Ribblesdale

Celebrating Yorkshire Day with rails, trails and viaduct

- Walk devised by Tom Dobbing and Stephanie Dobbing and described by Peter Haworth

It's Friday 1st August 2025, and its Yorkshire Day! A day to celebrate all things Yorkshire so what better time than to start a weekend in the Yorkshire Dales.

For my wife and I it's a stay at the Marton Arms, Thornton in Lonsdale and a rendezvous with our daughter and son-in-law. They have opted for the cheaper option of a two-night stay in the camper van at the nearby campsite. The two youngsters are keen runners and hikers so I'm anticipating something of a marathon trek in store on Saturday. Unfortunately, I have of late been suffering with an arthritic knee and associated ailments, so am viewing the prospect with some trepidation. However, my son-in-law has heeded my concern and planned a somewhat less challenging route. Fortunately, I have on previous occasions walked most of the proposed route and am confident it will be doable. It's going to be a bit different to our usual walks in that this time we are going to start with a short train ride on the scenic Settle to Carlisle railway line. Our route will take us by train from Ribblehead station to the next stop down the line, Horton in Ribblesdale. From there we will walk approximately eight miles back to the car parked at Ribblehead.