Swaledale round route – route help needed

Morning all,

Many many years ago I did a spectacular route from a website that no longer exists called MTB Britain. The route was called The Swaledale Round Route by Ben Freeman. Fortunately I still have a paper copy so Ive plotted it on OS Maps but I’m wondering if there is a better option that descending the road in Arkengarthdale down to Reeth? There appears to be a bridleway down from Cringley Hill on Reeth Low Moor that goes down through “Nova Soctia” to Healaugh which I’ve plotted here. Do any of you know if this is a good alternative to the road descent?

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/17104263/the-swaledale-round-route-mtb-britain?lat=54.400310&lon=-2.053532&zoom=11.9489&style=Leisure&type=2d

Thankyou

That’s the route I usually use. Not a spectacular downhill but a nice drop into the woods behind Thirnswood Hall or straight down into Healaugh itself and a short ride into Reeth

I’d stay high on to the driveway/road before taking the the “footpath” (actually a wide track), under the single building and contour round under the 350m marker to the track, peel right there and take the “other route with public access” down to ridings and Reeth.

The Swaledale Round Route by Ben Freeman.

That’s me!

Swaledale Round by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

Although not ridden it for 10+ years, so no idea if anything has changed.

About 12 years ago they added gates to the descent from Crackpot Hall down to Rampsholme bridge, which I’m pretty sure were purely to slow MTBs down as it’s a very popular BW with walkers etc.

Ah hey up Ben! Such a good route, one of my favourite ever. Doing it this Saturday.

Ok will check these options out cheers

There’s still an awful lot of avoidable road in it!

Looking in particular at the long drag up and back to Gunnerside, you could turn left after the Fremington Edge descent, take one of the BWs across from Arkle Town to rejoin your route at Fore Gill Gate, then turn left and head to Surrender Bridge, head up towards Gunnerside Gill, with lots of brilliant options back towards Gunnerside.

The best known roughly follows the east side of Gunnerside Gill, heading for the diagonal descent to Gunnerside which starts in Low Row Pasture. There is a tech descent to join this, but the other BWs which head for Low Row Pasture are easy and fun.

Conditions should be really good, enjoy!

That descent to Thiernswood Hall is known locally as ‘Angry Man’ and is bloody great fun.

Oh, one more thing, take a lot of care crossing the road ford at Fore Gill Gate, it has a steep entry on both sides which tempts you to pick up speed, and will be slimy and very slippery in the current weather.

Not criticising any of the above, I’m a v occasional visitor and slightly inspired to get up there by this, tomorrow maybe as it’s been a while. But anyway some possible tweaks…

Looking at the Footflaps version, from Langthwaite instead of down to Reeth, go up the Turf Moor Rd and then up the brideway that this route has you coming down. This works well as a climb (and I see is where some of the OP’s route has it going). And carry on to the fun descent into Gunnerside Gill. Oh and it would shorten the route, but that bridleway down to winterings is a fast as you dare go absolute blast. There’s also good stuff on the south side of swaledale. It’s been too long…

There’s still an awful lot of avoidable road in it!

Yep, you can come back via various low level BWs, but they never really did much for me, so I just ended up back on the road as it’s pretty quiet normally and still quite picturesque. Plus I’d normally had enough by the time I’d got to Reeth.

martinhutch – sound advice, I will heed that!

smogmonster – I like the sound of Angry Man!

dangeourbrain – ok nice tweak, as long as it doesn’t upset the Angry Man

footflaps – I agree with you re the last road section. If I remember correctly, this is a big ride and some tarmac was welcome at the end

Well we did it and it was amazing – but I’d completely forgotten about that descent to Booze, wow, fast, jumpy, grassy into loose, rocky and twisty!

Thanks for the angry man tip and we diverted over the Brownsey Moor bridleway at the end to avoid the last road descent which worked out well.

As a couple have mentioned above, there’s defo more to try out up there which we didn’t include on this trip, but overall a perfect day and a fantastic route.

Updated map with our route change here

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/17104263/the-swaledale-round-route-mtb-britain-30-miles?lat=54.384618&lon=-2.022981&zoom=12.2756&style=Leisure&type=2d

Started and finished at the Punchbowl Inn in Feetham, right at the bottom of the last bridleway descent