Calver Hill and Fremington Edge
1 SE038992 From the wide green in the centre of Reeth, walk west alongside the B6270 for 300m and turn right up a walled track named Skelgate Lane. This bends left sharply after 180m and continues for another 800m to a gate leading onto open moorland (Open Access land). Walk west-northwest for 1.3km, over gently rising ground called Riddings Rigg, and aim for an isolated length of wall which leads the way towards the cairn on top of Calver Hill.
2 NZ012003 From the summit, walk due west for approx. 850m to meet a bridleway. Turn right, then veer right after 600m, onto a track which turns north-east and descends to a cattle grid by the road at Raw Bank House. Turn left for 300m and take a narrow lane forking right at Arkle Town (actually a small hamlet). By the last house, look for a stone stile which gives access across an old graveyard. Leave via a small gate and descend, through trees, to the riverside. Cross the timber footbridge and turn left on a track, next to the river, to arrive into the centre of Langthwaite after 750m. 3 NZ005024 Turn right, past the Red Lion Inn, and follow the narrow lane which twists steeply uphill below Langthwaite Scar and continues east to Booze (no pub here, sadly!) Continue to the end of the lane and fork right on a field path, immediately turn left on a walled bridleway which crosses a field and leaves via a gate in the far wall. You are now into Open Access land and the moorland ahead is pitted with the heavy marks of old lead mining activity, including scars created when dammed streams were allowed to pour downhill to expose veins of lead. These were known as hushes and the nearby North Rake Hush is still marked on the OS map. The bridleway weaves east, north, then south-east along the crest of the hill, to a gate by a junction of walls.
4 NZ030022 Go through the gate onto Fremington Edge and turn right with a wall on the right. The top of the escarpment stretches ahead in a south-easterly direction for 5km, but you may be surprised that the National Park stops over the wall. There are several opportunities to cross the wall and take in the buzzard’s-eye view over Swaledale and Reeth. The path eventually passes through a couple of gates as it dips to a lane. 5 SE067990 Turn right at the lane and walk downhill for 1.5km. Take the first path on the right and walk northnorth-west over fields, through a series of gates, to a minor lane at High Fremington. Turn left for 70m, then go right and walk on a lane for 150m until it turns left. Go through a gate, join a track and fork left on a signed path dropping downhill, via three gates and through patches of scrub, to meet the road at a gate by the B6270. Turn right, cross the road bridge over the river and follow the pavement back to Reeth.