Yorkshire Dales Walks

Aysgarth Falls & Bolton Castle

Date: 26th June 2004
Distance: 7.5 miles
Ascent: 817 feet
Time: Too long ago to remember!
With: Lisa, Val and Dave
Start Grid Ref: SE011884

Walk Summary:
A pleasant low level walk visiting the lovely falls at Aysgarth and the impressive Bolton Castle.

Route Summary: Aysgarth - Freeholders' Wood - Thoresby Lane - Castle Bolton - Intake Plantation - Carperby - Freeholders' Wood - Aysgarth

Pictures:

1. Lisa by Low Force, Aysgarth Falls

2. Standing by Low Force, Aysgarth Falls

3. Bolton Castle

4. Looking up inside the East Tower of Bolton Castle

5. The West Tower of Bolton Castle

6. On the walls of Bolton Castle

7. A view of Wensleydale from Bolton Castle

Walk Detail: After being out a number of times with Matt this was one of my first family walks in the Dales.

There had been some heavy rainfall in the preceding few days so Aysgarth Falls, which is split into three - High Force, Middle Force and Low Force was quite dramatic. The day of the walk itself though was gloriously sunny and this was really quite a pleasant ramble through fields in mid-Wensleydale.

Lisa and I paid to enter Bolton Castle - a major Wensleydale landmark and orignally built by Sir Richard le Scrope, Lord Chancellor of England to Richard II. It was certainly worth the admission fee and commands some excellent views of the dale.

We had a picnic outside the castle before heading back along the upper edges of the valley passing under Great Wegber. Carperby was quite an attractive village and the final stretch of the walk was through the Freeholders' Wood at Aysgarth.

All in all this was a very pleasant day even though we did have to regularly stop for the older generation to catch up.

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