Dent & Gawthrop
Yorkshire Dales Walk
Nat Park - Yorkshire Dales - Three Peaks Country
County/Area - Cumbria
Author - Lou Johnson
Length - 6.0 miles / 9.8 km Ascent - 990 feet / 300 metres
Time - 4 hours 0 minutes Grade - easy/mod
Maps
Ordnance Survey Explorer OL2 | Sheet Map | 1:25k | BUY |
Anquet OS Explorer OL2 | Digital Map | 1:25k | BUY |
Ordnance Survey Landranger 98 | Sheet Map | 1:50k | BUY |
Anquet OS Landranger 98 | Digital Map | 1:50k | BUY |
Walk Route Description
Click image to visit gallery of 12 images.
This Yorkshire Dales walk explores the southern side of Dentdale starting from the picturesque village of Dent. The route is generally easy to follow and offers a variety of scenery. Apart from the first section of the walk, the going is relatively easy with very little ascent.
The start is the main car park in Dent (Grid ref. SD703871). Exit the car park, cross over the main road through the village and take the street opposite. Keep straight on passing the green on your left. The road eventually becomes a rough track and starts to climb steadily. On your left is Flinter Gill with its pretty cascades and waterfalls. Leaving the light woodland the track enters open country. A worthwhile diversion is to visit the viewing point on the right (Grid ref. SD700862), which offers a grandstand view of beautiful Dentdale.
The gradient starts to ease and you soon reach a t-junction. Turn right and follow the Occupation Road as it meanders and undulates across the hillside. Reaching the Barbondale Road, turn right and, keeping an eye out for traffic, walk along the lane to reach a footpath sign on your left (Grid ref SD683864). Follow this path across a meadow and past some limestone outcrops to reach a stile. Cross this, and with the wall on your left, continue across the field to pick up the track heading north towards Combe House.
Pass this house and outbuildings and continue down the recently improved access road. The newly aligned access avoids Tofts Farm, which is on your left. Staying on the track descend past Bower Bank to reach a lane (Grid ref. SD688877). Go east along this lane past a cottage to the small village of Gawthrop. Keep straight on through the village looking out for the signed path on your left (Grid ref. SD694873). Follow this path, with Oliver gill, on your right to reach the road near Barth Bridge. Continue to Barth Bridge, taking the signed footpath (The Dales Way) on the right before crossing the river. The path crosses meadows, roughly following the river. Reaching the road continue upstream and take the footpath on your left, which regains the river bank. Continue ahead to the next bridge, Church Bridge (Grid ref. SD707871). Turn right up the road into the village bearing right in the centre to return to the start.
Other walks nearby
Walk 2146 | Deepdale Circular (near Dent) | moderate | 7.0 miles |
Walk 3135 | Dentdale & Bleamoor | moderate | 12.5 miles |
Walk 1196 | The Calf | mod/hard | 10.5 miles |
Walk 2438 | Cautley Spout & the Calf from Sedbergh | moderate | 10.0 miles |
Walk 3008 | Winder & Arant Haw from Sedbergh | moderate | 7.0 miles |
Walk 1970 | Great Knoutberry Hill & Dent Head | moderate | 9.5 miles |
Walk 3032 | Gragareth & Great Coum from Yordas Cave | moderate | 9.0 miles |
Walk 2409 | The Upper Eden valley without a car | moderate | 12.0 miles |
Walk 3006 | Cautley Spout & The Calf | moderate | 5.5 miles |
Walk 1393 | Yarlside | moderate | 4.0 miles |
Recommended Books & eBooks
Walking the Lake District Fells - Wasdale
Part of the Walking the Lake District Fells series, this guidebook covers a wide range of routes to 25 Lakeland summits that can be climbed from the Wasdale, Eskdale and Ennerdale valleys, with highlights including Scafell Pike, Great Gable and Pillar. Suggestions for longer ridge routes are also included.
More information
Trail and Fell Running in the Yorkshire Dales
Guidebook to 40 of the best trail and fell runs in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Ranging from 5 to 24 miles, the graded runs start from bases such as Ribblehead, Dent, Sedbergh, Malham and Grassington and take in the region's diverse delights, from castles and waterfalls to iconic mountains such as Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen Y Ghent.
More information
Mountain Weather
Stay safe on the mountains with detailed weather forecasts - for iOS devices or for Android devices.