This is a relatively short route which offers some amazing views of Swale Dale and the valley surrounding Arkle Beck. The route is initially field walking followed by a brief, but steep, ascent onto moorlands.
Circular | 9.71km (6 miles) | Difficulty: Medium
| Please note that the route given is a rough guide and should not be relied upon solely when planning a walk. Remember to plan ahead, get a proper map and ensure you have the right equipment. |
The paths the route uses sometimes become difficult to follow and the steep ascent at the start can make this walk a slight challenge.
1: The route starts by heading East out of Reeth along the main road. The route follows this road over the narrow humpback bridge where walkers may need to dash between the safes spots at the sides in busier traffic.
2: The route follows a signposted footpath away from the road which runs parallel to Arkle Beck upstream. Along this section the path cuts through several fields of cattle, including bulls, so walkers must make take additional care here. The route starts to head uphill after a few fields.
3: Here the route starts to make its real ascent. This is steep so walkers are advised to take their time. There is an alternative path here to the right which meanders up the hill at a more gentle incline but this route takes significantly longer.
4: Eventually walkers will find themselves at the top of the climb with an amazing view of the valleys behind them. Here the route briefly follows the gravel track before following a footpath on the left which skirts along the edge of Fremington Edge Top. The path along here is clear for most of the way as it sticks to the edge of the top of the slope.
5: The route here turns left and meanders downhill. Impatient walkers can head down in a straight line but this requires careful footwork and heading left at the bottom to find the gate. The path leads into a wooded area at the valley bottom and continues heading upstream towards Arkle Beck.
6: Here the route crosses a beck, follows a short footpath between the fields and passes a farmhouse. Walkers should now follow the winding farmhouse drive up to the road after taking a look back at the route covered so far.
7: From here the route follows Arkengarthdale Road back into Reeth. This is a relatively quiet stretch of road and walkers can keep on the bordering moorland to keep out of the way of any traffic.
The route starts and ends in Reeth. There’s plenty of parking in the village but due to its popularity it often fills up quickly so getting there early is recommended. In the village are a number of tea shops, pubs and even an ice cream parlour for refreshments when walkers return. Some sections of the route may become boggy in wet weather but the majority of the route is well maintained path or tarmacked road making it suitable for following most of the year. With this being a circular route walkers could choose to follow it anticlockwise. The disadvantage of doing the route this way is that the necessary steep ascent is put off till halfway round.
Northern Paths 