Grassington, Linton Falls and Linton
Through the dramatic limestone landscape of the Yorkshire Dales
Google Maps Open Source Maps| Statistics and Files | ||
|---|---|---|
| Start: Grassington | Distance: 3.5 miles (5.7 km) | Climbing: 108 metres |
| Grid Ref: SE 00295 63764 | Time: 2 hours | Rating: Easy |
| GPX Route File | Google Earth File | About Grassington |
| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Start: Grassington | Distance: 3.5 miles (5.7 km) |
| Climbing: 108 metres | Grid Ref: SE 00295 63764 |
| Time: 2 hours | Rating: Easy |
| GPX Route File | Google Earth File |
Ordnance Survey Explorer Map (1:25,000)
The Walk: Set in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales National Park, this walk through part of Upper Wharfedale includes spectacular views of the Dales countryside and takes in the villages of Grassington and Linton. Between the two villages is St Michael's Church, Linton, one of the finest churches in the Yorkshire Dales. It has a bell turret but no tower, and stands on what was almost certainly an Anglo-Saxon, possibly even, a pagan site, which explains its distance from the four village communities it originally served: Grassington, Linton, Threshfield and Hebden. The stepping stones of the River Wharfe form part of the ancient Parishioner's Way to Hebden village until its own church was built in the last century.
Linton Falls
Linton Church of St Michael and All Saints
Grassington, where the walk begins is a former lead mining village with an attractive cobbled square. From here, the walk follows a winding footpath with high walls known as the Snake Walk, which was used by millworkers, to and from Linton Mill. Now replaced by cottages, this former textile mill was powered by a weir upstream. Nearby Linton Falls is a natural limestone feature, a bubbling cauldron on the majestic River Wharfe, where acrobatic swallows and low-flying dippers are frequent visitors.
Linton village is set around a beautiful green overlooked by a black and white pub, and is perhaps the least spoiled of all the Dales villages. Most of the houses date from the 17th and 18th centuries. Fountain's Hospital and Armshouse, for 'six poor men or women of the parish' was endowed by a local man, Richard Fountain, in 1721.
Stepping stones across the River Wharfe
Packhorse bridge in Linton village
On the return leg from the village of Linton, we approach the village of Threshfield. Threshfield can be visited if you wish. The legend of Threshfield School tells of a ghostly figure, Pam the Fiddler, who haunts the schoolroom at night, playing the fiddle with demonic power. At one time, the Yorkshire Dales Railway carried hundreds of tourists between Skipton and Grassington, but now only the track bed remains.
Grassington is one of the most visited villages in the Yorkshire Dales. It has a pretty main street which is a lovely mix of independent shops, cafes and hostelries. In summer, the streets are bedecked with flower displays. It is the perfect place to relax and take refreshments after the walk.
Acknowledgments: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.
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