Hiking The Lady Anne’s Way: Day 2 – Grassington to Buckden

(12th September 2024, 12.5 miles)

The following morning, and after an excellent, large breakfast requiring intense, uninterrupted attention, we prepared to leave Darrowby/Grassington and packed away our overnight stuff ready for collection. I had arranged for Sherpa Van to transport our two wheelie bags between overnight stops. This meant having the bags packed, zipped and delivered to reception each morning – generally by 8 or 8.30am. Now you know.

A man walking down a cobbled street in Grassington, with shops and a parked car in the background.

The small town was waking up and stepping out as we shouldered our daysacks, pulled on boots, said farewell to our host, left Ashfield House

A historic stone building with large windows and a clock on the facade in Grassington, surrounded by benches and trees along a quiet street in a small town.

and climbed away through quiet streets

Jim Pilston walking along a gravel path in a rural area, flanked by dry stone walls and grass. The individual is using a hiking pole and carrying a backpack. — *Leaving Grassington*

to where the ‘Way struck out from Grassington. Up ahead, the most decent, most genuine person I shall ever know was heading off on a clear path between drystone walls. I decided to follow him.

A panoramic view of a lush green valley with drystone walls, farmhouses, and distant hills under a partly cloudy sky.

Climbing first thing with a full breakfast-belly out of a village or town was a recurrent feature of this holiday. But an early overheating and gasping for breath was (usually) worth the view

A wooden signpost indicating public footpath directions for Bare House and Grassington against a backdrop of green grass and stone walls.

along with a steady introduction of new place names and the gradual fading away of the old.

A hiker walking along a grassy path on the Lady Anne's Way bordered by a dry stone wall under a cloudy blue sky.

Soon, we left wall constrained path and entered wide, open Wuthering Heights fell side beneath a fresh cool rinsed sky.

A partially dilapidated stone farmhouse - Bare House, Grassington - situated in a green pasture, with dry-stone walls visible in the background against a blue sky with fluffy clouds.

Within a mile or two we reached Bare House – a partially dilapidated farmhouse. According to the Upper Wharfedale Field Society, this was home to the Capstick family until the 1960s. The Capstick children would have walked the mile and a half to school in Grassington across the fell side we had just climbed.

An abandoned farmhouse - Bare House - with weathered stone walls and boarded windows, surrounded by overgrown grass and a low stone wall.

Locally, the house is known as Barras… though I’m unclear why. Thankfully, before it could crumble into further ruin, the house was patched and re-roofed by the National Park authority in 2001. Good job.

Interior of Bare House - a dilapidated farmhouse near Grassington featuring stone walls, wooden beams, and a wooden floor.

It’s a beautiful building: standing where it should – in haughty, noble isolation. I hope that one day this evocative (if possibly too spooky for me to live in) house

View of a green hilly landscape framed by a dilapidated window in Bare House, Grassington.

will be a home again or field centre or hostel or … just, anything. An anything with exceptional views…

A gray cow standing beside a stone wall in a grassy field.

and nice neighbours.

Today was fine walking and all new territory for both of us as, unlike yesterday afternoon, we were no longer following the line of the Dales Way.

Three sheep standing in a grassy landscape with rolling hills and a cloudy sky in the background.

The DW lay way off and down to our left with the Wharfe beyond that, but it felt like we had the better option: up on high in a wide world. I appreciated my brain being swept of the mundanity of modern life and concerned instead with route finding, sky gazing and prospects for lunch.

A hiker with a backpack walking through a stone gate, surrounded by picturesque green fields and dry stone walls under a cloudy sky.

But I can’t have been concentrating too much on route finding for, as we chatted away, we suddenly realised we’d missed a turn and…

A person carefully climbing over a drystone wall in a green pasture landscape, surrounded by rolling hills and a cloudy sky.

had to struggle up steep fenced and walled slopes to regain the path.

Capplestone gate trig point stands in a grassy field with drystone walls in the background, overlooking a wide landscape under a partly cloudy sky.

Our climb led us back to the Lady Anne’s Way at Capplestone Gate,

David Marsden leans against Capplestone Gate trig point on a hilltop, with green hills and a blue sky in the background.

and a handy trig point to rest against whilst appearing to enjoy the far off views – but in reality an excuse to pull in cold, clean air and still my yammering heart.

Scenic view of open grassy fell with drystone walls and distant rolling hills under a partly cloudy blue sky.

From Capplestone the path descends through old mine workings of spoil heap and shaft. Watch where you’re going here – especially in mist or low cloud, obvs.

A wooden stile made of rustic timber logs, leading over a stone wall with lush green grass surrounding it and a bright blue sky with scattered clouds above.

Pulling ourselves up and over tall stiles,

The Lady Anne's Way: a narrow, rocky path winding between dry stone walls in a green countryside setting.

We descended quite sharply until we were once more trammelled by walls

A picturesque landscape featuring rolling green hills, drystone walls, and grazing sheep under a partly cloudy sky.

if with fine views all about.

A scenic view of Kettlewell - a small village nestled in a green valley, surrounded by rolling hills and blue skies with clouds. — *Kettlewell*

Some three and a half hours after leaving Grassington

A row of charming, traditional stone houses in Kettlewell with lush greenery lining the path in a rural setting.

we arrived in the village of Kettlewell. I have fond memories of this place from my last visit in February 2012.

A snowy landscape showing rolling hills with a clear path winding through the terrain under a cloudy sky.

I had walked the Dales Way across a burnished and brittle landscape from Grassington and needed, really needed, food and drink. I got both in the Racehorses Hotel, where Jim and I now headed.

The village is mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book, the name deriving from the Anglo Saxon Chetelewelle meaning bubbling brook/spring in a deep valley. (As far as I know, this ball is still spinning in the stream running down to the Wharfe.)

A solitary stone building set against a vibrant green meadow, surrounded by trees and drystone walls, under a partly cloudy blue sky.

After a great beef and horseradish sandwich, the final leg – of about 4 miles – lay alongside the Wharfe again.

A hiker standing by a wooden gate, overlooking a picturesque landscape with lush green fields and hills under a partly cloudy sky.

After over 23 miles since setting out from Skipton the previous morning, we were both in good shape. A little achy perhaps but no blisters or pulled muscles.

A view of a dilapidated farmhouse surrounded by lush green pasture and trees, under a partly cloudy sky.

Though the going was pretty easy and upper Wharfedale

A picturesque view of a green valley surrounded by rolling hills under a blue sky with scattered clouds.

very beautiful and almost empty of other walkers (at least after we’d pulled away from Kettlewell), we were keen to reach day’s end.

A scenic view of a small village with stone houses and a green lawn, set against a backdrop of a rolling hill and a blue sky with scattered clouds. — *Buckden*

In 2012, I’d hoped to stay at the Buck Inn, Buckden. Sadly it had been temporarily closed and I had to push on to Cray another couple of miles along a road.