8:00 start with 17:00 return
12 miles / 19.3 km with 1700 ft / 520 m Total Ascent
We leave the coach today at Kirkby Malham (The Victoria Inn) and proceed down Green Gate Lane, crossing the infant River Aire, before walking through the village of Hanlith.
Windy Pike Lane takes us up onto Hanlith Moor and later to Weets Top summit at 414 metres.
Our onward route from Weets Top is north towards and through the site of the Malham Roman Camp. During the Roman occupation, this was a temporary camp with low earth perimeter walls (still faintly visible today) and possibly topped with a wooden pallisade fence for added security. There were no permanent buildings, just large field tents. The camp was used as an overnight stop-over for army units moving north from the great military camp at York.
From the camp, we head towards and climb over Great Close Hill (465m) before descending and contouring the northern reaches of Malham Tarn.
After rounding the tarn, we aim straight for the Malham Moor Smelt Mill (Chimney) which was used to process lead and zinc ores from the mines on the nearby Pikedaw Hill.
Continuing across the moor, we soon reach Lang Scar and Dean Moor Hill before descending into the confines of the Watlowes dry valley.
At Malham Cove, instead of gingerly crossing the weathered limestone blocks atop the Cove, today we follow the eastern flank on the Dales High Way footpath, over Sheriff Hill, and then finally descending via Malham Rakes back to the village and the awaiting coach.
miles / km with ft / m Total Ascent
No details available.
8.5 miles / 13.7 km with 1050 ft / 320 m Total Ascent
From the car park at Malham we head north on the eastern side of Malham Beck to Malham Cove. From here we head north along the Dales High Way avoiding Comb Hill and reaching Malham Tarn. We head around the Tarn and then south along the Cove Road back into Malham.
miles / km with ft / m Total Ascent
No details available.