Great Mountain Days in the Pennines. Terry Marsh
beyond which the Way is paved for a while before reaching Cronkley Farm.
Anyone looking for a short-cut can leave the route at the high point of Bracken Rigg and take a path down (left) to pass through a wall. A short distance further on, the later stages of the walk are joined. Turn left towards Skyer Beck, and pick up the route from there.
Now continue north along the Pennine Way to a farm-access bridge, but remain on the south bank of the river following a good path that circumnavigates Cronkley Scar and squeezes through a relatively narrow valley. Continue until almost level with the cliffs of Falcon Clints on the north side of the Tees. At (or just before) NY825281 turn sharply back on yourself to take an ascending bridleway up onto and across Cronkley Fell (a diversion is necessary to reach the trig pillar to the north).
Press on across the fell, with the view down Teesdale improving with every step. The bridleway drops as a broad grassy track through bracken (and heather lower down), but is less pronounced as it parallels Bracken Rigg, passed earlier in the walk. Ford Skyer Beck (stepping stones if needed), and then climb beside a wall. When the wall changes direction, keep climbing a little further to a clear track, now striking eastwards. The track runs on to pass through a line of shooting butts and climbs to pass a large cairn, from which the route crosses rough pasture to a gate and stile in a fence. More wet, rough pasture lies beyond, along with another stream crossing.
Press on to a gate giving onto a gravel vehicle track, and now follow this to a point where it circles round to descend to Holwick Lodge. Here, leave the track by branching right at a couple of stone sheep to a track that descends through a disused quarry area below Holwick Scars. The ongoing track leads out to a surfaced lane. Walk past cottages and turn left at the first road junction. Follow the lane to a cattle grid at the boundary of Strathmore Estate, and just after the grid leave the lane at a signpost for a waymarked route across a flower meadow.
Stone sheep on boundary of Strathmore Estate
The path is waymarked across a number of fields and leads back to Wynch Bridge, from where the outward route is retraced to complete the walk.
Crossing Skyer Beck
WALK SEVEN
Harter Fell and Grassholme
| Start point | Middleton-in-Teesdale NY948254 |
| Distance | 13.5km (8½ miles) |
| Height gain | 317m (1040ft) |
| Grade | moderately demanding |
| Time | 4–5hrs |
| Maps | Ordnance Survey OL31 (North Pennines: Teesdale and Weardale) |
| Getting there | Large long-stay car park at the old school on Bridge Street, Middleton-in-Teesdale, and a smaller car park just beyond the bridge over Hudeshope Beck at the northern end of town |
| After-walk refreshment | Pubs, cafés and tearooms in Middleton-in-Teesdale |
Looking back from the Pennine Way towards Middleton-in-Teesdale
There is a soothing gentleness about this walk, which in its first half follows the route of the Pennine Way. Few Pennine Wayfarers visit Harter Fell itself, even though it is only a short, easy pull up from their route, but the wide landscapes of Teesdale that embrace gently rolling moors in all directions, rippling away to distant horizons, make it worthwhile.
The small market town of Middleton-in-Teesdale is clearly comfortable with itself, possessing neither airs nor graces, or needing to. It expanded in the early 19th century, when the London Lead Company moved its northern headquarters here from Blanchland in Northumberland, and much of the architecture from its days as a company town is still clearly visible. This includes Middleton House, formerly the headquarters of the company, the school (which is now an outdoor centre, and part-time car parking area) and some company houses.
The Route
From the centre of town, walk down Bridge Street and cross the lovely bridge spanning the Tees. Walk up the road until it bends to the left, and there leave it for a side-lane on the right, for Holwick. Almost immediately, leave this lane for the Pennine Way, on the left, climbing initially on a gravel track up a field to a gate. Beyond this, just after the gate, as the track divides at a small cairn, bear right.
Higher up, after the next gate and stile, bear right along a broad grassy track towards the lower slopes of Harter Fell. Off to the left is a conspicuous knoll topped by a stand of trees; this is Kirkcarrion, a Bronze Age tumulus said to be the burial place of a chieftain called Caryn.
The route lies across the eastern and southern slopes of Harter Fell, traversing wall-enclosed pastures. Eventually, Grassholme Reservoir comes into view, and then Selset. On entering a large pasture with a group of three trees off to the right, turn up towards the trees, which are found to be within a collapsed enclosure known as Pin Gate. From here it is an easy walk up grassy slopes to the trig pillar at a collapsed wall corner on the summit of Harter Fell. Return to Pin Gate and rejoin the Pennine Way, now heading towards a derelict barn nearby.
Carry on across a gated pasture, after which there is a stony track. Within a few strides, turn left at a through-stile and gate. Walk for less than 100m, and then leave the track by branching right on an indistinct path to a wall-gap and stile. Press on across a low ridge, descend obliquely right to a wall corner at the bottom of the pasture and cross a stone stile. Go across the ensuing field diagonally left towards a walled track. Pass through a dip, and walk up the track to pass Wythes Hill Farm, then take its access track out to the B6276.
Kirkcarrion: Bronze Age tumulus
Walking beside Grassholme Reservoir
The final climb of the day
Cross the road and go over a stone stile. In the next field bear half-right, through a dip, and then climb beyond to a stile at a wall corner. Now keep forward on a clear descending, grassy path not far from a wall on the right. Press on across two more pastures towards Grassholme Farm, beyond which the route joins a lane running down to Grassholme Reservoir.
Continue across the end of the reservoir, climbing briefly, then leaving the lane to pass through a metal gate onto the South Shore Path. Now enjoy the waterside path that continues until it meets a surfaced lane near the visitor centre, which is worth visiting (exhibition, refreshments and toilets).
Continue across the centre car park and follow the lane up to meet a quiet back lane. Follow this, left, for about 600m, as far as a footpath signpost opposite a lane on the right. Leave the lane here and head diagonally right, down-pasture, towards a wall and a waymarked stile. Through the stile, keep left beside the wall and walk down to the bottom of the field, crossing a couple of step-stiles on the way.
At the bottom of the field, cross a stile and the bottom corner of a sloping pasture. On the other side, from a gate climb a clear path and then pause for a moment at the high point to enjoy a retrospective view of the route followed. A field-margin path now leads out to a lane at West Field Cottage. Turn right and walk as far as a gate on the left giving onto the Tees Railway Walk. Cross the viaduct ahead, spanning the River Lune, and then make the most of a delightful, tree-shaded railway trackbed, bright in spring and summer with wild flowers, including purple vetch, field scabious and foxglove.
Continue as far as a concrete ladder-stile on the right, and from it move half-left across a farm enclosure to a gate and stile giving onto a lane at Lonton South Farm. Walk briefly along the lane, then leave it at a signpost and