Considering the amount of cloud the night before I was surprised how much the temperature dropped during the night. I woke to the tent frozen and covered in ice. Outside the sky was mostly clear with a few stars showing through. The sun was visible shortly after sunrise around 06:15am but soon vanished into thin cloud. The ground was still covered in frost when I set off at 07:10. I didn’t follow the fence line but took a SE line towards the East Cat Stones which soon came in to view. Before reaching them I passed another of the square boundary stones which seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. The Cat stones aren’t very impressive, just a low roundish cliff face. I was heading downwards in an easterly direction to look at a Shooting Hut shown on the map. It wasn’t good ground and I was on the north side of Outlaw Gill Syke trying to avoid even more wet bog.

East Cat Stones

The Shooting Hut

Eventually I saw a short stretch of stoned track and the chimney of the hut I was looking for. I reached the track and walked up to the hut. It was stone built and quite substantial but all the doors were padlocked shut. I peered inside through the window to see a simple interior with a table and not much else. I retraced my steps along the track and headed for Keasden Beck. I was heading for the Keasden Road but the map didn’t show any paths to take me there. The track continued north to another Shooting Hut but I had to leave it as that wasn’t the way I was going. I reached Outlaw Gill Syke again and crossed it easily. Up the other bank I came to an isolated barn then continued to the deep valley of Keasden Beck. This is where things got interesting. It was quite wide but not very deep. However, it was too wide to hop across on stones and those that were exposed were covered in green slime.

The first bridge was a long way downstream so the only way across was to wade. With boots and socks off and a stick I found nearby I was soon across and fortunately the water wasn’t as cold as I’d expected. A short climb up and I came to Birk Knott farm where I walked through the yard as inconspicuously as possible as the map didn’t show any public paths nearby. I was soon up the farm road and on to the main Keasden Road. I’d emerged where I’d wanted to be and I crossed the road to follow a path towards Brow Side Plantation. As the path approached the brow of the hill I looked in to an old quarry that the farmer had been using as a dumping ground. It was full of a disagreeable mix of old machinery, rusty wire fencing and all sorts of general rubbish. I left and headed towards the bridleway running along side the plantation. The gate to it had been tied shut and a stile over the barbed wire fence removed. The lane had been reduced to a black mass of mud and rushes by the farm vehicles, probably quad bikes, that must use the route. Pedestrians have now to climb up the edge by the barbed wire fence. The plantation had been partially felled and what remained literally looked like a bomb site. I have no idea what the owners can do with the land now. I came to Stoops Barn where the track improved. The barn is some sort of Outward Bound building judging by the layout. I soon left the track and headed along a muddy path by more tree felled desolation.

At New Kettlesbeck farm I came to a road which I followed to King’s Gate to follow an unadopted road towards Howith. I was very surprised to see an Ordnance Survey trig point just over the wall to the left. I came to Rouster Green and on to Langrigg and thankfully a decent road. Walking along Cross Lane the weather improved and brightened up to reveal a brief spell of sunshine. I enjoyed the easy walking along the lanes and as I descended towards Settle and just before Giggleswick Railway Station an elderly man was looking over his garden wall and asked me to look at the wonderful display of spring flowers in his garden.

Trig Point in the field

Bykers in Settle

We chatted for a while about the history of his house and the area in general. Each local that passed by either by bicycle or quad bike waved as they knew him. I kept on the road in to Settle and as it was Sunday reasoned that the only general shop open would be Booths. So I called there to by 4lt of bottled water. My planned camp on Warrendale Knotts did not have a water supply so I’d need to carry it up with me. I fancied a refreshing can of cider with my tea but they only sold them it 4 packs and wouldn’t split them. So I would have to do without. With 4kg of water strapped to the top of my pack I could feel the extra weight so I took it steady. The middle of Settle was a mass of motorbikes and their riders just hanging around.

The odd thing was that they were mostly bald middle aged fat men. I headed up the track then the green path towards Attermire Cave. On the flat stretch I crossed the wall at a tall stile and headed steeply up the south side of Warrendale Knotts to the summit trig point. It was quite windy but I managed to find some shelter just below the top and a small flat area to pitch the tent. At least I didn’t have to go off and find water now.

Camp on Warrendale Knotts