Ingleton Waterfalls Trail

Ingleton Waterfalls Trail

Thornton Force
Length 8 km (5 mi)
Location Ingleton, North Yorkshire, England
Trailheads Ingleton, North Yorkshire (circular)
Use Hiking
Hiking details
Trail difficulty Easy to Moderate
Season All year

Ingleton Waterfalls Trail is a well-known circular trail beginning and ending in the village of Ingleton in the English county of North Yorkshire, now maintained by the Ingleton Scenery Company. It is claimed that the trail, some 8 kilometres (5 mi) long, and with a vertical rise of 169 m (554 feet) has some of the most spectacular waterfall and woodland scenery in the north of England. It is on private land and an entrance fee is charged.

Beginnings

Following a number of articles in the Lancaster Guardian and other newspapers about the scenery in and around Ingleton, public interest led to the creation of the trail in an area which was previously hidden from view. Paths and bridges were built and the trail opened on Good Friday, 11 April 1885.[1] The presence of Ingleton railway station played a major role in the early success of the trail, attracting visitors from Bradford, Manchester and Leeds.[2]

Geology

Cross section of the geology of the River Twiss section of the walk

Ingleton lies on the North and South Craven fault, exposing Carboniferous and Ordovician rocks. The mysterious Ingletonian rock has been classified as Ordivician.[3]

The walk

Starting in the Broadwood car park the trail takes walkers along the banks of the River Twiss, through Swilla Glenn with its coin embedded tree and on to Pecca Falls, Pecca Twin Falls, Holly Bush Spout and Thornton Force. A footbridge bridge crosses the Twiss and leads on to Twistleton Lane, where in summer there is often an Ice Cream Van waiting to serve hot and thirsty tourists. Following Twistleton Lane down past Scar End Farm and Twistleton Hall the walk crosses Oddies Lane to Beezley's Farm.

Beezly Falls.

Past Beezley’s the trail starts its descent along the banks of the River Doe. This river emerges near God's Bridge close to the settlement of Chapel-le-Dale and flows gently until it reaches the waterfalls walk at Beezley's Falls Triple Spout (with its three waterfalls side-by side). As the trail continues, you look down 18 metres (59 feet) onto Rival Falls and then onto Baxenghyl Gorge, Snow Falls and finally walk through Twistleton Glenn and back to Ingleton.

In Ingleton, the Twiss and the Doe meet to form the River Greta, which in turn flows into the River Lune.

English Nature designated the River Twiss and River Doe areas of the Waterfalls Trail as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to the interesting plants and animals and the geological structures located there.[4]

References

Footnotes
    Notes
    1. ↑ Ingleton Waterfalls Trail. "History of the Trail". Retrieved 9 July 2007.
    2. ↑ Ingleton Waterfalls Trail: History. Retrieved 16 July 2012
    3. ↑ CPGS 2003.
    4. ↑ English Nature (1984). "Thornton and Twistleton Glens" (PDF). Retrieved 9 July 2007.
    Bibliography

    CPGS (2003). "Ingleton Waterfalls trail" (PDF). Craven and Pendle Geological Society. Retrieved 5 March 2014. 

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    Coordinates: 54°9.26′N 2°28.28′W / 54.15433°N 2.47133°W / 54.15433; -2.47133

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