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Walk 6: Arkholme to Priest Hutton
Grade
ModerateType
WalkDescription
Like many of the villages in the valley, Arkholme owes its existence to Norse settlers. The name means the ‘shielings’ or hill pastures, and, when walking the next section through to Locka Lane, its appropriateness becomes all the more apparent. One long street climbs up from the river crossing, where there was once a ferry, to a crossroads. You will pass by the entrance to the tiny church of St. John the Baptist, built in the 14th Century, adjacent to the earthworks of a 12th Century motte and bailey castle in a quarter known as Chapel Hill. There’s a substantial base of a medieval cross to be seen in the churchyard. Priest Hutton is a quiet settlement, now without inn or shop. Matthew Hutton was born here in 1529. During his ecclesiastical career, he became the Bishop of Durham (1589) and Archbishop of York (1596). Distance: 6 miles (9.5km)
Walk Waypoints
- 1 Walk ahead to the corner, and through a gap into the next field. Keep ahead with a hedge on the left. As you approach the corner, go over a stile to cross sides, and proceed ahead with the hedge now on your right. This runs down to a footbridge and stile. Climb up to a stile in fencing to the left of a pocket of woodland. Keep ahead to a stile beneath a holly bush. Go over the stile, and go left to climb the next stile, this time beneath three pine trees. Bear slightly right up the field to cross a step stile in a wall, and proceed ahead in a similar direction to cross the next stile. Go straight ahead across the next field to a footbridge. Walk to the field corner, and then go left along the wall to a gate, leading to Locka Lane.
- 2 Go right to pass Red Load Farm. The road rises to a corner where you climb a step stile (right) into a field. Head down the hillside to cross a stile, and then bear slightly right to a stone gap stile. Once over, you keep left along a wall and wooded clough at first. Pass by an old boundary stone, and then bear right down the hillside to a ford and gate. Once through, turn left, and follow a track towards Gunnerthwaite Farm. Before reaching the gateway, opposite a walled garden, go right along a hedge to a barred gate. Head across the next field to a second gate, which exits onto a road by the entrance drive to Brown Edge Farm.
- 3 Go left, and immediately right to cross a stile into a field, following a concessionary path avoiding the farmyard. The path skirts to the left of farm buildings, over a stile and bridge, then a second stile to the rear of the buildings. Turn left to follow the hedge running parallel to a stream to cross a stile. Go left at the footbridge, and continue ahead to a kissing gate and across the railway line. Take care, watch out for trains. Climb steps up to the road.
- 4 Turn right to pass Hill Top Farm, which seems a curious name because it stands at the bottom of the hillside, as you are about to find out. After the barn, go left up to a stile by a barred gate. Climb up the hillside, bearing slightly left to a stile. Continue to climb, keeping to the right of the waterworks building, then continue slightly right through old gateposts and up to New Close Coppice.
- 5 Join a track, and go right. This winds its way up to a junction. Bear right here, and follow the track to a road. You will see Henridding Farm to your left. Go left, and first left down the approach to the farm. However, your way is to the right over a stile into woodland. Follow the path alongside the wall to reach a stone step stile. Once over, follow the perimeter wall on your left to another stone step stile, this time to the right of a barred gate. Proceed ahead to go through a gate, and bear left to a third gate and waymarked post, which is situated to the rear of the farm.
- 6 Go right, walk ahead to cross a ladder stile at the next boundary, and keep to the right to cross the next stile. Continue ahead with the wall to your left, and, as it curves left, bear right as indicated by the finger post. The path takes you closer to the wall, descending on your left to a gate beyond an electric telegraph pole. You will see Dalton Old Hall Farm ahead.
- 7 Go through the gate to approach the farm, choosing the middle gateway on a track between a wall and hedge. At the fork, keep left to pass by the house on your left and a barn below on the right. The track leads ahead through two gates to the rear of a farm. It then runs south of the farm to a junction with a gate to the right. Ignore this as you enter the next field, and keep ahead on a less clear path as the track rises up the hillside.
- 8 Your way is ahead through a gate, just to the right of a small woodland; proceed ahead to join a hedgerow where you cross a stile. Continue ahead to reach a wall and hedge. Join these to descend for approximately 50 metres, and cross a stile. Walk through a pocket of woodland, and then head over the field to a stile, which leads to a lane. Go left, and, at the road, turn right to walk into the village of Priest Hutton.
