North-west from Glasshouses to Pateley Bridge on the Six Dales Trail, which follows the course of the River Nidd. West on the Nidderdale Way then south to The Coldstones Cut. Along the B6265 road to Greenhow, before heading north to Ashfold Side via Bewerley Moor. Finally east to Pateley Bridge on the Nidderdale Way, then back alongside the river to Glasshouses. A 12-mile walk in Nidderdale.
Recommended Ordnance Survey Map
The best map to use on this walk is the Ordnance Survey map of Nidderdale, reference OS Explorer 298, 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.
Weatherproof Version
Ordnance Survey map of Nidderdale, reference OS Explorer 298, scale 1:25,000
Toft Gate Lime Kiln
Built sometime during the 1860s, the Toft Gate Lime Kiln was designed to feed the Victorian need for huge volumes of lime which was essential for mortar and as a fertiliser. The production process was difficult and often hazardous, and sometimes even children were expected to work long days breaking limestone to size. Despite this hardship, the kiln produced lime for over five decades.
Large yellow bicycle with tractor-sized tyres at Coldstones Cut.
The Coldstones Cut
This huge stone sculpture was designed by artist Andrew Sabin and its viewing platform overlooks Coldstones Quarry. The site is on the B6265 about two miles west of Pateley Bridge.
Coldstones Quarry
This is one of the highest quarries in the UK, situated about 1400 feet above sea level between Pateley Bridge and Greenhow. Operated by Hanson, it provides aggregates and asphalt for the construction industry and covers an area of about 30 hectares. It has six levels or benches, each one 15 to 18 metres high, and is 300 metres deep.
Prosperous Smelt Mill
Situated by the side of Ashfold Side Beck about 2½ miles west of Pateley Bridge, this was once a noisy, smelly and busy smelt mill. For over 100 years the mill processed lead ore dug from mineral veins that cross this landscape. The ore was heated in the smelt mill to extract the lead which could be sold for profit. The mine closed towards the end of the 19th century as lead prices began to fall due to competition from foreign imports. The more accessible levels had been exhausted and opening new ones proved too difficult and expensive.
Ashfold Side Beck.
Pateley Bridge
This is the only town in the Nidderdale AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). Its high street is dominated by independent retailers, including the Oldest Sweet Shop in the world, as validated by the Guinness World Records 2014 publication.
Pillars Past
Created by Joseph Hayton, Pillars Past comprises three figures, in a circular formation, representing the lead mining, agricultural and monastic past that has shaped the landscape in and around Pateley Bridge. The sculpture sits on an old railway turntable which operated between 1862 and 1964. Engines were turned around here to pull carriages back along the single track to Harrogate.
The Pillars Past sculpture: the farmer.
The Pillars Past sculpture: the lead miner.
The Pillars Past sculpture: the monk.
