The Land of the Lune - Drakkar Press

The Swan Inn milestone is one of nine between
Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale, a complete set, which is
unusual. They are all in situ, although some are suffering
from neglect. Milestones were made compulsory on
turnpike roads in 1744. The A683 was made a turnpike
Walk 13: Middleton Fell
Stockdale Beck 99
road in 1762, to run from Kirkby Stephen to Greta
Bridge, where it joined the 1751 Richmond-Lancaster
turnpike. The last house on the A684 before the A683
turning is called Toll Bar and south of Casterton there is
a fine Toll Bar Cottage, a listed building.
High Stockdale Bridge A683 milestone near the Swan Inn
Map: OL2 (please read the general note about the walks in the Introduction).
Starting point: A lay-by on the east side of the A683, just north of where it swings away from the line of the Roman road, at
Jordan Lane (631892).
Walk south a short distance and cross a field to join the road east to Fellside (demolished and rebuilt in 2007). Beyond
Fellside you are on the open fell and will probably see nobody for the next three hours or so. There are many tracks but follow
one east to reach the ridge near Brown Knott, for a view of Sedbergh and the Howgills beyond.
Follow the ridge wall southeast. Above Combe Scar there is a new slab stile in the wall that is worth crossing for a short
detour to peek at the scar and gain a bird’s-eye view of Dent. Return by the stile.
Continue round the ridge, with a continuously evolving panorama of hills, eventually heading southwest, to reach Calf Top.
From Calf Top, turn at right angles right, walking slightly north of west. It is important to take the correct ridge. Aim for the aerial
that can be seen across the Lune valley on Park Hill. You need to reach the wall where there is a thin wood alongside Brow Gill.
(If you swing too far south you may be tempted to head for Mill House, where the OS map shows an apparent exit from CRoW
land. There are however a few metres of adamantly private land separating CRoW land from the public footpath. Which is a pity.
If you go too far north you may as well continue back the way you came, past Fellside.)
Follow the wall north for 200m to reach a gate (at 642868) where a sign says that a permissive path begins. This path goes
by Brow Gill, north along the old railway line for 300m, and then by Stockdale Beck to reach the quiet High Road.
Walk north for 500m to Middleton Hall Bridge, with the hall to your right. Cross the A683 and take the path across the field
and between Low Waterside and the Lune. Continue on this path, which eventually rises through a wood to the A683.
Short walk variation: Follow the long walk to Brown Knott. Now head southwest over pathless ground to reach the wall corner
where Luge Gill leaves CRoW land. Follow the wall at the boundary of CRoW land for 1.5 km until you reach the gate (at
642868) where the sign indicates the start of the permissive path. Then return to the lay-by as for the long walk.
This is Chapter 6 of The Land of the Lune (2nd edition), http://www.drakkar.co.uk/landofthelune.html, Copyright © 2010 John Self