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<strong>The</strong> River Greta (Chapel Beck) ...<br />
<strong>The</strong> River Greta is formed at Ingleton by <strong>the</strong><br />
confluence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> River Doe and River Twiss.<br />
Unfortunately, <strong>the</strong>re is confusion as to which is<br />
which. <strong>The</strong> Ordnance Survey and <strong>the</strong> Ingleton Waterfalls<br />
Walk leaflet have <strong>the</strong> Doe to <strong>the</strong> east but Wainwright’s<br />
Walks in Limestone Country and Ingleton’s own leaflet<br />
have <strong>the</strong> Doe to <strong>the</strong> west. Upstream, <strong>the</strong> two rivers are<br />
called Chapel Beck (in Chapel-le-Dale) and Kingsdale<br />
Beck (in Kingsdale) and it seems simplest to retain those<br />
names down to <strong>the</strong> Ingleton junction, ra<strong>the</strong>r than choose<br />
between <strong>the</strong> river names.<br />
As Chapel Beck is <strong>the</strong> larger <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two at <strong>the</strong><br />
junction I will consider that to provide <strong>the</strong> source <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Greta, with Kingsdale Beck being a tributary. This<br />
is supported by Thos Johnson’s 1872 book A Pictorial<br />
Handbook to <strong>the</strong> Valley <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Lune</strong> and Gossiping<br />
Guide to Morecambe and District (yes, really), which<br />
considers Chapel-le-Dale to lie in Gretadale. Moreover,<br />
he has a River Doe in Kingsdale, so if I were forced <strong>of</strong>f<br />
<strong>the</strong> fence, I’d say <strong>the</strong> Ordnance Survey has it wrong.<br />
<strong>The</strong> source <strong>of</strong> Chapel Beck is at <strong>the</strong> head <strong>of</strong> Little<br />
Dale between Whernside and Blea Moor. Here, Little<br />
Dale Beck is joined by Force Gill, which has two fairsized<br />
waterfalls and crosses <strong>the</strong> Settle-Carlisle railway<br />
line over an aqueduct. Force Gill arises in Greensett, a<br />
boggy plateau on <strong>the</strong> eastern slopes <strong>of</strong> Whernside. Our<br />
obsession with getting to <strong>the</strong> tops <strong>of</strong> mountains – perhaps<br />
understandable with Whernside, as it is <strong>the</strong> highest<br />
peak <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Dales – tends to lead us to hurry past more<br />
interesting areas. Although <strong>the</strong> slopes <strong>of</strong> Whernside are<br />
now all CRoW land, 99% <strong>of</strong> walkers dutifully follow<br />
<strong>the</strong> signposted route, part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Three Peaks walk, via<br />
Grain Head, ignoring Force Gill and Greensett.<br />
Actually, my preferred route up Whernside is from<br />
Kingsdale Head – all grass and no people (so forget<br />
I mentioned it). But <strong>the</strong> CRoW policy does raise a<br />
question: is it environmentally better that we all tread<br />
<strong>the</strong> standard path, <strong>the</strong>reby giving up that path to erosion<br />
and decay? Or should we spread ourselves thinly across<br />
CRoW land? <strong>The</strong>re seems little point in creating access<br />
land if we are not expected to access it but, on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
hand, even <strong>the</strong> occasional walker may be too much for<br />
some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> flora and fauna.<br />
<strong>The</strong> first time we walked <strong>the</strong> Three Peaks route we<br />
came across a curlew’s nest right by <strong>the</strong> path. <strong>The</strong>re’s<br />
no chance <strong>of</strong> that today. <strong>The</strong> curlew is <strong>the</strong> bird most<br />
<strong>The</strong> River Greta (Chapel Beck) ... 125<br />
<strong>The</strong> Three Peaks are Whernside, Ingleborough and Peny-Ghent.<br />
<strong>The</strong> first two, at 736m and 724m, are <strong>the</strong> two<br />
highest peaks in <strong>the</strong> Yorkshire Dales and are wholly within<br />
Loyne. Pen-y-Ghent (694m) is <strong>the</strong> 7 th highest Dales peak<br />
and is in Ribblesdale.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Three Peaks walk <strong>of</strong> about 38km, with nearly<br />
1600m <strong>of</strong> ascent, is a challenging all-day expedition. <strong>The</strong><br />
Three Peaks fell race is even more challenging but should<br />
not take all day (only serious runners are allowed: no<br />
pantomime horses). <strong>The</strong> record is 2hr 46min for <strong>the</strong> present<br />
course and 2hr 29min for a previous course, with <strong>the</strong> ladies’<br />
record standing at 3hr 13min. In 2008 <strong>the</strong> 54th Three Peaks<br />
race was run as <strong>the</strong> 5th World Long Distance Mountain<br />
Running Challenge. <strong>The</strong> start used to be at Chapel-le-Dale<br />
but is now at Horton-in-Ribblesdale, which has taken upon<br />
itself <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> Three Peaks centre. Of course, walkers<br />
may start at any point on <strong>the</strong> circuit.<br />
However, it is hardly a fell walk or race nowadays.<br />
Much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> route has been so badly eroded that <strong>the</strong> natural<br />
fell has been replaced. It is a shame that so many people<br />
(an estimated 250,000 a year) continue to follow such a<br />
worn path. Jack Sharp’s New Walks in <strong>the</strong> Yorkshire Dales<br />
provides a score <strong>of</strong> alternative long-distance walks.<br />
I would also suggest a Loyne Three Peaks – replace<br />
Pen-y-Ghent with Great Coum. <strong>The</strong> latter is only 7m lower<br />
and this route avoids <strong>the</strong> long trek over bog and on road<br />
from Pen-y-Ghent to Whernside and <strong>the</strong> eyesore <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Horton quarries (and it’s 10km shorter).<br />
redolent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn moors, with its distinctive call<br />
as it glides earthwards. Some describe it as plaintive or<br />
melancholy but it sounds bubblingly joyful to me. Never<br />
mind <strong>the</strong> swallow and cuckoo, it is <strong>the</strong> call <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> curlew<br />
that is for me <strong>the</strong> most evocative <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> new year (as<br />
early as January in 2006) as <strong>the</strong> curlew returns up <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>Lune</strong> valley to its nesting haunts.<br />
Below <strong>the</strong> red-tinged sandstone slopes <strong>of</strong> Whernside,<br />
grey slate tumbles towards <strong>the</strong> peat <strong>of</strong> Greensett Moss.<br />
Here is Greensett Tarn, <strong>the</strong> sheltered home <strong>of</strong> blackheaded<br />
gulls, and below <strong>the</strong> tarn is a line <strong>of</strong> shakeholes<br />
and caves, including Greensett Cave. <strong>The</strong>ir existence at<br />
560m, when <strong>the</strong> main potholes and caves <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> valley are<br />
at about 300m, shows that <strong>the</strong>re is a layer <strong>of</strong> limestone<br />
here, as well as in <strong>the</strong> valley.<br />
Little Dale Beck absorbs Hare Gill and Foul Gutter<br />
from Blea Moor before crossing under <strong>the</strong> railway<br />
line, 1km north <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Ribblehead Viaduct, to become<br />
Two pages before: Ingleborough from Sou<strong>the</strong>r<br />
Scales.<br />
This is Chapter 8 <strong>of</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Land</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Lune</strong> (2nd edition), http://www.drakkar.co.uk/land<strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong>lune.html, Copyright © 2010 John Self