Distance: 6 miles Time to complete walk: 3.5 hours
Safety Tips: This is a challenging walk. The climb to the summit can be strenuous. A good level of fitness is required. Only attempt the descent down the southern face in dry weather. The rocky descent can be fun and an achievement in sunny dry weather, however the rocks will be slippy in frosty or wet weather.
A challenging walk to the top of one of Yorkshires three peaks, Pen-y-Ghent. Outstanding views are on offer at its summit and you will be in the company of plenty of other walkers on this popular walk. The descent can be harder than the climb as you negotiate a steep rocky path down the southern end of the peak. A short detour to Hull Pot is optional. There is a very good quality café and pubs in the village of Horton in Ribblesdale for much needed refreshments once you have completed the walk.
The Pen-y-Ghent walk
Getting There
From Middlesbrough follow the A66 to Darlington and then head onto the A1
southbound. Look for the Harrogate turn off which is junction 47. Follow the A59 through Harrogate itself and then stay on the A59 to Skipton. When you come into Skipton itself you can take a pitstop and then double back out of Skipton on the A65 or alternatively you can drive through Skipton and turn right onto the A629 and then take the exit on the roundabout onto the A65. Follow the A65 into the village of Ingleton. Take a right turning into Ingleton and follow the B6255 to the Ribblehead Viaduct. Just after the Ribblehead Viaduct take a right turning near parked cars. Follow this road into Horton in Ribblesdale. Parking can be found in the National Car Park. Take £5.00 in coins for the pay and display meter.
Map of the Pen-y-Ghent walk
The Walk
From the car park turn right and walk just past the Pen-y-Ghent café. Look for a signpost pointing to the left.
Pen-y-Ghent café
Signpost pointing to the left
Cross the road and start the walk by going through a gate onto a track.
Cross the road to the track
Go through the gate
Shortly you come to a fork in the track and a sign with a map on it. Take the route to the left.
Sign post with a map on it
Walk up the meandering path through gates, and Pen-y-Ghent will come into view.
View of Pen-y-Ghent in the distance
This part of the walk is relatively easy without any majorly steep parts, However keep your eye on the road ahead as loose rocks litter the path. The route is part of the Pennine Way.
Continue on the path
Eventually you will come to a junction in the path. If you carry on for a short while ahead you will be able to see Hull Pot which is a distinctive square cut hole This path ahead can be marshy after heavy rain. If not wanting to visit Hull Pot take the path to the right to continue on to Pen-y-Ghent.
Turn right at the junction or straight ahead to see Hull Pot
The path now gets distinctly steeper. Take regular breaks of needed and you will eventually reach a sharp turn to the right in the path.
The path to Pen-y-ghent
A sharp turn to the right
Reaching the rim follow the narrow path upwards to the right
Follow the path to the right
Soon you will come to a set of steps which is your final climb to the summit
Climb the steps to the summit
At the top there are fine views of the dales below
View from the summit
Also at the summit are seating areas and a cairn. A perfect spot to take in the view and get your strength back and maybe a picnic.
Seats at the summit
A cairn at the summit
Cross over the stone wall and continue down a path ahead of you
Continue on the path ahead
Now you come to the tricky part, the descent down the steep cliff edge. It can seem daunting and if unsure you can climb down I would recommend the return journey back on the way you came. However if you like a challenge, test the rocks below before stepping on them and make your way down carefully - the route in the middle becomes clearer when climbing down. Don't be afraid to follow the path down whilst seated if it helps.
The rocky descent down
The descent down the rocky southern face comes in two stages. Look for an obvious path downwards on the second stage.
Stage 2 of the descent
Once you have reached the bottom turn and look back at what you have achieved!.
Look back to see the descent you have made
Follow the route down which is much easier now and look for a stile to the right and continue on the path downwards.
Turn right and go through the stile
Follow the route down coming across several short rocky paths downwards until you emerge onto a lane.
Follow the path down
The path is still rocky in parts
Turn right at the lane and follow the road at Brackenbottom and eventually you will meet the main road and a church will be on your right. Bear right again and follow the road past the café (I would recommend refreshments here) and back to the car park on your left.
Pen-y-ghent
The more direct route that traverses the southern 'nose' of the hill is the route usually taken by those attempting the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, as the walk is usually (but not exclusively) done in an anti-clockwise direction starting and finishing in Horton in Ribblesdale. The other main hillwalking route on the hill heads north from the summit to reach Plover Hill before descending to join Foxup Road, a bridleway at the head of Littondale.
Pen-y-Ghent is made up of a millstone grit top sat upon a bed of carboniferous limestone. The summit acts as a watershed with water flowing east into the River Skirfare and on through to the Humber estuary, and water flowing west dropping into the River Ribble to ultimately flow into the Irish Sea.The distinctive rakes that adorn the hillside (particularly on the western edge of Pen-y-Ghent) were revealed during a great storm in July 1881. The ferocity of the water cascading down the hillside removed the topsoil and revealed the rakes beneath.
In the Cumbric language, exactly as in today's Welsh, Pen meant 'top' or 'head', and y is most likely the definite article (the), exactly as in Modern Welsh y. These elements are common in placenames throughout the island, and especially in Wales (compare Penyberth 'end of the hedge/copse', or Penyffordd 'head of the road/way', etc.). The element ghent is more obscure, however: it could be taken to be 'edge' or 'border'. The name Pen-y-ghent could therefore mean 'Hill on the border' (compare Kent). Alternatively, ghent could mean 'wind' or 'winds' – from the closest Welsh transliteration, gwynt ('wind'). Thus it might mean simply 'Head of the Winds'. It is also possible that ghent may have been a tribal name and that the hill may have once been an important tribal centre. It is also acceptable to write the name as Pen y Ghent rather than Pen-y-ghent.
Hull Pot Beck rises on the western side of Plover Hill and flows into Hull Pot, which is the largest natural hole in England. Hull Pot measures 300 feet (91 m) long by 60 feet (18 m) wide and 60 feet (18 m) deep. The water 777 then flows under Horton Moor before re-appearing just east of Horton in Ribblesdale as Brants Ghyll Beck, where it flows into the River Ribble. Local legend has it that the waters from Hull Pot and Hunt Pot cross each other underground without mixing. This is said to have first been noted when a sheep wash was undertaken in one stream thereby making it muddy, and oaks being dropped into the other stream and both having exited into the Ribble without mixing together.
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