Crummock Dale from Clapham with John Edmondson

STARTING from the attractive village of Clapham stroll through a lovely Yorkshire dale along peaceful grassy lanes. Ascend gently to open fell, where you can enjoy wonderful views of Pen-y-Ghent and Ingleborough and walk among the odd geological features of limestone countryside. Descend past or visit a popular show cave and return through an attractive nature trail.

Start from Clapham Car Park, MR SD 745 692, postcode LA2 8EQ.

Distance: 12 miles with 1,600 feet of ascent

Time: 5 hours

Terrain: grassy footpaths and tracks

Map: OS Explorer OL2

1 From the rear of the car park follow the footpath signed Austwick keeping on the footpath where the track bends right. At Austwick turn left onto the road and stay on the main road bending right to cross the bridge over Austwick Beck. Turn left onto the bridleway signed Feizor along a walled lane. Where the main track bends right at a crossing of tracks keep straight on. Keep left at the next fork, left at the farm, right at the road, then left at a barn onto the bridleway signed Wharfe. At Wharfe turn left then right beside Garth Cottage. Follow the track to the Wash Dub, which is next to a ford. Before chemical sheep dips were introduced, the beck was dammed to form a pool (dub) and the sheep scrubbed to remove parasites.

2 Go back 100 yards and turn sharp left. The green lane goes along Crummack Dale then bends right and ascends south of Moughton Scar. From the top continue ahead over limestone pavement. The path heads directly towards Pen-y-Ghent to a wall and ladder stile. Turn left before the wall onto the path signed Horton-in-R. Soon after passing a stone pillar the path swings left, goes below an escarpment (fenced at the top) then uphill to Sulber Gate. Go through the gate to meet the Pennine Bridleway and turn right through a farm gate. At a signed crossing of paths turn left onto the path signed Ingleborough. The path goes through a gate in a wall corner and beside a wall on the right. Turn left at a waymarker onto a grassy path going round the outside corner of a wall.

3 The path descends through a gap in the limestone pavement and passes a large bowl-shaped depression on the left. This feature is called a doline (a Slovenian word for valley). It was formed by the corrosive solution of rainwater running through a crack into the limestone producing large amounts of clay. Where the path merges with another keep right, close to a limestone scar. The path swings left then right to go around a wall. Go through a gate then turn right to go down into the valley bottom that then bends left and descends to the bottom of Trow Gill to meet a stony track (A Pennine Journey). Turn left through a gate and follow the track through woods and past the entrance to Ingleborough Show Cave. The cave is open daily from the beginning of the February to the end of October. Cave tours, which last 45 minutes, run every hour, from 10am-4pm, and cost £9 for adults. Continue walking beside Clapham Beck. This private drive through Clapham Wood is the 1.3-mile Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail and a fee of £1 is payable. At the end of the trail keep left (signed Way Out) and follow the lane back into Clapham.

Next week: Haverthwaite Woods and Low Wood