Ribblesdale, Yorkshire Dales, Summer
It finally feels a bit more like summer.
After one of the wettest summers I can remember, a bright weekend was looking up. Both feeling the need to soak up some VitD and get some miles in, we made our way once again into the Yorkshire Dales. It’d been a while since we visited the beautiful Ribblesdale area around Stainforth so we plotted a good 10km circular, taking in Catrigg Force, the Winskill Stones Nature Reserve, and Langcliffe.
The views above Stainforth and Langcliffe were just wonderful, and it was nice to explore Winskill Stones, somewhere we’d never been to before. We also came across the Craven Lime Works, which we had no idea existed, and explored a massive Hoffmann kiln!
All photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, and edited and finalised in Photoshop.
Ribblesdale, Yorkshire Dales, Summer by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
The Pennine Bridleway from Stainforth up to Catrigg Force is short, but steep. Quickly it allows for wonderful views across Ribblesdale towards the fells above Feizor.
At the top of the bridleway, a small trail veers off towards the wooded gorge that houses Catrigg Force. In the distance, the unmistakeable shape of Pen-y-ghent.
Even though water levels were low, Catrigg Force and its setting is always an impressive sight.
We were able to clamber right to the pool of the waterfall for some closer compositions.
Probably one of the best shots I’ve ever got of Catrigg Force.
Back onto the bridleway, we made our way towards the Winskill Stones Nature Reserve. Turning back, this zoomed in composition of a typical Yorkshire Dales barn with Pen-y-ghent looming caught my eye.
A glacial erratic! In the Dales, the most famous erratics are the Norber Erratics, but it was ace to find another one in Ribblesdale. This glaical erratic boulder is “Samson’s Toe”, approximately 8 foot high and balances upon limestone stilts. Because the limestone has been sheltered from the rain, they have not eroded away. The boulder was deposited here at the last Ice Age 12,000-13,000 years ago.
Oh look, Ian takes another photo of a drystone wall. But they’re so cool! And, in this photo, really aid composition. In the distance are the cliffs of Attermire Scar.
With the clouds racing above, the light was constantly drifting and sculpting the landscape around us. This solitary tree, surrounded by walls, with the fells in the distance made for a captivating scene.
We clambered up around the Winskill Stones Nature Reserves seeking extensive limestone pavements. Whilst they weren’t as sizeable as the likes of Malham Cove, they nevertheless made for nice compositions, especially towards Pen-y-ghent.
We located Henside Lane, which takes you rather steeply back down to Ribblesdale and Langcliffe. In the far distance I noticed the light illuminated Stainforth village nestled in the valley, with dark Ingleborough looming above. I zoomed in all the way to 240mm for this wonderful scene.
Nearer to Langcliffe another pocket of light blasts the face of Stainforth Scar. A gate and some drystone walls helped frame the composition with Stainforth Scar and Upper Ribblesdale.
Bonus
Just north of Langcliffe, making our way back to Stainforth, we came across the former Craven Lime Works area. Here we were free to explore this massive Hoffmann Kiln, such a cool experience! There was no way my Sony, handheld, would be able to do this place justice, so the above image is a quick iPhone snap. Definitely have to come back here with my Sony mounted onto a tripod!