Let’s Take the dog…
This is quite a long circular walk from Tosside around Gisburn Forest but it can be shortened. Keep dogs on a lead where appropriate
Tosside – Gisburn Forest – Whelp Stone Crag
Distance: 6.68 miles
Time: 4 hours
The walk starts at the lane to the left of what was the Dog and Partridge pub. This forestry track is followed to just before Clough Hall a derelict barn/shelter/picnic spot. Two hundred yards before Clough Hall look for the waymarker post on the left where a walking sign appears to have been removed. (45 minutes)
Turn right up the forest road. Whelp Stone Crag soon comes into view over the ridge. Carry on up the road to the left hand curve where the road starts to descend. Turn right up the cycle track to find the old wall at the top. Turn left following this wall to where the wood on the right ends and a very old wall branches off to the right.
Carry on following the wall and wood edge keeping to the high ground. Cross the beck and again follow the wall until there are no more reeds on the right. The ground can now be crossed without much problem, head out due east over the moor towards the crags seen ahead. Keep the crags on the left and look for the end of the stone wall mentioned earlier especially two upright stone gate posts. Carry on (due east) towards the stone stile in the next stone wall. With the crags now behind, head down to Owlshaw. Go over the stone stile into the grounds and turn right at the gate. (60 minutes)
After the right turn at the house look for the stile in the wall just after the end of the front garden. Follow the wall on the right to the stile in the far corner of the field. After this stile carry straight down, over the beck, and then up the steep bank to meet the farm track to Whelpstone Lodge. Turn right at the house and follow the track. At H Brayshaw go through the farmyard and take the small gate into the field. Follow the wall on the right to the corner, a squeezer stile leads on to M Brayshaw. Keep the wall on the left. At the house turn left into the yard and take the small gate on the right to descend down to the footbridge and then up to L Brayshaw. Go straight through the yard and continue to Brayshaw House. After the house keep on a straight line on the grass to meet the track leading to the main road. (60 minutes)
(To shorten the walk turn right here along the road back to Tosside.)
Turn right at the road and then left after 100 yards and follow the bridleway to Studford Gill. At the farm yard go through the gate and head for the gate at the far left corner of the field. The path now leads to the footbridge at Snape House. The path goes around the front of the house and leads on to the track which leads on to the road. Turn right at the road for Tosside. (40 minutes)
With thanks to Michael Wainright of Fellscape
www.fellscape.co.uk