Winter on the English Watershed

December has finally brought in more seasonal temperatures to the Northcountry. The working week provided declining temperatures, the first serious frost in Lancaster and squally showers of hail. This all made for some exciting trips out and about on campus; the chicken drinkers froze up for the first time this winter (a rare occurrence last winter) and Paul and I experienced an impressive deluge of hail whilst trolley-ing a large pallet box from Lonsdale to the Barn.

The Usha Gap Campsite, Muker-in-Swaledale

The weekend of course presented an opportunity to get out on the Hills to see if the arrival of winter would at last bring in the long-awaited first snows. Imogen and I have frequented the small village of Muker in Swaledale a number of times and consider the Swale one of the most exemplar of Yorkshire Dales. The limestone scenery is spectacular, the villages are formed of perfect Yorkshire stone houses and sheep, of varying breeds but particularly the Swaledale of course, are certainly still in healthy number. We headed out across the Dales from Lancaster on Saturday afternoon under a dark and looming sky. The road from Lancaster via Ingleton, Ribblehead, Hawes and the Buttertubs Pass takes an almost direct northeasterly trajectory before it lands oneself in upper Swaledale. Whilst this area is popular among tourists in summer, the winter months offer solitude and a true Yorkshire welcome in the small villages dotted along the valley floor. We had opted for the fresh option in terms of overnight accommodation, pitching up at the Usha Gap campsite. After popping the tent up during a relatively period of driving drizzle, we soon headed off in full waterproofs across the fields leading toward Muker village itself. The Farmers Arms in Muker is a fine little pub with a cosy welcome and a fabulous selection of Yorkshire ales and good pub meals. We settled in for the evening, making the most of the warmth and dryness.

Muker village with the wonderful Swaledale Woollens Shop and Farmers Arms

Our overnight camping experience provided a fine re-introductory to winter camping. The last time I'd been in a tent was in Annecy during mid-August so the flapping of the flysheet in the gales, coupled with numerous mixed showers of hail and heavy rain made for quite a contrast. We had gone for luxury camping this time though, with pillows and a fleece blanket atop our therm-a-rests; the perks of camping from the car! Speaking of which, the latter provided a good deal of shelter for cooking up Sunday morning's porridge and obligatory tea.

Sunday morning brought a brief interlude of clearer skies and sunshine. We headed back into Muker as I had set my hopes on a long-awaited purchase of a fine woollen jumper from the Swaledale Woollens shop in Muker. The visit to the lovely little shop failed to disappoint; it's really well worth a visit if you're passing by. After a good bit of trying on the various options, I settled for a patterned grey pullover made from wool described as being from 'Welsh Hill Sheep'. The smell of the jumper certainly lives up to the description.

After our Muker visit, we headed West up the valley through Thwaite and on to Keld, the highest village in Swaledale. Upon arrival in Keld, a heavy sky broke into a blizzard of wet snow. We had a quick wander around the cobbled village before heading up onto the moors that divide North Yorkshire from Cumbria. The snow shower had left a fresh dusting of whiteness and the air cleared upon our arrival at the pass, giving spectacular views. From the high-point on the Swaledale-Kirkby Stephen road, we headed out on a little jaunt on foot on the moorland lying to the North, forming the watershed between the Swale and Eden. The first highpoint and fine viewpoint was Nateby Common, an outcrop of limestone jutting out above the Eden valley. The highest point at Tailbridge Hill provides marvellous panoramic views of Wild Boar Fell, The Howgills, Eastern Lake District and the North Pennines. Not far to the East of Nateby Common and across the boundary between limestone and gritstone lies the slightly higher moorland of Nine Standards Rigg (682 m). This is a fine vantage point in the northern Yorkshire Dales, lying on the route of the 'Wainwright's Coast to Coast' walk and it is characterised by the Nine Rigg's or stone cairns, standing proud above the featureless moorland in a line toward the northern end of the summit plateau. Luckily for us, the weather remained dry and clear for the duration of our little circuit and we made the most of the fine views in all directions before heading off down the steep scarp slope along the road into Kirkby Stephen and beyond.

The start of our outing on Nateby Common and Nine Standards Rigg from the Swaledale - Kirkby Stephen Road.

The Nine Rigg's atop Nine Standards Rigg, North Yorkshire.