| We Must Be Off Our Trollers |
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Date : 17th May 2009
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Leader : Robert Eccles |
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Report by : Robert Eccles |
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Photos © : Robert Eccles |
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| CLICK HERE FOR ROUTE DETAILS |
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| Simon's Seat | |
It was a bright, sunny, if a tad breezy, day when seven Hyndburn Ramblers left Burnsall for a thirteen mile walk to Simons Seat and Trollers Gill. In addition to these two treats the BBC had promised us an hour or so of rain for the early afternoon.
The first section of the walk was an easy but delightful journey following the river Wharfe. The sand martins put on a good display and amongst the various water birds were a couple of colourful, if rather out of place, mandarin ducks. Just before we hit the crowds from Bolton Abbey we left the river and started the first 140m of the climb to Simons Seat via the concessionary path to Cony Warren and on to Barden Fell. Following the wall above Lower Fell Plantation we were given tantalising hints of the views to come through occasional breaks in the trees. The clouds started to build and it looked like the BBC was going to be right. The possibility of an early lunch was raised and the rapid simultaneous appearance of six butty boxes taken as a “yes”.
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left:
The view from Simon's Seat over Barden Moor... |
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right: ...and The Wharfedale Valley |
Clad in waterproofs as a last ditch attempt to ward off the rain we started on the rest of the fairly easy 160m climb to Simons Seat. Finally the rocky outcrop appeared and a quick scramble brought us to the 485m trig point where we were rewarded with great views down into Wharfedale, across to Barden Moor and of the many other sandstone outcrops that litter Barden Fell.
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left:
Troller's Gill and Parceval Hall from Simon's Seat |
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right: Turn right at the Alpaca! |
Our timing was impeccable: as we left the trig point the rain started and it was to stay with us for the next hour or so. We dropped down the steep side of Simons Seat to Skyreholme, turned right at the alpacas to pick up Skyreholme Beck. Following the Beck we came to the point where it bubbles from the ground and immediately after that the deep limestone gully of Trollers Gill. The Gill was formed by the melt waters of the last ice age and not carved by the Beck which, except after heavy rain, runs under the Gill. The gully floor is littered with large boulders that made walking hard work. The heavy rain didn’t help.
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left:
The entrance to Troller's Gill |
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right: Along Troller's Gill |
Eventually we emerged at the top of the Gill more tired and wet than when we entered but at least having avoided the Barquest that is said to haunt the Gill. (Maybe the ghost hound thought the North Yorkshire Ramblers that followed looked plumper than our lithe little band.) Climbing out of the gill marked the last ascent of the day and the end of the rain. All that was left for us to do was dry out on the easy two miles over Appletreewick Pasture and Kail Hill back to the Wharfe. A quick hot drink at the cafe eliminated the last of the chill but any walk that starts in the sun and ends in the sun can’t be too bad a walk.
