Sir Hugh and I have just completed the first half of our journey using public footpaths down Garsdale following the River Clough. We didn’t know what to expect. it turned out that we were hardly ever close to the river. But our walk was something from the past, following ancient tracks between farms and barns. This is a typical Dales valley, with high pastures on either flank.

We start at the beautifully maintained Garsdale Station on the Settle-Carlisle line.  Like a couple of schoolboy trainspotters, we photograph a diesel heading south towards Ribble Head and Settle. Where is the Flying Scotsman when you need him?

From internet searching, I remember mention of a sculpture on the station platform. We go to investigate. And yes, there is a bronze dog, Ruswarp. The story goes that in the 1980s the famous Settle to Carlisle line was threatened with closure, one of the early campaigners for its reprieve was a Graham Nuttall. He lived just long enough to see success in 1989, for the following January he went missing along with his dog Ruswarp, in the Welsh mountains. Graham’s body was not found until the April of that year. His dog had stayed with his dead master for 11 cold weeks. The bronze statue was commissioned by The Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line to commemorate Graham’s efforts in saving the line and the faithfulness of his dog Ruswarp.

Poking our heads into the old waiting room, we find lots of local information and, strangely, a complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica on a shelf. As a child, I always wanted my parents to buy it for me from the rep who used to come around – it was always prohibitively expensive. I had to make do with some inferior but cheaper children’s encyclopedia. What have I missed? And now it’s all free on the worldwide net.

From the car park there is a view across to the ‘backside’ of Wild Boar Fell which holds many memories for myself of exploratively climbing on its eastern flank, Blackbed Scar in recent years.

https://evmc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Wild-Boar-Fell-A4-eBook-December-2024-compressed.pdf

We set off down the valley on rough ground high above the Clough River.

Soon we come to our first long house. a farmhouse with barn or stables attached. Most date from the early C18th and are encountered throughout the valley. Originally small holdings, many are derelict, some are still farms and others have been renovated into smart dwellings. The listed buildings entry for Garsdale includes many of these farms.

 

The footpaths are relatively well signed, we are in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, but I imagine infrequently walked. We drop down to cross the still infant Clough River behind Low Scale. Field paths lead us on towards Knudmaning farm house. The little spring loaded gates become a feature of the walk. Emerging onto the little lane to Grisedale we pass Grouse Hall.The old maps show it was the Cock and Guns Inn at one time.

From up here the ruins of more barns and houses can be seen on the south side of the valley.There was a barn in nearly every low field in the past.

Back on the other side of the river we can’t be certain whether Raygill was occupied or not.

It has an interesting collection of junk around it, as well as a modern tractor. Onwards down the valley to come out onto the road for a short distance.

I catch a glimpse of a red squirrel later on in the day, but have no photographic evidence. We catch sight of the river at a bridge taking us to the West Coat Weggs farmhouse.

Field paths are followed more or less to put us onto a more definite path just north of Garsdale hamlet itself.

Across the river we can see the Garsdale Street Methodist chapel, there are several Methodist chapels in the valley. The Methodists in this part of Cumbria were significant providers of welfare and spiritual help to the many workers when the railway was being built.

And then St.John’s church built in 1861 to the east of a much earlier church. William Wordsworth visited the original church with his sister Dorothy in 1799 wrote of it as “a lowly house of prayer in a charming little valley.” 

A little further down the valley on the road is the Smithy Wesleyan chapel. These three places of worship would warrant a separate visit if I’m back in the area sometime.

Reaching the road bridge we get a chance to see the Clough rushing through and becoming a much bigger volume of water.

Past the renovated Smorthwaite cottages lots of those little stiles take us along the hillside through fields back to the houses on the road at Slack Cottage.

On our last stretch through fields we have time to admire the drystone walls ascending towards the summit of Knoutberry Haw.

The Clough River at last is closer to our footpath.

Up ahead is Swarthgill House where our car is parked.

A perfect day in the dales. All those evocative farmsteads and surrounding fells, a walk through history. We didn’t see a lot of the river unfortunately but we hope episode two will reveal more.

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