Langthwaite Loop
The Route
Langthwaite is a small village
about two miles north of Reeth, it has a couple of pubs
and a small shop that sells general goods. As you
approach from Reeth there is a pay and display car park
on your right, this is where the ride starts.
Head out of the car park and turn
right or north up the hill, turn right after a pub on the
right approx 1 km from the start this heads off down hill
sign posted Barnard Castle. It’s all up hill on the
road for about 1.5 km before you need to turn right again
along a stoney track that winds it’s way up to then
along the bottom of the escarpment to the right on the
hill side.
New Moor
You will continue climbing gently for about 1.5 km after leaving
the road before you come to a T-junction, take a left and
continue on up, the right of way cuts across the moor
land further on and on no visible track, so I always take
the obvious turn left as its not only a better surface,
but the way I was asked to go when approached by the
local Grouse game keepers, the choose is yours. If you
follow the track continue climbing for approx 400m before
the track drops down between steep sided banks and shoots
off winding it’s way along for about 600m, watch out
for walkers around the blind corners.
For the
next 2.5 km the surface is all moor land bridle way,
nicely rolling up an down without to much trouble, just
keep to the main track and turn right down the hill when
you come to the x-junction, be careful on the short
downhill section after the junction as the sharp left
hander at the end has a very lose surface. Continue past
the standing stone called “Stoney man” or
“St Andrews cross” and up the gentle climb for
about another 1 km.
School masters pasture
Its all
downhill for the next 2.5 km so arse up, head down and
grin like an idiot, I always find I spin out as its open
track with no surprises until you get to the farm house,
after the left turn the track becomes very rutted and
there’s a stream in the bottom of a little gully as
you turn onto the road so slow down before you turn right
onto the road across the bridge and up the hill. Stay on
the road its approx 1 km before you roll down through
Washfold. Continue along the road and straight on past
the phone box on the junction and up the hill to Hurst.
Ride past
the low row of cottages on you right until you come to a
gate, there will most probably be a notice on the gate
saying no entry to cyclists or something similar, as long
as you stick to the track this doesn’t mean you, at
some times of year there is a lot of ground nesting birds
in this area so please stick to the track so as not to
disturb them. The area around you as you climb along the
track is the site of Hind Rake lead mine, the round
crater like features abut 3 meters across that are
scattered over the area are back filled shafts from the
old mines. Keep winding your way up until you’ve
passed the grouse shooting butts.
Fremington Edge
As you
climb up the first bit of grassy track watch out to your
left for a single track cut trough the heather by walkers
feet, this will take you a couple of hundred meters to a
gate, go through and pick up the path on the other side
marked for the next 800 meters by cairns or piles of
stones, follow these down the hill side through the
scattered boulders until you join a track running right
to left. Turn left. You now need to take care as it gets
quite steep and rocky, this is the best bit of this route
and well worth the road climb at the start, if your
confident then hit it but bare in mind that this is the
main route up for walkers so watch out. The track drops
down and goes right around an offcamber hairpin to the
right then opens up and drops again to a gate in the wall
to your right. Stop and take a look at the route down.
Arkle Beck
Go through the gate and follow the track down the
field, the grass is well slippy when wet. It drops into a
sunken lane with a rocky surface before coming out next
to a farm house, turn right though the farm and exit
through the ford. Up a short steep climb through a gate
and into a field, simply follow the track though another
gate into the wood. Stay on this track, ignore the track
joining from the left. When you get to the bottom of the
hill you come out along side Arkle Beck that joins into
the River Swale a couple of km further down stream.
Follow the path along side the river for 1 km, when you
see the bridge look left and you’ll see the car park.
You come out by The Red Lion pub, ideal time to finish
off with a pint but don’t go in with a hat on or
else you’ll get shouted at.
Total distance - 18 km
12 10 2000
