90 Glorious Miles (or how a Dent farm girl who thought hikers were a pretty odd bunch came to create a long distance walk)

I grew up in Dentdale. My dad was a shepherd and we lived on a farm called Stonehouse, huddled just under Arten Gill viaduct on the Settle Carlisle railway line. 

Under Arten Gill viaduct

Fell walking wasn’t something we did for pleasure in those days though we certainly did plenty of it. Our sheep were on Whernside, the highest of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, and in the days before quad bikes we walked up and down the mountain several times a year, bringing sheep home for lambing, clipping, dipping and tupping.  

Dad feeding sheep

And we certainly met plenty of walkers – the farm was close to the Youth Hostel and we’d giggle at the hikers as we called them trailing past in their orange cagouls heading for their bunkbeds while we went home to watch Top of the Pops in front of a nice warm fire.

So how did a farm girl who thought walkers were a bit bonkers end up creating A Dales High Way - the long distance trail that stretches all the way from Saltaire to Appleby through the Yorkshire Dales National Park?

To find out come and join us at Baildon Methodist Church at 7.30 on Tuesday 11th July where I'll be finishing the story and showing slides from the route as part of Baildon Walkers Are Welcome AGM. 

You don't have to be a member to come along. everyone's welcome at Walkers Are Welcome!