A Lovely 4-Hour Ingleborough Circular Walk from Ashes Farm: Limestone, History & Hidden Gems
- jillcrowson66
- May 24
- 3 min read
If you're staying at Ashes Farm and looking for a walk that combines stunning views, fascinating geology, rich history, and peaceful nature reserves, this 4-hour Ingleborough circular route is a must. It’s one of our favourites — a true Dales experience that shows off the beauty and stories of the land right on our doorstep.
🚶♂️ The Route in Detail:
Start from Ashes Farm and follow the track behind Salt Lake Cottages. This quiet start takes you past Gauber Cow Pasture and onto the peaceful slopes of Colt Park, soon joining the Gauber High Pasture. You're already in limestone country here — and it only gets more dramatic.
Continue along the lower Ingleborough ridge walk, where the views open up and you’ll walk through some of the most impressive limestone pavement in the Dales. The ancient landscape here feels almost otherworldly — shaped by time and weather, and full of wildlife and hardy flora.
Soon, you'll enter the Ingleborough National Nature Reserve, a protected area known for its rare plants and striking rock formations. This section gently climbs towards the Three Peaks route, but instead of heading to the summit, you’ll pass just beneath the slopes of Ingleborough, skirting around the upper edge of Great Douk Cave, a fascinating open cleft in the limestone and a favourite with cavers.
From here, make your way across to the Southerscales Nature Reserve, another hidden gem filled with wildflowers in summer, curious birds, and sweeping open views. The descent to Chapel-le-Dale is gentle and rewarding.
🕍 Chapel-le-Dale: A Stop Full of Story
The small church at Chapel-le-Dale — St. Leonard’s — is worth lingering at. This historic building has stood watch over the valley since the 17th century, and its churchyard holds a quiet but powerful piece of local history.
Many of the navvies and workers who died during the construction of the Ribblehead Viaduct (1870–1874) are buried here. Look closely at the headstones and you’ll find stories of those who came to build the railways — families, labourers, and children — in one of the most remote and challenging environments of Victorian engineering.
🏔️ Return via Eller Beck, Broadrake & Ribblehead
Leave the church and head up the lane past Eller Beck, then cut along the lower slopes of Whernside, heading toward Broadrake and Netherscar. This path offers some of the best panoramic views back towards Ingleborough and across the Dales.
As you near Ribblehead, you’ll see signs of the past again — the remnants of the shanty towns that sprang up during the viaduct’s construction. Temporary settlements like Sebastopol, Jericho, and Batty Green housed hundreds of railway workers and their families. Today, only hints remain — the odd earth mound, a stone wall, or the ghost of a path — but they are an important part of the area's heritage.
🍻 Well-Earned Rest: The Station Inn or Station Café
Back at Ribblehead Viaduct, treat yourself to a well-earned rest. Pop into The Station Inn for a pint of local ale and a warm welcome, or stop by The Station Café for a good cup of tea and homemade cake.
To complete the circle, take a gentle walk through the Ribblehead Quarry Nature Reserve — another haven for wildlife and wildflowers — before heading back past Colt Park and home to Ashes Farm to complete this Ingleborough circular walk.
🏡 Why We Love This Walk
This route is a true showcase of what the Yorkshire Dales offers:
Dramatic landscapes and peaceful nature
Quiet footpaths and rich history
A blend of geology, heritage, and scenic beauty
A pub and a cuppa at just the right point!
It’s a rewarding walk that leaves you feeling like you’ve seen, learned, and breathed the Dales — not just walked through it.
📸 Don’t forget your camera — the limestone pavements, Ingleborough skyline, and Ribblehead Viaduct always make for stunning photos.📍Ask us at Ashes Farm for a map, or we can point you in the right direction before you set off! A great circular walk!
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