Norman conquest (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Norman conquest

9:47am Friday 6th June 2008

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From either end of Wensleydale, Middleham is reached by a hill. The town grew up around the great Norman castle. Find time to walk through the two market places, both with a cross. Wander the cobbled alleys. Visit the church dedicated to St Mary and St Alkelda, the latter a saint who was strangled for refusing to renounce her faith. Middleham was once the home of a king. Today this lovely small town is renowned in the racing world for the breeding and training of horses.

Park in the lower cobbled market place (main square) at Middleham, grid ref 128878, which is entered by roads from all directions. The village lies on the A6108 between Leyburn and East Witton.

1/ From the square go uphill for a very short distance and turn left up the first narrow, cobbled way, lined with pretty cottages. Go ahead along the signposted lane, with the castle to your right. Just before a gate across the lane, take a waymarked gated stile, on the right, and head diagonally left to a gate in the fence. Stride over the next pasture towards a rounded hillock. This is William's Hill, Ring and Bailey, the site of a Norman motte and bailey castle, which was probably occupied for many years. Explore the moat and climb the outer fortification. From here you have a fine view of Middleham Castle, which replaced the one you are standing on.

2/ Retrace your steps to the lane and turn right to go through the gate across it. At the signpost take the path, sweeping diagonally across the large rolling pasture, following the signpost directions for Stepping Stones'. Continue on the same diagonal across three more stiled pastures to come to a wall. Descend the short slope to the side of the delightful River Cover and the fine solid stepping stones across it. This is a lovely corner where you will want to linger.

3/ Do not cross the stones but walk right, west, along the riverbank, with the river to your left and beyond, Cover Scar rearing upwards. Continue on the path, through woodland, to enter a pleasing pasture, surrounded by slopes. Leave by a gate in the far top corner to climb steps, taking you high above the river. Follow the well waymarked path up and down little steps, keeping you well above the eroded riverbank. Finally you descend into open pasture beside the river on your left. Ignore a path climbing up the slope and wind round the edge of a waymarked wall, beside the river, and then climb right. Ascend the steepish slope and pause at the first flattish area to look back, again, on dramatic Cover Scar. Then go up the slope to a post with lots of waymarks. Here turn left to continue, right, along the side of Cover Banks, a narrow wood on your left. Near the end of the trees, take a stile into the pines and in a couple of steps take another out of the copse to descend a distinct path as it drops steadily towards the riverbank. Go on down a track, marked by a white-topped post, beneath beech and ash to cross the river on the sturdy Hullo Bridge.

4/ Turn right to walk the National Trust permissive path. Continue on, with a fence to your right, until you reach a wall and a waymark directing you up the pasture. At the top, wind right before the wall and then take the stile, on the left, to join Hanghow Lane by a stile. Go right along the lane to cross the high arched bridge over the lovely Cover river, dancing over its rocky bed. Just beyond, turn right along a track, to pass a dwelling on the left, once a mill built by the monks of Coverham Abbey. Take a gate on the left just beyond the former mill-race and climb up beside the tempestuous flow to a gate. Carry on to visit the 13th century church of the Holy Trinity, in use until the 1970s by the people of Coverdale. Today the dale has few buildings and the church is maintained by the Churches Conservation Trust. In the Middle Ages, lead and coal mines contributed to the prosperity of the neighbourhood and quarries were worked for stone, used for millstones. Then the church would have been full of parishioners from its extensive parish. Holy Trinity lies close to Coverham Abbey, which was typical of most monasteries in having a parish church at its gate. There is no access from the church to the ruins of Coverham Abbey.

5/ Leave the churchyard by the lychgate. Ignore the immediate left turn and walk left for a short way along Coverham Lane to take the signposted footpath on the left. Cross a small stream by a gated bridge. Climb the stile just ahead and bear right. Continue on the path, which leads into a wide track with the River Cover far below on the left. Go through a gate and carry on across a pasture to a gate onto an access track. Turn right and walk on to pass through large gates with carvings on top of the posts. At the road bear right for a few yards and then cross and start your gentle climb up the metalled bridleway.

6/ Where it divides, take the right branch and go on along a pleasing track as it passes the ornate gardens on the right of Fern Gill House, with deciduous woodland to the left. Go through more large gates and walk right along a reinforced bridleway. Very soon the way moves left, unmarked and away from the wall on the right, to cross Middleham Low Moor, which you might share with the horses from Middleham. Keep on the same general direction for a mile across the moor to arrive at the road into Middleham, by the town's name board. Cross here and go through a gated stile in the wall. Walk across two stiled pastures and then go through the stile onto the lane taken at the outset of the walk. Head left to return to Middleham having, perhaps, left time for exploring the delightful small town.

Information

Distance: 6.5 miles Time: 3-4 hour Terrain: Generally easy walking. Signposted footpaths - might be muddy after rain. Some road walking. Good grassy level track across the moor.

Toilets: Off the main square.

Map: OS Explorer OL 30 Yorkshire dales, Northern and Central areas.

NB: Restrictions on space mean that this article provides a general summary of the route. It is advisable for anyone who plans to follow the walk to take a copy of the relevant Ordnance Survey map.

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