Tan Hill to Keld on the Pennine Way

Computers eh sometimes you love them, sometimes..... they delete your work for no apparent reason - so here goes, my second write up of this walk!

Tan Hill Inn

As part of our mission to do as many challenge walks as time constraints permit this year, for this month I had decided to do a big Swaledale challenge. I decided to combine two classic long distance paths, taking the Pennine Way down from Tan Hill to Keld and then heading over on the Coast to Coast to Reeth.

We had originally planned to do this the other way round ending up at Tan Hill but unfortunately the bunk barn was fully booked up. I have never been to Tan Hill and Claire is a big fan having been several times on work outings and made firm friends with the pub lamb, Spotty Muldoune!

Nine Standards Rigg in the distance

We parked up at Tan Hill and headed off southwards on the Pennine Way. It was to be a day of changing weather and landscape, and as the pictures show we started off dry but overcast, with vibrant colours across land and sky. From the tops of the moors we had huge views, to the northern Pennines over the A66, westwards to Nine Standards Rigg and with some of the iconic Dales fells visible to the south.

A Swaledale stone barn

The recent dry weather meant that this crossing of the moors was springy rather than boggy and a real pleasure to walk on. Soon enough the pub was just a speck in the distance behind us, and we were in remote territory, with the occasional stone barn for company. Down to the right of us was a tiny road winding its way along the Dale along a little beck where I spotted this packhorse bridge.

Keld soon came into sight, nestled beneath the rounded slopes of Kisdon fell. And with Keld came the switch from the Pennine Way to the Coast to Coast, heading easterly instead of to the south. Coming down the brow of the hill we were rewarded with a fantastic view down the head of Swaledale, surely one of the finest views in the Dales.

Kisdon

Stopping at East Gill Force (thanks to Gary Richardson for the correction! Please look at Gary's fantastic Wainwrights website here) we will pick up on this walk next week. Be warned the weather takes a turn for the worse, so make sure you pack your hat and gloves for the read on!

East Gill Force