Walks around Reeth

Walk 5: Fremington Edge.

Climb one of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale’s best known landmarks Returning by an old packhorse route to the village of High Fremington and finally to Reeth.

Map: Outdoor Leisure Map No.30 / Explorer OS 30

Distance:  Normal Route: 7 miles  Moderate with some steep climbs.

Walking time:  4 hours approx.

Getting There: Catch Monday to Saturday bus service 30 from Richmond or Summer Sunday bus service 803 from Wakefield, Leeds, Harrogate, Ripon and Leyburn.  Alight Reeth.

The Route: Make your way from the village green down to Reeth bridge. On the left, just past the garage, there is a stile. Pass through this, turn right and follow the path through four fields to the village of High Fremington. Just past the cottage on the left the road rises, to the left and right of the road at this point the remains of earthworks known as the Grinton- Fremington Dykes can be seen. The dykes can be traced on both sides of the valley. Although the date of the earthworks are unknown, they may well be post Roman to mark the boundary between native and Anglian territory.

Continue up the metalled road through the village bearing left until reaching the Bridleway signed Arkengarthdale. Go up the metalled road until the moorland gate is reached. Pass through gate and continue up the rough track to the top of Fremington Edge. Go through the gate at the top and turn left, Follow the path along the moor top with the wall on your left, for over a mile.

A bridleway joins from the right, coming up from Hurst and the route goes slightly left with a prominent cairn on the edge of the fell ahead. Bear to the right, away from this and cross the top edge of a depression that soon develops into a rocky hush (part of the old lead mine workings) Keep the hush on the left and descend over short turf, bearing left to drop into the hush before crossing it and descending the left hand edge of this giant man-made trench. Nearing Storthwaite Hall go though a gate into pastures and descend to the house at the bottom of the hill.

At this point the path forks, take the left hand path, which leads to the riverside, passing a footbridge on your right keep this side of the river along the track to Heggs House. Go through the farm gate to the rear of the house and follow the markers up the slope and through a hand gate on the right, continue along this well defined track keeping the wall on your right passing Castle Farm. Keep along this track for about 1 mile until reaching a gate leading into a walled lane go through the gate and walk along the lane which emerges onto the metalled road at High Fremington  from this point  retrace your steps back to Reeth. 

Getting back:  Return on the same buses.