Reeth High Moor and Great Pinseat
1 SE017990
From Healaugh, take the narrow lane leading north towards the open moor. This soon veers steeply left and continues to the farm at Thirns, after which the track forks. Take the right fork, rising gently to pass along the north side of a large-walled enclosure after 400m. Carry on for another 700m and continue west with a wall on the immediate left. Pass through the gate by Cringley Bottom and descend to cross a small steep valley with footbridge. A good path leads south-west, through heather, to an old smelting mill and associated buildings. Continue for another 150m to reach an unfenced road.
2 SD989999
Go straight across and join the track on the north side of Mill Gill for 1.5km until you reach the old lead mine buildings, known as the Old Gang Smelting Mill. Some of these have been conserved to prevent deterioration: chimneys, shafts and tips are dotted on either side of the valley and the line of a collapsed old flue rises, straight as an arrow, up the hillside to the north. This was built to vent toxic lead fumes out of the valley! Turn right, off the track, and follow the line of the flue (no path) as it rises over Reeth High Moor, where an indistinct track from the east contours to a halt.
3 NY977011
Now turn north-west for 1.5km over the heathery and pathless sweep of Surrender Moss and Little Pinseat to reach a wide expanse of bare spoil heaps – you might suddenly think you’ve landed on the moon. Cross a rough track and walk north for 250m towards a large grey cairn built on top of more old mining activity. The true summit of Great Pinseat is marked by a trig point on the far side of a well-built wall (it’s not worth risking damage to the stonework to climb, but if you’re keen, on another day, you can reach the top from the north, via Whaw Edge above Arkengarthdale).
4 NY970026
Walk west, with the wall on your right, for 350m. Turn left, over more scarred land, and meet a track which descends west alongside mining remains at Forefield Rake and continues across the head of Flincher Gill. The track turns south, through a gate, and passes a large patch of spoil on the right – when this stops, fork right off the track, over open moorland and across Doctor Gill, to meet a solid track running in an east-west direction. Go across and join another track leading south, with ruins and a walled enclosure on the left – in the 19th century a miner and his wife lived here with their 21 children. Follow this for 2km to Slade Head, then fork left across the moor for 1.25km to pass through a gate by a sheepfold.
5 SD967984
Turn left across Low Row Pasture and continue east, over Open Access land, to walk north of the cottages at Blades. Turn left to join a track, with a wall on the right. Pass through a gate and fork right over moorland after a small ford. Rough paths lead east to an unfenced road; go straight over and walk south of a walled enclosure. Walk for 600m to reach an unfenced road – turn right for 2km to return to Healaugh.