Yockenthwaite, Langstrothdale, Fleet Moss, Jefferypot Scar, Yorkshire. [18.5km] Wed 31st Oct 2007

It was just coming light as I drove up Langstrothdale to park near Yokenthwaite. The road was narrow and a surprising number of cars had been coming the other way as I drove along the lane. As I was getting my gear ready for the walk a local farmer in his landrover stopped on the road. I thought I was going to be told off for parking on the grass but he was just curious why a stranger was parked so early as they’d had some break-ins in the area.

Oughtershaw Beck.

Once he saw I was just a walker he drove off. I set off walking up Langstrodale in the direction of Fleet Moss. When I got to the bridge at Deepdale I followed the access track on the left and left the road behind for a while. It was overcast and dull but I had my tripod so was able to take a few photos of the river with slow shutter speeds. I reached the building at New House where there was a car outside but nobody seemed to be around. Further on I crossed the footbridge and rejoined the road at the letter-box.

Further on I came to Oughtershaw Hall which had lights on but the yard was protected from inquisitive passers-by (me) by locked gates. Oughtershaw itself is just a string of houses along the road with no particular centre.

Oughtershaw Memorial Hall.

IAn interesting building to the right looked more like a church or school in past times but now looks like a house conversion. The map shows it as a hall. Inside the arched doorway is the inscription “Lydia Wilson Woodd died at Pau 16 June 1856 aged 32” then “In memoriam”. Next came a dried up water fountain into a stone bowl with the inscription V.R.I 1837 – 1897. Presumably to commemorate the diamond jubilee (60 years reign) of Queen Victoria. Then just as the road starts to climb a marker stone with the inscription VR 1887, presumably for Victoria’s golden jubilee (50 years reign). Now I was out on the open fell road and no more houses. The climbing road vanished into the mist up ahead and that seemed to be the way the walk would go from now on. Before the final summit I left the road and turned right onto the moor with no path to follow. I set off on a compass bearing, not wanting to go too far north and get caught in the moss itself.

After crossing some very rough ground a wire fence appeared through the mist in front. I followed it to the right and came to a wall which I then followed to a tall cairn. The wall gave some good shelter from the wind so I sat down for a break and cup of coffee. I continued through the mist and fortunately it got a bit better underfoot. I followed the walls to the top of Jeffery Pot Scar where I looked down into the mist and could just see the bottom of the valley. It’s such a pity that the visibility was so bad as I’m sure the views would have been excellent. The wind was from the south so I climbed down from the top a little way to get some shelter. It was so calm there that I stopped for an early lunch. Back on the fell top I continued along the wall which degenerated to a wire fence when the ground became too boggy. Oughtershaw Tarn was lost in the mist as I passed bye. After Deepdale Haw I left the wall and headed off across the fell. I came to an area of what looked like old slate workings and a stone build shelter in a hollow. I then turned SE over the flat until I picked up a faint track which started to lead downwards and soon I was below the cloud and had a view down into the valley. Apart from a few wet patched the going was now dry and firm and a nice limestone scar appeared to my left. After a quick look I dropped lower to an escarpment where I walked along the edge then down a nice green track to Broad Gate Barn. A farm track then continued down to the buildings at Yockenthwaite.