Yorkshire Dales Walks
Cosh Outside & Blaydike Moss
Date: 13th August 2005
Distance: 10.2 miles
Ascent: 1491 feet
Time: 5 hours 45 mins
With: Matt and Jo
Start Grid Ref: SD881764
Walk Summary:
A walk up to Horse Head before following the ridge all the way round to Cosh on a day of fluctuating weather.
Route Summary: Halton Gill - Horse Head - Eller Carr Moss - Cosh Outside - Cosh Knott - Blaydike Moss - Cosh Beck - Foxup Bridge - Halton Gill
Pictures:
1. Initial conditions were less than favourable
2. Cosh Outside from Cosh Knott
3. The trig point on Cosh Outside
4. The large cairn on Cosh Knott
5. Plover Hill from Blaydike Moss
6. Littondale from Blaydike Moss
7. Matt on Blaydike Moss
8. Another view of Littondale
9. Cosh Beck
10. Looking down Littondale towards Darnbrook Fell
Walk Detail: Matt and I had originally planned on an adventurous expedition across Fleet’s Moss to Woldside and Yockenthwaite but due to the rain the day before and the rain forecast for this day we decided against it. Instead we decided to visit the remote Cosh area of upper Littondale.
I drove Matt and Jo to Halton Gill as Jo was going to climb Horse Head as part of her recovery program from the knee injury she sustained on Baugh Fell. The cloud was very low when we started and I was a bit uneasy when Jo told us to go on ahead as she would be okay on her own.
We got to the top of Horse Head very quickly but the cloud was covering the top and it began to rain. When we came to a barbed wire gatethe conditions were so bad I suggested we wait for Jo. After nearly half an hour we were worried enough to go back and look for her but she suddenly appeared on our side of the wall having decided to cross over at Horse Head Gate.
Further down the ridge we said goodbye to Jo who was returning via Eller Carr and Great Pasture while we continued on to Cosh. By this time the weather was truly miserable, the heavy rain reminiscent of Fountains Fell the previous year.
We finally arrived at Cosh but could see nothing and after locating the tumuli like summit and then the trig point we had a surprise with the significant second top of Cosh Knott. A second surprise was the electric shock I got from the fence separating Cosh Outside and Cosh Knott.
Things did get more interesting though when a large cairn mysteriously appeared on the top of Cosh Knott. Over seven feet high it was a pleasant surprise because it is not marked on the OS map. It was not the only error or omission we found on the OS map that day.
As we headed down past an unmarked plantation there was suddenly some breaks in the cloud. I persuaded Matt to head back up to Cosh so I could get some photos from the trig point and the cairn on Cosh Knott. We then headed back down to Cosh Water Gap stopping at a second plantation for a late but much needed lunch.
The crossing to and then over Blaydike Moss was long and arduous over a morass of wet marsh. We then suffered another heavy downpour before the weather finally broke and the sun came out gloriously and I was finally able to get some good photos.
By the time we got to Cosh Beck we did not have time to explore properly as we were already late back to meet Jo. It looked a lovely valley though and next time I visit Cosh Outside I think I will go via this wild and lonely valley.
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