Buckden Pike Walk: A Complete Guide to This Classic Dales Hike

Visit the Memorial Cross on Your Buckden Pike Walk in the Yorkshire Dales

Your Buckden Pike walk begins in the charming village of Buckden, nestled in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. Park in the Yorkshire Dales National Park pay-and-display car park, which is conveniently located just off the B6160 at the northern end of the village. You’ll find it behind the former St Michael’s School Room, with ample parking spaces available. From here, head towards the northern end of the car park, where the exit is located, rather than the entrance. Go through a large wooden gate and follow the stony bridleway uphill, signposted to Cray High Bridge and Buckden Pike.

As you climb, you’ll pass through Rakes Wood before continuing through a couple of gates, where the stone track begins to level out. When you reach a bend in the track that curves to the right, resist the turn and instead proceed straight through a gate. Immediately after, turn right onto a bridleway signposted to Buckden Pike. Follow the path diagonally uphill across the field towards a gate in the top left-hand corner. Pass through the gate and continue your ascent along a grassy path, which steadily climbs the hillside over an area known as Cow Close.

After about half a mile, you’ll notice craggy rocks to your right as the grassy path transitions into a rocky trail. Continue diagonally up the hillside for another half a mile, eventually reaching a dry stone wall. From this point, the path steepens significantly, following a more direct route to the summit. Stick to the trail alongside the dry stone wall, where the surface is initially stepped with large stone boulders before transitioning to paved stone slabs as you near the top.

At the summit, continue along the path heading south, keeping the triangulation pillar on your right-hand side. Follow the paved path beside the wall, marked with a signpost indicating the ‘Suggested Route to War Memorial’. Just over half a mile across the plateau, you’ll reach a stile—cross over to arrive at the Memorial Cross, a significant landmark commemorating the Polish airmen who tragically lost their lives here during World War II.

From the Memorial Cross, follow the path with the dry stone wall now on your right-hand side. This next section, approximately a quarter of a mile long, can be boggy, particularly after wet weather. You may find it easier to stay close to the wall or weave slightly to the left, navigating around the wettest sections. At the end of this boggy stretch, turn right and pass through a gate in the dry stone wall.

Once through the gate, continue alongside the wall before veering straight ahead, beginning your descent down Starbotton Fell. The way is marked by wooden posts with waymarkers and occasional cairns (large piles of stones) to guide your way. The descent follows a grassy path leading onto Walden Road, a mix of grassy and rocky terrain. As you make your way downhill for nearly 1½ miles, enjoy sweeping views of the valley carved by Cam Gill Beck, which will remain on your left.

Eventually, you’ll reach a junction with a public footpath and a signpost. Here, follow the route signposted to Starbotton rather than Buckden Lead Mine. Continue downhill into Starbotton village, crossing a bridge over Cam Gill Beck before turning right to meet the B6160 main road. Turn left onto the road and follow it south through the village. As you leave Starbotton, turn right at the footpath signposted for Arncliffe, Kettlewell, and Buckden.

Follow the path between the dry stone walls, descending towards the River Wharfe. Cross the footbridge and turn right at the signpost for Buckden, joining the Dales Way. This scenic riverside section of your Buckden Pike walk offers a peaceful and relatively flat route. After approximately one-third of a mile, where the river bends to the right, continue straight ahead along the footpath.

The path remains well-defined, and after just under a mile, it returns closer to the riverbank. Keep heading forward along the Dales Way, which soon widens into a stone track. Pay close attention to the waymarkers, as you’ll need to take a downhill path on your right, signposted to Buckden. Continue following the riverside trail for another half a mile, eventually reaching Dubb’s Lane.

At this point, turn right and cross the river using the road bridge. From here, simply follow the road back into Buckden village, where your Buckden Pike walk comes to an end. To round off the day, why not stop by The Buck Inn for a well-earned drink or a hearty meal?

Buckden Pike Walk: Distance, Duration, Statistics

Recommended Ordnance Survey Map

The best map to use on this walk is the Ordnance Survey map of the Yorkshire Dales Northern & Central Area, reference OS Explorer OL30, scale 1:25,000. It clearly displays footpaths, rights of way, open access land and vegetation on the ground, making it ideal for walking, running and hiking. The map can be purchased from Amazon in either a standard, paper version or a weatherproof, laminated version, as shown below.

