Chasing Waterfalls in Ingleton

(Had to make the TLC reference in the title, for any other 90’s music aficionados.)

It was one of those days where we needed to get out. I mentioned previously we had a quiet week around home during the boys fall break. By the time the Sunday rolled around, a little too much TV/video game/whining about being bored pushed us to check something new off of the list. There’s so much varied landscape to explore, all within a few hours, and Tim’s coworker had recommended doing a hike called the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail. Luckily for us, the boys seemed open to hiking again as enough time must have passed from our last jaunt.

Ingleton is in the Yorkshire Dales, just under two hours to the north of us. We started the drive one Sunday morning in early November and arrived around lunchtime. The boys had already ate their packed lunch in the car because they were STARVING!

As we came into Ingleton, we first noticed the beautiful Ingleton Viaduct, an arched stone bridge spanning the town. It was part of an old train line, as Ingleton was once quite popular for its natural beauty as well as trading of textiles. Interestingly, two different railway companies each built a station in Ingleton, on either side of town at opposite ends of the viaduct, making travel a little difficult for people who had to switch trains and hurry to the other side of town!

We parked and paid for trail access (a lot of the trail is on private property and the money goes to the upkeep of the trail), and began our route. The route is approximately four miles long, with eight waterfalls along the way. It’s not easy by any means, with lots of climbing and steps and narrow pathways, but totally doable with children as long as you take your time.

For an extra quid, you could also get a children’s activity quiz, so we did. As we went through the turnstile, the man snuck stickers to me, saying “We probably won’t be here when you get back – give these to them when they complete their quiz.” The quiz took us to several markers along the route, and worked well to provide us with fun facts and help the boys how far along we were when the “how much longer??” kicks in.

One of the fun finds along the trail is known as the Money Tree, an old tree filled with aging copper and silver coins. Hammering a coin into the tree is said to bring good luck, similar to tossing coins into a fountain or attaching padlocks to a bridge. The boys were fascinated by the money tree (and surrounding money stumps, since the tree was pretty much full) and spent time looking for the oldest, most deteriorated coin they could find.

We had to of course aim for our own good luck, so we decided to pound a coin in. However, Tim and I searched our pockets and no pence or two-pence in sight, Tim sighed and gave up his pound coin. Steep price for a chance of luck, but hopefully it pays off. We hammered it into a nearby stump filled with coins and set on our way.

The trail took us along the banks of the River Twiss through the Swilla Glen, a wooded glen filled with different plans and trees. After a bit, we came to our first waterfall, Pecca Falls.  We spotted it from afar, then walked the Pecca bridge across to take it in.

We kept along the path, stopping once for a snack and to take in the sight of the largest and most impressive waterfall on the trail, Thorton Force.

From there, we continued hiking up through pastures of sheep and surrounded by old rock walls. This was Twistleton Lane, an old Roman road with views of the Yorkshire Dales and surrounding villages. The scenery was stunning and encapsulated everything we have learned to love about hikes in the English countryside, rolling hills divided by curving stone walls and filled with pastures of grazing sheep or cattle.

A little over halfway through the walk, there was a café so we stopped, rested our legs and had hot chocolate. It was getting ready to shut for the season, so we had extra helpings of two-for-one cakes (score!). At this point in early November, we had to be aware of the sun setting, so we kept on, stopping for a few weak attempts at family photos, but reenergized by the sweets.

The trail continued on to come alongside the River Doe, with three waterfalls close to one another, including the Baxengyhll Gorge – a whirling waterfall you can view from a perilous bridge over top.

Finally, the trail straightens out and takes you through old limestone quarries and fields, out into the village of Ingleton where you work your way back to the car.

The boys found all but the last sign post, and were excited to learn I already had the prize for them. I’m not sure that they thought a sticker was a suitable reward for finding 10 facts during a 4+ mile walk, but it was something. It was a successful hike and we piled back into the car. The boys seemed to appreciate the “wow” of the waterfalls and what we’d seen. The treats didn’t hurt either.

On the way to Ingleton, we spotted a beautiful three-arched bridge in the town of Kirkby Lonsdale known as the Devil’s Bridge. On a whim, we stopped there to take a closer look. Devil’s Bridge dates back to the 12^th or 13^th century, and got its name from this fable:

At the apex of the bridge, there’s a deep impression in the stone – often referred to as the devil’s handprint. The folk tale surrounding the handprint tells of an old woman who lived on the banks of the River Lune with a few animals. One night her cow strayed across the river and would not be tempted back, no matter how much she coaxed and implored. The devil appeared to her, offering to build a bridge in exchange for the soul of the first body to cross it. The devil constructed the bridge with his own hands, leaving a print in the wet stone. The next day the woman met the devil at the bridge and agreed to fulfil her part of the bargain. She took a bun from her bag and threw it across the bridge, whereupon her small dog raced across to retrieve it. The devil, in a fit of rage at being outwitted, howled in anger and vanished in a cloud of brimstone. (from kirkbylonsdale.co.uk)  Poor dog.

The bridge is too narrow for traffic now, it is only open for pedestrian and bike traffic. Cars and lorries are routed to the less ancient, but also beautiful and more colorful Stanley Bridge, built in the 1930s.

We stopped for a bit, but were ready to to eat and get home, so we wandered into town looking for a suitable place to eat. Usually, one of us will pop out of the car into a restaurant to inquire if it’s suitable for children (most of them are, and will hand me a children’s menu). We landed at the Sun Inn, a contemporary pub with a traditional feel in the bar area, but a more modern dining room in the back.

They placed us in the back dining room and we had a great meal, enjoying truffle popcorn to start, delicious pasta for the boys and great slow-roasted meat for Tim and me. We’ve found that sometimes you’ll get a pub where the food is mostly deep-fried and soggy, but sometimes you’ll get an amazing dining spot. We were lucky this time.

We made it home just in time unpack our muddy hiking gear, get the boys cleaned up and off to bed. It was the kind of day that was good for the soul – outside in the cool, crisp area, taking in the beauty of nature, and stepping away from the monotony of the day-to-day. Quiet days at home are great, but sometimes you need to lace up the boots and go exploring!

We’re geared up for our first Christmas here: the boys have completed Christmas concerts and nativities, and going to a pantomime and wearing Christmas jumpers later this week before school wraps. We’ll miss being with family and friends this year, but will make new memories together on Christmas. This morning was quite cold, and the frost on the fields could almost be mistaken for snow… we’ll consider that our White Christmas. Happy holidays to you all!