How to walk to Great Whernside

Directions to be used alongside a map

1. From the Kettlewell Pay and Display, head out of the car park near to the toilets, you will be able to see the road bridge across the beck and the bus stop. Cross the road to the Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream kiosk that’s on the opposite side, keeping to the right hand side of the bridge. Head along the road here (Middle Lane)

2. You will hit a little triangle in the road (to head right here takes you to the play park - remember that for later!) but for this walk, keep left and head past the Kings Head pub, which will be on your left. Ignore the fact that the road bends to your left, keep following the road straight on, keeping the beck to your left hand side.

3. Eventually you will notice that the houses begin to peter out and become a little more sparse as you emerge from the eastern side of the village. The still tarmacked road will begin to narrow more, until it reaches a final fork. On your right there is stony path which heads upwards signposted public bridleway, Whernside Pastures (ignore that!) ahead you will see that the previously surfaced road, becomes a stony track, and to your left there is a further bridge over the beck. Here, head straight on, keeping to the right hand side of the water.

4. There is a signpost saying Great Whernside via Hag Dyke 2ml, follow this. You will pass a couple of utility like buildings, before you see a stone built bridge crossing the beck. Cross this bridge and immediately on the other side, there is a signpost for Hag Dyke and Providence Pot. Turn right and follow this (the beck will now be on your right)

5. After a very short distance, you will see a wooden gate in the wall to your left. Continue through this, this is the start of your ascent. There is a field to the left, often with campers on it during the warmer months, follow the wide, well trodden path upwards.

6. You will continue over a stone stile, then through an open gateway in a drystone wall, all the time keeping on upwards. You will pass through gates and gaps in the various dry stone walls as you continue and to your right, you will begin to gain height over Dowber Gill beck, which is the beck you crossed earlier.

7. After around 3km (just short of 2 miles), you will reach Hag Dyke. Here, there is a five bar gate into the Hostel, and a signpost pointing to Kettlewell and Great Whernside. Here is your chance to cut the walk short should it go a bit pear shaped! Simply follow the sign and head back to Kettlewell along the Hag Dyke access road (jump to point 13). It is also your return route from the shorter version of this walk, and you will need to head back to this sign before you make your return.

8. For those soldiering on, you will be following the signpost for Great Whernside and heading along the path on the driveway into Hag Dyke. The public footpath continues around the back of the hostel. You will see the gap in the drystone wall to the right hand side of the building (now featuring a very clear footpath sign). This is the path, follow it to the gate on the far side, then you are heading left and uphill again.

9. Following roughly the line of the dry stone wall, there are several routes up this section. The most obvious route, heads uphill roughly following the dry stone wall that is parallel to your left and at a short distance away. You will reach the ridge (excellent place for sitting rocks) and a large cairn before continuing straight on along the plateau. I say plateau, there is a gradual ascent, but is far flatter than any ascent so far.

10. Here it can be very boggy. Not impassable (we have attempted it in all weathers!) but there are sections where you might have to deviate off the path a little to avoid the worst. The path is more or less straight on heading in a north easterly direction. There are yellow topped waymarker sticks to help keep you on track. Ahead of you, you will see the path which is a little steeper. That marks the final ascent to Great Whernside.

11. When the gradient steepens again, you are on the final bit of ascent! Keep going straight on and upwards, parts of this path are stepped, parts not. Either way, you’re on a clear path. You will notice a lot of boulders and then peeping out, on your left, the trig point. Make your way to that. Next to it is the huge summit cairn. For the longer route head to point 15.

    Shorter Route:

12. From the top, head back the way you came to Hag Dyke, then turn right at the gate into Hag Dyke. It is signposted Kettlewell, and comprises a wide stony track (which is used as an access track to Hag Dyke - the signpost we saw earlier). You need to follow this track more or less all the way back! It’s easy to navigate this bit! COW WARNING! I know that some people aren’t keen on our bovine friends. We encountered some cows at this point. Not in the slightest bit worried about us, but a heads up nevertheless!

13. About a mile along the access track, you will reach a T junction with another access track. Here turn a sharp left and continue along this route. 750 yards along this track is the remains of the Kettlewell Smelt Mill, which you can head through the gate to go see. It is on your right and is accessible to the public. There are information boards about its history here. There is a bridge and a beck, where we stopped for a paddle.

14. Head back to the stony track from the smelt mill and turn right. Continue along to the bridge where you originally started the climb of Great Whernside, then retrace your steps back into Kettlewell

    Longer Route:

15. From the summit cairn and trig point as you approach the summit, you need to turn left here. You will be heading north along the ridge line of Great Whernside, which gives you incredible views. There is a boundary fence, which you need to keep to your right. This is actually the boundary of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Go beyond that and you set foot into Nidderdale National Landscape, and a little further beyond and down is Angram and Scar House Reservoirs!

16. Continue to follow the path that is the closest to the fence, there are some offshoots to the left, but essentially, you want to handrail the fence line until you reach a corner with a drystone wall. Here, turn left and head downhill, keeping the wall to your right. From here, you have views of the Yorkshire Three Peaks on the horizon!

17. A short distance downhill and you will see a wooden stile in the wall to your right. Cross this and continue to follow the path downhill. It is clear and obvious. As a guide, look up and you will see a very long straight dry stone wall intersected by a more wobbly wall. Beyond that is a wide plateau and on that, the road between Wharfedale and Coverdale. You need to aim for that. The path is clear for the full distance.

18. As you reach that drystone wall, head through a gate (to the left of this is a cattle warning sign, so be aware.) Beyond the wall, you might notice that there is a clear and defined ‘moundy bit’. This is Tor Dyke, the remains of a Brigantian earthwork, which stretches for around 2000m! It is believed to form part of a rampart which protected the area from invaders. This dates back nearly 2000 years! Cool huh?

19. Follow this moundy bit to the road and cross to the other side. At the cattle grid the path bears to the left a little and loosely follows the drystone wall at a distance to begin with. Again, it is visible on the ground and clear to see and eventually meets up with that wall, then following it closely. You will head through a wooden gate, then a little way beyond, you will see a signpost.

20. The signpost points you in the direction of Kettlewell, along the bridleway. This is where you need to head. The path forks at this point, and you need to keep left. This track is very wide and turns from a grassy one to a stony one as it descends back into Kettlewell.

21. Once back in the village, you will hit the road. Here, keep straight on before turning right and heading back into the village. Keep walking straight on and you will find yourself back on the bridge where you began!

    Last walked May 2025.