The Gaping Gill Winch

Gaping Gill, Ingleborough

Gaping Gill is located about half way up Ingleborough and is a top walk for those who aren’t quite ready (or willing) to reach the top just yet!

Plus, you can walk this route to get to the Gaping Gill Winch, which takes place twice a year!

And now with the addition of the Mimpish Squimbies trail, this is truly an awesome walk!

What is Gaping Gill?

Gaping Gill is a waterfall that drops right into a blinking massive black hole, right before your very eyes!

As far as spectacles go in the Yorkshire Dales, this is by far one of the most spectacular, along with Hunt Pot and Hull Pot on nearby Pen y ghent. These mountains have got the waterfalls falling into caves DOWN! Whereas Hull Pot’s waterfall is only occasional and the cavern that it once dropped into has long ago collapsed, Gaping Gill wins the prize for being the best ‘massive hole with a waterfall’ hands down. It has the tallest waterfall in the country (usually held by Hardraw, but this one is underground). It also has a cavern large enough to house York Minster and…. you can actually go see it. Just on winch day… otherwise certain doom will be headed right your way AND, it was the subject of a huge caving enterprise when a team finally made the caving connection between Gaping Gill and Ingleborough cave, which was a HUGE breakthrough in caving terms.

I mean, I could go on about this incredible spot all day, but … I will (just further down below)

The pothole, Gaping Gill is not accessible (unless you are an experienced caver) other than on one or two occasions a year. On these dates, the Bradford and Craven potholing club winch the general paying public into the supermassive black hole to explore the vast cavern underneath and to see the waterfall in its full glory!

(If you want to find out more about that, head to the Gaping Gill Winch blog or head to the bottom of the page!)‍ ‍

But despite not seeing the waterfall itself, the beck flowing into it has so many spots for a little paddle and a play well away from the massive hole into the underworld!! PLUS this walk takes you past a spectacular man made waterfall in Clapham, the Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail (admission charges apply) Ingleborough Show Cave (tickets must be purchased at Ingleborough Estate entrance) AND the spectacular gorge of Trow Gill!

Oh yes…. and there’s a park at the end!

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I set up the Reluctant Explorers and maintain the website and attached social media accounts in my spare time, around mum-life and two jobs. It was designed to provide access for parents to free resources to help get more families outside and exploring in nature. These walks have all been created by myself and the kids and we have walked each one ourselves (and re-walk them regularly to keep the information as up to date as we can).

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Paddling in the water of Fell Beck on Ingleborough

Cooling off those toes after the hike up

Walk details for Gaping Gill, Ingleborough

Distance: 5-6 miles

Terrain: Easily identifiable paths. Some signposting. Uneven ground underfoot. Some clambering involved at Trow Gill. Ascent just over 250m.

Parking: Clapham Pay and Display (charges apply)

Public Transport: Clapham Train Station (just over 1 mile away from Clapham) and there are occasional buses to Clapham. Check out the Dales Bus website for more information.

Dog friendly? Yes. Dogs must be kept on a lead in the Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail.

Location: Clapham, North Yorkshire, Yorkshire Dales National Park

Map: Explorer OL2 Yorkshire Dales Southern and Western

What 3 Words:  ferried.snow.fevered

Toilets/ Baby Change: At Clapham Pay and Display

Nearest Cafe/ Amenities: Clapham for food and drinks, cafes and pubs.

walking through Trow Gill on Ingleborough

Walking through Trow Gill

Directions to Gaping Gill

  1. From Clapham Pay and Display follow the brown signposts for Ingleborough Cave. That will take you to the start of the Estate Nature Trail and past the spectacular man made waterfall visible from the side of the road.

  2. The Estate charge a small sum for the toll path through the grounds. The charge is nominal and goes towards the upkeep of the fantastic parkland, head to the Old Sawmill Cafe, where you can grab some tasty treats (it’s also the entrance to the trail)

  3. From there head through the admission booth where you can pick up a trail sheet for the Mimpish Squimbies trail, which began back in 2025.

  4. The trail is clear and is marked with information boards to tell you more about Reginald Farrer, who was the plant lover and explorer responsible for the planting of the estate. There is a folly, an epic coin tree and a lake to spot on your way through the woodland as well as the Squimbies and their houses along the way.

  5. Once through the trail, you will reach Ingleborough Cave. This show cave is open to visitors and is well worth a stop to take in its beauty. Tickets for the cave are available to purchase on the day from the Estate Nature Trail. Check out the website for prices. It also sells ice cream and refreshments from the little shop located there, with plenty of picnic spots outside! You cannot access the cavernous Gaping Gill from Ingleborough Cave, although the cave networks are connected.

  6. From the cave, head across the bridge and onwards towards Trow Gill. The route is wide and clear, and you will not need to deviate from it. Before entering Trow Gill, the path bends round to the left at a 90 degree angle. The gorge ahead of you is Trow Gill and is a climber’s haven! Head through the middle of the gorge and towards the far end. There is a little bit of easy rock scrambling here upwards to the path, which would eventually lead you to the summit of Ingleborough.

  7. Follow the path onwards and upwards, keeping the wall to your left. The path follows the line of the wall until you reach a crossing point over the wall to your left. Cross over, and follow the path heading towards the final climb of Ingleborough. You will head past some pretty cool rock limestone pavement and sink holes, and eventually, you will see that the path forks into two. You need to take the fork to the right.

