Arkengarthdale, Hoove, Faggergill Moor, North Yorkshire.
[11.6 km] Thu 08 Jan 2015

OS Grid Ref: NY 97734 04810
Lat/Long: +54.438695, -02.036450

On the Tan Hill – Reeth road I found a large lay-bye to park the car. When I arrived about 8am there was a large coach parked there with the engine running. It soon left and headed down towards Reeth. I walked back a short distance towards Punchard Gill Bridge then turned right into the field to follow the path down to the footbridge over Arkle Beck. On the far bank there was a sign which seemed to advise walking round the outside of the field. I didn’t see the point as the official path took me to a barn and then the road. On the minor road I had a steep hill to walk up to Seal Houses then left up a track towards High Faggergill. After Sealhouses the track was unsurfaced but in good condition.

I reached the High Faggergill farm house to see that it was occupied but nobody about. The track continued but I left it to head up the fell to the right. I was heading for Hoove and the trig post and wasn’t sure how it would be underfoot as there was no footpath. Following sheep tracks it was fairly easy going.
It was somewhere around here that a Hampden Mk1 Bomber P4318 crashed on 16th August 1942 while on a night navigation exercise from Cottesmore. Two of the four man crew later died of their injuries. Survivors were kept at High Faggergill Farm till they could be taken out. The aircraft was later removed but nobody seems to know the exact crash location.

Over the Hoove plateau there were some boggy sections but nothing too bad. The trig post was on its own with no footpath access.

Continuing north I descended to a very rough area of tussocky bog but not as bad as it looked. There was a line of shooting butts but no vehicular access to them. I headed for a wall in the distance which is where the Fryingpan Stone is shown on the map. There was a rocky outcrop at the end of the wall but nothing I would describe as a fryingpan. There was a small sheltered alcove that looked like an old small quarry for building the walls.

I used it to shelter from the cold wind and eat my sandwiches. To the north I could see Bowes Castle in distance. I then headed west to start my descent towards Faggergill Mines. Descending a gully it was easy walking and there were more shooting butts. After a steep descent of Faggergill Scar I joined a track which took me down to the old mine area. I could see a substantial building ahead so followed the track towards it. On the way was a mine entrance which didn’t seem to have anything preventing access to it.

The building turned out to be a large shooting hut converted from a stone building. It was unlocked and very tidy inside with a large fireplace, table and chairs.

After a look round I continued down the track which took me back to High Faggergill Farm.

I headed SW to cross fields and connect with another farm track. I had to shelter behind one of the walls for a time as a heavy shower of hail blew across. The track took me down to Low Faggergill and down to the minor road I’d originally walked up. I crossed the field back to the footbridge over Arkle Beck and the short walk back up to the Reeth road and the car.