About Buckden Pike

Buckden Pike is a prominent fell located at the head of Wharfedale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Rising 702 metres (2303 feet) above sea level, it is the seventh-highest peak in the Dales, just below Great Whernside at 704 metres. It overlooks the village of Buckden in Upper Wharfedale and is a well-known destination for walkers and fell runners alike.

Top 7 Peaks in the Yorkshire Dales National Park

1. Whernside: 736 metres (2415 feet)
2. Ingleborough: 724 metres (2375 feet)
3. Great Shunner Fell: 716 metres (2349 feet)
4. High Seat: 709 metres (2326 feet)
5. Wild Boar Fell: 708 metres (2323 feet)
6. Great Whernside: 704 metres (2310 feet)
7. Buckden Pike: 702 metres (2303 feet)

For a complete list of the Dales 30 mountains in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, visit my blog:

https://www.paulbeal.com/dales-30

The Summit and Views

At the summit of Buckden Pike, a triangulation pillar stands as a marker. Previously, a cairn was also in place, but it has since been replaced with a new summit seat, providing a welcome rest spot for hikers. The views from the top are especially impressive, stretching out to the east and west.

To the east, the ridge runs from Little Whernside to Great Whernside, the highest peak in Wharfedale. Looking west, the landscape unfolds into the Yorkshire Dales National Park, with stunning sights of the Yorkshire 3 Peaks—Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough, and Whernside—as well as Birks Fell and Yockenthwaite Moor.

The Buckden Pike Walk and Fell Race

The Buckden Pike walk featured on this page follows a well-trodden route, guiding hikers through steep and rugged terrain with rewarding panoramic views. However, there are several alternative paths to the summit.

One option follows Buckden Beck, passing by the disused Buckden Lead Mine before joining a permitted footpath leading to the top. Another ascent starts from Starbotton, following Walden Road northwards. A longer and more demanding route begins in Kettlewell, climbing via Top Mere Road. In addition to these, there are other paths offering different perspectives of the fell.

Buckden Pike is also the site of the Buckden Pike Fell Race, which takes place annually on the third Saturday in June as part of the Buckden Village Gala. First held in 1981, the race was designed by Peter Jebb, who later modified the route in 1987 to increase the challenge. The course has remained unchanged since then and is now a key event in the fell running calendar, frequently selected as an English Championship race.

Buckden Pike Fell Race Records

• Men’s record: Finlay Wild (2022) – 30:39
• Women’s record: Carol Greenwood (1993) – 36:32

The Polish War Memorial and 1942 Bomber Crash

Roughly half a mile south of the summit, the Polish War Memorial stands in memory of the Wellington bomber crash that took place on 30 January 1942.

The Wellington bomber (N2848), from the RAF’s 18 Operational Training Unit, took off from RAF Bramcote in Warwickshire for a nighttime cross-country training flight. As it flew over Yorkshire, a severe snowstorm reduced visibility, making navigation difficult. The crew descended in search of recognisable landmarks but failed to identify Skipton.

Unaware of their exact location, they continued flying north at low altitude, unknowingly heading into the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Around lunchtime, villagers in Kettlewell and Starbotton noticed the aircraft flying unusually low. Shortly after, it crashed into Buckden Pike.

The Sole Survivor: Sergeant Joseph Fusniak

Of the six Polish airmen on board, five lost their lives. The rear gunner, Sergeant Joseph Fusniak, was the only survivor. His rear turret broke away upon impact, which likely spared him from the worst of the crash.

Despite sustaining a broken ankle, Fusniak managed to crawl through the snow, searching for help. He followed what he believed were fox tracks, which led him to the hamlet of Cray, where local residents rescued him.

The Buckden Pike Memorial Cross

In 1973, Fusniak’s son arranged for a memorial to be built near the crash site. The Buckden Pike Memorial Cross, unveiled by Fusniak in 1972, honours the five fallen airmen who perished on 31 January 1942. The memorial stands at about 695 metres above sea level.

The structure consists of a stone cairn set into a concrete base, topped with a plain Latin cross. At the base, a cast bronze fox head symbolises the fox that led Fusniak to safety. Additionally, pieces of Duralumin, taken from the Wellington bomber’s geodetic framework, are incorporated into the monument.

Memorial Inscription

THANKSGIVING TO GOD
THE PARKER FAMILY AND LOCAL PEOPLE
AND IN MEMORY OF
FIVE POLISH AIRMEN WHO DIED
HERE ON 31 JANUARY 1942
BURIED AT NEWARK
THE SURVIVOR

Buckden Pike Walk: My Photos

Our Buckden Pike walk starts at the car park in the centre of Buckden village, and we begin with an immediate climb. The track leads us north, ascending towards Rakes Wood, a small woodland on the lower western slopes of Buckden Pike. This route also forms part of A Pennine Journey.

