Burnsall Fell – Grassington – Burnsall 10th January 2014
Burnsall is a village in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is situated on the River Wharfe in Wharfedale, with a five-arched bridge over which the long distance walk The Dalesway passes. It is 2 miles (3.2 km) south-east of Hebden, along a river path dated to Viking times. Although the 2001 census gave it a population of only 112, the village has a parish church, a chapel, a primary school (housed in the original grammar school building of 1602, which is a grade II listed building), two hotels with restaurants, and a pub. Because of its charm and location, Burnsall, with a large, grassy parking area, is a favoured site for walkers and day trippers
We parked the car in the village before setting out to the summit of Burnsall and Thorpe Fell. Its a short but steep climb to the cairn that over looks Burnsall but the views on a clear day are well worth it. We then walked along a beaters access track towards Rolling Gate Crags before making our way off the fell to the small village of Thorpe. From Thorpe it was a short walk across pasture to the village of Linton where we had lunch. It was then to Grassington to pick up the riverside path of the Wharfe back to Burnsall. This is a route that combines a steep climb onto the bleak heather moor of the fell with a gentle riverside walk giving great views of Upper Wharfedale.
Walk statistics
Total Distance 17km
Total Time 5:10 hrs
Ave Moving Time 3.8km
Ave Speed 3.3km
Total Ascent 489m
Total Descent 489m
