse. The walk concluded with a jaunt along the Leeds-Liverpool canal back into Skipton
I must have enjoyed the walk because by the end of it I felt much better and ever since I've a real fondness for this unsung piece of moorland.
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