An exploration of Kisdon Gorge and Swinner Gill
We’ve recently been involved in Welcome to Yorkshire’s ‘Walkshire’ campaign to share some of the best walking in Yorkshire and give ideas for great days out (once days out become an option an again!).
Our pick for our first route was our take on the classic circuit of Kisdon Gorge in upper Swaledale so we wanted to share some more details about the walk here. If you would like to do the walk yourselves, there is a link to a PDF of route instructions at the end of the blog (NB: the normal caveats apply – it’s for guidance only, take a map and know how to use it, footpath damage, rerouting etc. is beyond our control and the route notes will not be updated to reflect this!).
This route takes in two traditional Swaledale villages, fascinating wild-flower meadows, a hidden gill, several waterfalls and far-reaching views down Swaledale! It is undoubtedly a popular area for walking but it is well-worth sharing some of the footpaths with others and you will likely find that you get some sections of the route entirely to yourself!
Wildflowers and peaceful riverbank
The starting point is the popular village of Muker, a lovely little place full of traditional stone buildings and plenty of facilities – a pub, several shops, a couple of cafes and public toilets!
Heading out of the back of the village you soon find yourself following the inviting stone-flagged footpaths that take you through the famous wild-flower meadows of upper Swaledale. In late spring and early summer there are few prettier spots, with the fields filled with a riot of yellows and pinks made up of a wide array of plants, many seen in few places other than the traditional hay meadows of the Yorkshire Dales.
Crossing the River Swale you enjoy a gentle stretch of walking along the river bank on a broad bridleway before taking a narrow unsigned path to head off the main route into Swinner Gill (NB: This is one of our favourite sections of the route but the path is narrow, steep sided and, in places, indistinct, so if you prefer you can stick to the main bridleway all the way to East Gill Force).
A hidden gill, waterfalls and ruins
A steep, narrow (and not entirely clear!) path takes you into the steep-sided mouth of the gill and you can soon see the pretty beck, with its regular cascades, in the bottom of the gill below you. The path takes you all the way to the head of the gill, crossing the beck on some well-placed stones about half way up, where you reach a beautiful set of waterfalls with the crumbing remains of Swinner Gill Lead Mines above them (which you can take a short detour to explore).
A higher path doubles back to take you around the far side of the gill and soon offers wonderful views back into Kisdon Gorge, which continue as you drop down to reach the atmospheric ruins of an old farmhouse, known as Crackpot Hall!
On re-joining the bridleway along Kisdon Gorge you soon reach pretty East Gill Force and follow East Gill Beck a short way to find yourself back at the River Swale.
A remote village and stunning views
From here, a short detour takes you into the remote village of Keld, which we think is well worth taking the time to explore and has a small but fascinating ‘heritage centre’ with lots of information about traditional industries in the area. There is also a café at the bottom of the village and a pub/restaurant right at the top. The community has also set up a serve-yourself, honesty box café in the public hall that is open during the off-season when the café is shut!
The return leg takes you back along the other side of Kisdon Gorge. We recommend the short detour (with a very small scramble, assisted by a useful rope!) to visit upper and lower Kisdon Falls before taking the higher route along the slopes of Kisdon Hill back to Muker. This is part of the Pennine Way route but is rarely busy and offers sublime views along the gorge, back over Swinner Gill and, as you bend round, along upper Swaledale, before dropping down back into Muker.
The route is only 7 miles but can easily take all day as you stop to appreciate the views, explore the ruins, admire the waterfalls and stroll around the villages!
This route itself is not on any of our walking holiday itineraries but the vast majority of it is covered as part of longer, linear walks on our ‘Remote Swaledale and Arkengarthdale’ walking holiday.