Name of walk | Great Asby Scar |
Date of walk | 2019-04-06 |
Distance walked (miles) | 5 |
Duration of walk | 3 hours 45 minutes |
Weather | Blue skies and sunshine |
Walked with | Andy, Doug, Cameron, Jason, Hannah, Iwan, Graham, Jayden and Brendan., |
Parking | Sunbiggin Tarn. |
On Saturday the Barrow St. James’ bell ringers and friends walked up to Great Asby Scar, a limestone pavement, before ringing the bells at Orton and Appleby. We were to meet up at Sunbiggin Tarn for 9am. The weather was excellent!

Andy's map of our planned route (blue actual).
Sunbiggin Tarn at 8.40am.

Ready to go. (AP)

Great Asby Scar ahead.
Andy and Doug lead the way.

Great Asby Scar.
The youngsters.
Heading up the Dales High Way.
Great Kinmond (AP)
The first of the cairns on the limestone pavement.
Superb 360 degree views.
Our route along Great Asby Scar ahead.
Brendan and me (AP).
It is a very warm, still day. Just a pity the heat haze reduces the distant views.
Doug investigates the grikes.

Everyone enjoys the views.
Brendan and I head for the next cairn (AP)
Graham, Iwan and Jayden (AP)
Views from the next cairn.
Our route ahead towards High Pike.
The cairns on High Pike can be seen a long way off.
Jason finds something to climb. (AP)
(AP)
Grikes! (AP)
Andy checks out the Flora in the grikes.
Top of High Pike.
Doug takes our photo.
Doug and me look at the map. (AP)
Awkward walking! (AP)
A sloping section of pavement.
Brendan and me skirting Castle Folds with High Pike behind. (AP)
Shell casing. (AP)
On the horizon, over the wall is the Trig point and the highest point on Great Asby Scar. (AP)
Andy's photo of us making our way carefully across the limestone pavement. (AP)
Castle Folds - Romano-British defended stone hut circle settlement and medieval shieling.
I take this photo from the top of the wall stile. Andy on the left.
Unfortunately the was no wall stile to the Trig Point! Or access of any kind. Not wanting to risk damage to the wall by climbing over, we walk all the way down to the gate.
Snow covered Pennines in the distance.
Iwan on gate duty.
Easy walking now as we head through the gate that leads down to the Stone Circle.
The view up to Beacon Hill and the Monument. (AP)
Happy lads! (AP)
Graham and our grassy route down.
The bell tower of All Saints Church in Orton.
Baaaa!
Gamelands Stone Circle.
Looking back up to Knott.

Knott and Great Asby Scar from the Stone Circle.
I play peek-a-boo with a lamb.
Lunch. We are running late. Fortunately Doug left his car at Raisbeck so he can take the drivers to collect their cars. Ringing in Orton is from 2-3pm, but a visit to the Chocolate Factory needs to be squeezed in first! The 5.2 mile walk had taken three hours and forty five minutes.
We visit the Orton Chocolate Factory and Cafe on the left, before making our way to the church in the distance.
All Saints Church.
The earliest fabric in the church dates from the later part of the 12th century. The tower was built in the early 16th century
Looking up to the ringing room which looks out on to the congregation. There are eight bells.
The old bells. One dates from 1530.
We move on to Appleby for more ringing.
A very warm road, ideal for duck sitting!
View from the bridge.
St Lawrence's Church. The lower part of the tower dates from about 1150. The south porch is from the 13th century, and the body of the church dates from the 14th and 15th centuries.
Markers to show where the flood waters came up to in 2005 (lower) and 2015.
In the ringing room. There is a ring of six bells, all of which were cast in 1833 by Thomas Mears II of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Appleby main road.
After Appleby Brendan and I continued on to Dufton before returning home. A great day in superb weather! Thanks to Andy (AP) for letting me use some of his photos.
Jo.


