Route: Aysgill Force
Area: Yorkshire Dales
Date of walk: 25th August 2015
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 4.6 miles
Weather: Mostly overcast with some brighter spells
I parked in the Dales Countryside Museum car park in the centre of Hawes, the home of Wensleydale cheese. It’s a busy honeypot market town, even more so today as the weekly Tuesday market was trading. The theme of today’s walk was to be waterfalls and it wasn’t long before I saw one – Gayle Beck rushing through the centre of the town on its way to join the River Ure
I walked past the church, which was wrapped in scaffolding and protective sheets as part of a renovation project, and followed a path through the fields into the adjoining village of Gayle
After leaving Gayle I followed the bank of the beck towards Aysgill Force, which I could hear long before I saw it. I continued along the valley past the spectacular waterfall, turning back towards Hawes at West Close Barn. As I neared Gayle I rejoined the original path and retraced my steps back to the start
There was another waterfall treat in store though – after driving out of Hawes I parked by Holme Heads Bridge, about 2 miles out of the town, and walked along the well made footpath to Cotter Force. It was a 5 minute stroll to the waterfalls – a beautiful sight and well worth the short detour
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
Just beyond the start of the walk - Gayle Beck as it rushes through Hawes
Start of the footpath from Hawes to Gayle
Gayle Beck again, this time running through Gayle
Walking through Gayle
Leaving Gayle along the lonely valley of Sleddale
I follow the sign to Aysgill Force
The path follows the course of the beck below on the left…
One of the old stone barns that typify the Dales landscape
Approaching Aysgill Force
Aysgill Force
Looking over the edge of the falls
I follow the course of the beck further into Sleddale
Approaching West Close Barn
West Close Barn - just beyond this point I follow a path on the other side of the valley back to Hawes
Looking towards the head of Sleddale
Start of the track back to Hawes
Looking back to the head of Sleddale, with Beggarmans Road on the left
Looking across the valley
Hawes comes into view
Path back to Hawes
Gayle again as I retrace my footsteps back to the start
Hawes ahead, with its church in the course of renovation
Walking through Hawes
Back to the museum car park and the end of the walk
Cotter Force - a short drive from Hawes and well worth the detour
