This 10.5 mile walk combines some of the Quarries walk (9 in “Hillwalks from the Settle to Carlisle Stations”) with Walk 4 (over Moughton Fell), and adds Oxenber Wood, with its glorious spring flower display. From Horton follow the Quarries walk to the far side of Dry Rigg Quarry, the update being that there is a new railway siding to Arcow Quarry. This Quarry closed in 2015, but opened again after the line was built, from July 2015 till January 2016, on the understanding from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority that nearly half the freight from Arcow and Dry Rigg would travel by rail. Arcow used to have a sideline, but is was deemed inadequate for modern traffic, hence this £6 million pound update 400 yards north. Both of these linked quarries are now part of the CRH company, a multinational originally based in Ireland, though they like to be called Tarmac. Or Lafarge. Or anything to obscure the truth. The path goes over a new bridge, and the view came as a complete shock to us.
From the road to Austwick, turn left on the Pennine Bridleway and climb till just before a gate before the apex of the track, where cross a stile on the R into Wharfe Wood. This year, May the 6th was too early for the usual grand bluebell display, but the carpeting of wood anemones and primroses was phenomenal, and later than usual. Follow the orange ringed posts into and out of Oxenber Wood to the south, and turn right to join Wood Lane, leading to Wharfe and walk 4 in the book. We were disturbed to see so many dead Juniper bushes on Moughton, about half of them, presumably of the same cause, a fungus like disease, Phytophthora Austrocedri, affecting the Juniper Woods in Teesdale, other northern upland areas and places in Argentina! When you enter the Ingleborough Nature Reserve, you can carry straight on through the limestone pavement and left before the fence to go north, across a gate and join the crowds running down to Horton, for a beer, or tea.
Wood anemones, Oxenber Wood. More Wood Anemones, Oxenber. The new rail link to Arcow Quarry, from the new bridge. Dead Junipers, Moughton
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