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As we climb through Rakes Wood, the views to the west open up. Below, Wharfedale stretches out, with the River Wharfe just visible as it winds through the valley. Opposite, the steep slopes of Birks Fell rise dramatically.

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From Rakes Wood, we also see a great view to the north-west towards Hubberholme. The valley floor below marks the meeting point of Upper Wharfedale and Langstrothdale.

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Leaving Rakes Wood, we pass a rocky outcrop on our right. Near the top of this section, we reach Buckden Rake and complete the first steady climb of the walk.

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Beyond Buckden Rake, we begin our ascent to the summit of Buckden Pike. A grassy path leads uphill across Cow Close, reaching an altitude of about 430 metres. Because the path follows a diagonal route up the hillside, the gradient remains steady rather than steep.

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After Cow Close, the climb continues. We still have over a mile to reach the summit, but with good weather, it feels like a steady, manageable ascent. We take our time, enjoying the views as they expand around us.

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The scenery improves with every step. This stretch of the Buckden Pike walk is a highlight, especially on a clear day. A dry stone wall runs down the hillside towards the tiny hamlet of Cray in the valley below, backed by the steep slopes of Chapel Moor.

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At a bend in the path, the gradual ascent shifts to a steeper climb. As we approach the summit of Buckden Pike at around 630 metres, the gradient increases sharply. Large stone steps make the climb easier and help prevent erosion on the well-trodden route.

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At about 670 metres, we know we’re nearly there. The final section is well-maintained, with large stone flagstones making the climb more comfortable and protecting the path from erosion. The summit is just ahead.

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We reach the triangulation pillar and seating area at the summit of Buckden Pike, standing at 702 metres (2303 feet).

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From the summit, the views stretch to the south-west. Beyond Birks Fell, we spot Fountains Fell, Pen-y-Ghent, and Plover Hill about eight miles away. Further out, around 14 miles away, Ingleborough appears on the horizon.

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We follow a paved stone path south beside a dry stone wall towards the Memorial Cross. A signpost marks the ‘Suggested Route to War Memorial’. The path is level and just over half a mile long across the plateau.

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At the southern end of the Buckden Pike plateau, we reach the Memorial Cross, which stands at around 695 metres (2282 feet), just a few metres lower than the summit. The wind is much stronger at this height, so we don’t stay long before moving on.

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From the Memorial Cross, we continue along a dry stone wall for about a quarter of a mile. This section is often boggy, especially after rain. Some walkers stay close to the wall, while others weave slightly to the left to avoid the worst of the mud. Either way, boots get muddy, but it’s a short, manageable stretch.

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At the end of the boggy section, we reach a boundary stone. From here, the views extend towards Naughtberry Hill and Brown Haw, with the distant Height of Hazely visible in Wensleydale.

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We turn right through a gate in the dry stone wall, marking the start of our descent to Starbotton, which lies about two miles ahead.

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Descending Starbotton Fell is a highlight of the walk. The varied terrain makes it an interesting section, and wooden posts and large cairns guide the way. However, the well-defined path makes navigation easy.

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Following Walden Road, we walk above the western slopes of a valley formed by Cam Gill Beck. To the left, we see the valley head, where small streams cut deep channels before merging with the beck.

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Almost at the valley floor, we find a great spot to stop for lunch. Below, Wharfedale stretches out, with the River Wharfe meandering south-east towards Kettlewell.

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After lunch, we continue down the track and arrive in the village of Starbotton.

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From Starbotton, we follow a path to the River Wharfe and cross a wooden footbridge. After the windy summit, the sheltered conditions at river level make this part of the Buckden Pike walk especially pleasant.

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Beyond the footbridge, we follow the River Wharfe north. This section forms part of the Dales Way, and the riverside walk is both scenic and enjoyable. With just over two miles to go, we settle into a steady pace.

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A footbridge takes us over Step Gill as we continue through Wharfedale. From here, only about a mile remains, following the river along the valley floor.

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With Buckden in sight, we walk through beautiful pastureland along the Dales Way. The final stretch of our Buckden Pike walk is just as scenic as the first.

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Reaching Dubb’s Lane, we cross the River Wharfe via the road bridge and approach Buckden.

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Back in the village, we complete our Buckden Pike walk. The journey has been rewarding, with stunning landscapes from start to finish.

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