Start: Car park by St. Peter's church. Please contribute to the courtesy box. From junction 34 M6 take A683 to Kirkby Lonsdale. On reaching the A65 turn right towards Settle and Skipton. At Cowan Bridge turn left for Leck. After 1/2 mile turn right. The church car park is on the left side of the lane, just before the church.

Distance: 14 Km or 8½ miles
Time: 4 - 5 hours
Terrain: To begin with there is a considerable road walk up to Leck Fell House. This is followed by a strenuous ascent of the steep sided fell. Return is by the same route and then you strike across boggy moors to reach Leck Beck. Finally you follow the stream back along paths that are not entirely clear. In short to undertake this walk you have to be fit, well equipped, well provisioned; and it would be best to wait for a spell of dry and settled weather.

Map

1. Car park to summit of Gragareth. (7 Km or 4½ miles: 2 - 2½ hours)
The direct way would be to return to the crossroads turn right and walk up the lane to Leck Fell House. However that can be rather dispiriting and so we suggest a slightly longer, but more interesting approach. From the car park turn left and walk past the church along the lane for 1000 metres. Pass the substantial Todgill Farm on your right. Just beyond it where the road bends to the right, turn left onto a stony track.


This joins the upward fell road after 1500 metres or 1 mile: 25mins. Now all this detour has done is to delay the inevitable for now commences the weary trudge upwards.


After 3 Km or 2 miles: 45mins as the tarmac lane turns left to the farm, keep ahead through a five bar gate.


 Now the trick is to decide the best point of attack for the assault on the summit. Prominent on the ridge above (in clear weather) are the Three Men of Gragareth, a row of tall cairns.


Carefully negotiating a way through or around the rock fields that cover the lower fellside make your way up to these, with your back to the last out building of the farm. This section is particularly steep. On reaching the cairns maintain the same direction. If you are lucky you may intercept a faint path that will lead you across to the trig. point (at 627 metres or 2058 ft - the highest point in Lancashire) which will be reached after 10 - 15 mins.

3. Summit to Ease Gill (3 Km or 2 miles: 45 - 60 mins)
A route rather easier to describe than to undertake. Return to the Three Men of Gragareth. Return to farm lane. On reaching the second gate just beyond the farm turn right.


Now begins a very awkward traverse of moorland to gain the gill. With the wall to your right you should be able to discern something of a path through bog and marsh heading towards the depression before you. It may not be long before you feel somewhat depressed yourself. After prolonged wet weather you will need to improvise detours to avoid treacherous stretches of quagmire. And this is not all that is in store for you.


The closer you come to the gill the more you will have to wade areas of bracken making route finding less than easy. Indeed by the time you finally descend to the gill you may wish you had taken the fell road back to the car park. However, persistence pays. The first thing that will strike you will be the fact that the gill is dry.


Then you will notice the remarkable geology of Ease Gill Kirk, an impressive dry waterfall cut into the limestone. Finally you may be struck by the tranquility of your surroundings. Compared with open moorland crossed in reaching it, this part of the walk seems like an oasis.

4. Ease Gill to Car park (4 Km or 2½ miles: 1½ - 2 hours)
Again while the general principle is straightforward to describe, the actuality is less so. On reaching the gill turn left and pick up a path that takes you above a narrow defile and then the waterfalls of Leck Beck Head. With Leck Beck on your right follow the path back to the village.




Now "path" is a rather elastic term here. This is not one of your well worn, way marked routes found around Silverdale or Bowland. Adhering to it will take some concentration. Beyond a ruin (marked Anneside on the map) an alternative is offered at a wooden stile.


This route will bring you back to the riverside. After a wet,cold day in July, we preferred to go back more directly on an upper path, which on reaching a wooden gate turned left in front of it and continued with the wall on the right on its descent to Leck.