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Home | Fellowship | Blaize Trailers Walk 22nd November 2011

Tue Nov 22nd 2011
Circular 7.5 mile walk from Long Preston with lunch at the end of the walk.

Long Preston & Scaleber Loop

To assist with parking (make the connection….), special arrangements had been made for coffee and pastries at the Maypole Inn on the Green at Long Preston, and they were so good the troop of thirteen Trailers had to be prised out to start the walk, a mere 20 minutes later than planned!

The morning was one of mists (quotations from Keats were bandied), but navigation was easy following the road and track known first as Green Gate Lane, and then The Edge, in the general direction of Settle. After about three miles, at the tripartite junction with Mitchell Lane, we turned right into Lambert Lane, and duly observed the several sheep tunnels – not unique, but not common.  We then headed up the Settle to Airton (and Malham) road, to Scaleber Woods, where “elevenses” were taken with a view of the otherwise  hidden gem of  Scaleber Force.


Returning to the road, we continued, and then took Langber Lane, which goes slightly east of south towards Bookilber, passing the wood known as “Wild Share”, but why? Anyway, the track then passes onto Access Land, where efforts are being made to reafforest a quite large area with 45,000 trees. The next noteworthy sight was a dead heifer by the roadside, which had received attention from crows or ravens – its eyes had gone. The real cause of death was not immediately apparent, but to quote a farmer known to Keith Brown, “they do die from time to time, you know.”

Where Bookil Gill Beck leaves the road, we followed its line across pleasant upland pastures down to Scalehaw, where for the first time on the day the mists started to lift, and give way to watery sunshine. There, by the old walled reservoir, we turned for the final half mile back to Long Preston, and an excellent lunch at the Maypole Inn. Contrary to instructions there was no walk after lunch, though this seemed to suit the “walkers of the day” admirably.

Gerry Bindless