Trollers Gill & the River Wharfe
A straightforward walk from the lovely village of Appletreewick.
The walk heads on to the moors near Trollers Gill before descending towards the River Wharfe and a delightful section of riverside walking.
Start by parking in Appletreewick near the New Inn hotel.
Either head down to the river and walk along for 200 metres, returning to the road or simply stick to the road.
If it is quiet the riverside is lovely.
Cross the road and head up a track that climbs steeply uphill.
To the left is Kail Hill, a good example of a reef knoll, rich in coral fossils and the purest form of limestone.
On its perfect shaped summit are the remains of an Iron Age Fort, a fine lookout post.
Where the track ends, a footpath carries on over the moors to meet Kail Lane near Height Laithe.
Turn right on the lane and follow this over the moors for roughly a mile.
The views towards Simon’s Seat are excellent, as are those south down Lower Wharfedale towards Bolton Abbey.
Turn left on meeting a road and follow this for 200 metres until a footpath sign to the east (right) drops steeply in to the north end of Trollers Gill.
The Gill is a 300 metre long narrow limestone ravine, spectacular to walk through.
It is usually dry but after heavy rain it can become a raging torrent—avoid!
Aside from the torrent keep a look out for ‘Barghest’, a large beast that lives in one of the caves and is allegedly the inspiration behind The Hound of the Baskervilles.
However the greatest danger is not raging torrents or fabulous beasts, but the rough, stony ground and the possibility of a turned ankle.
From Trollers Gill the land opens out and you can follow a path along the stream towards Percevall Hall.
Before arriving at the hall look for the remains of Skyreholme Dam, destroyed in 1899 after feeding the paper mill at Skyreholme.
It was never repaired.
Percevall Hall is signposted up a lane where the footpath meets the road.
This impressive country house and lovely gardens is famous for being the resting place of a notorious gentleman highwayman, Swift Nick in the 17th century.
From the hall continue south through Skyreholme, past one footpath to your left and towards a second, just before the road bends west.
The footpath climbs a little to a great vantage point near a barn.
From here drop south towards the River Wharfe.
A ½ mile riverside footpath along the Wharfe, initially through some woodland, completes the walk.
Return to the New Inn via the same footpath that you started the walk.
Fact Box:
Distance: Roughly 6.5 miles.
Height to Climb: 280m (920 feet)
Start: SE 052601.
There is some roadside parking near the pub.
Difficulty: Medium.
There is some rough walking in Trollers Gill and a steep climb out of Appletreewick but the remainder of the walk is on good lanes and paths.
Refreshments: There are 2 good pubs, the New Inn or the Craven Arms.
Be Prepared:
The route description and sketch map only provide a guide to the walk.
You must take out and be able to read a map (O/S Explorer OL2) and in cloudy/misty conditions a compass.
You must also wear the correct clothing and footwear for the outdoors.
Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers head out at their own risk.
Please observe the Countryside Code and park sensibly.
Jonathan runs Where2walk, a walking company based in the Yorkshire Dales:
He has written 4 books on walking in the Dales; ‘The Yorkshire 3 Peaks’, ‘Walks without Stiles’, ‘The Dales 30’ mountains and a guide to ‘The Bracken Way’.
Please visit Where2walk where you can buy the books.
Next Event: 10 October.
A guided climb of Fountain/Darnbrook Fell, two of the Dales 30 mountains.
Pre book via the Where2walk website.
You can buy the Dales 30 Guide Book, T-shirts and Caps from the Dales 30 website.
Start the challenge today.
Where2walk.co.uk features 100s of walks with descriptions across Yorkshire and beyond, from easy strolls to harder climbs.
Visit the website for details of all these walks, guiding days and navigation.
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