  8. At this point, the fence partially surrounding Gaping Gill is visible in the distance on your left. Walk towards the fence. You will see an information board about the pothole, and there are steps leading down to Fell Beck, and to Gaping Gill itself! There are some lovely pools upstream from Gaping Gill which are great to dip your toes in! PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PADDLE ANYWHERE NEAR THE POTHOLE! There are plenty of pools at a safe distance upstream, and children should be supervised AT ALL TIMES because I don’t refer to it as a supermassive black hole for nothing, the drop is 100m in depth and will be lethal.

  9. Once you have paddled to your heart’s content (AT A SAFE DISTANCE… did I mention that?!), head back the way you came. This is a there and back again walk, that you will NOT mind doing twice!

Last walked April 2025

Walking towards Gaping Gill with Ingleborough mountain in the background

Walking towards Gaping Gill with Ingleborough in the background, the fork in the path is visible.

⭐ We hope you enjoy our walks, but please exercise common sense as routes can change with the weather conditions and seasons! The routes have been walked by our own two feet, but you know your own limits. Always take a back-up map, don’t rely on GPS alone, wear appropriate clothing for the weather and take adequate snacks and refreshments with you (although as a parent, I know you already know that bit!)

⭐ Leave no trace! Take nothing away and leave nothing behind, take all rubbish home with you.

⭐ If you choose to paddle, be aware of bio security. Always wear clean dry water shoes (if worn) to avoid cross contamination of species between watercourses, this is a particular issue in the Yorkshire Dales, to help protect the white clawed crayfish.

⭐ If you decide to paddle, be aware that wild water can be dangerous, and water levels will vary season to season. Always supervise children around water. Check out the safety information on the Royal Life Saving Society website.

⭐ I’ve said it already! Potholes are dangerous and should not be entered.

For safety information and advice visit our dedicated page.

Playing in the water of the beck at Gaping Gill

What’s cool for kids on this walk?

💦 Paddle away in Fell Beck. Steer clear of the supermassive black hole of Gaping Gill! (might have mentioned that a fair few times by this point) By absolutely no means am I suggesting you paddle anywhere near the 100m drop! You are able to get close enough to see the spectacular natural wonder, but please, please exercise care and paddle well upstream! Let’s just say if you fall in, you will not be coming back out again.

🛝 There is a playpark at the end.

✨ Gaping Gill is Britain’s highest single drop waterfall. At 100ft high, you can only imagine how incredible the cavern is beneath your feet. Originally found in 1845, the cave was partly explored by John Birkbeck of Settle, who only made it down 55m. It wasn’t until 1895 that it was fully descended, by candlelight! Since then, more and more of the cave network has been explored until in 1983, a team of expert cavers finally made the connection between Gaping Gill and Ingleborough cave. Such a cool place to learn about. Plus, once a year the Craven and Bradford caving clubs hold an annual winch into the cave. You can come along and pay to be lowered into the hole to explore what lies beneath your feet. I’m there next year with bells on!

🌳 Ooh it is a long one this one. It will cost you in snacks! What is really going for you is the structure of this walk though! First and last, the Mimpish Squimbies Trail… Half way, you get a cave (pictured - charges apply). A fabulous distraction in itself, but if you don’t fancy it, then there’s ICE CREAM half way to the Gill! Perfect timing I’d say. Then you get a paddle spot at the furthest point. AND Clapham park is just up the road from the car park, so park bribery too! But if you are still stuck, why not check out one of our scavenger hunt printable sheets or try handing the camera over to the kids to document their journey, find more walking games here!

👻 This walk has not one, but TWO ghost stories associated with it! At the beginning of the walk (and in fact on the way to the park from the Estate Nature Trail) you will first pass and later cross the top bridge of Clapham, near St James’ Church. Here, it is rumoured that Dame Alice Ketyll, a once resident of Clapdale Hall, and Clapham haunts the bridge. An alleged witch, she is said to be seen repeating a gruesome ritual in a circle of dead cockerels! So well known is this story, that Dame Alice and her cockerels feature in the Millenium Stone at St James’ Church. Gaping Gill is also rumoured to be haunted by a ghostly monk, who appeared to a caver in the 1950’s… not that you will see him, unless you get winched… Read more Ghost Stories and Witch Stories on the blog!

(Source Haunted Yorkshire Dales - Summer Strevens)

☕ Try the Old Sawmill Cafe for hot drinks, cakes and light bites.

🍻 There are also two pubs in Clapham.

Checking out Ingleborough Cave

Inside Ingleborough Show Cave

Children sitting next to a small fairy house next to a bridge

The final fairy house of the Mimpish Squimbies

a child standing at the mimpish squimbies sign

The sign of the Mimpish Squimbies

Standing next to Gaping Gill pothole

Standing next to Gaping Gill (I wasn’t even that close - too scared without a winch to lower me down…. p.s. I’m super clumsy, falling into a massive pothole is EXACTLY the sort of thing I’d do!

Ordnance survey map of Gaping Gill

Want to grab the route?

Here’s a guide to the route we took to Gaping Gill along the Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail.

(Always carry a back up map and know how to use it)

Image is Copyright of Ordnance Survey

The cave below Gaping Gill at Winch Meet

We got Winched!

Yup, we attended the 2022 Gaping Gill Winch Meet and it was worth every minute!

An absolutely fantastic experience. If you are interested in getting winched with (or without!) the kids, then you have to read the blog we wrote all about it!

It’ll answer all your FAQs about the Gaping Gill Winch Meet!

(Up to date as of 2025)

Tap here to head to our Gaping Gill winch blog

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