Hawes Mosaic Trail

We’d done parts of this walk before but never put it all together as in the Hawes Mosaic Trail. The Hawes Mosaic Trail is nine miles plus but our walk was going to be a little shorter, no matter, perhaps we would arrive back in better shape than walking the full length if walking just over seven miles, any excuse! The views around Hawes in upper Wensleydale and on the ‘mid’ level we walked are just lovely although we’d picked the wrong day as there were low clouds on the hills but it didn’t dampen our spirits and we enjoyed it to the full. A couple of short, sharp climbs but other than that easy going. You need to keep a sharp eye for the mosaic’s as we only managed to find four. We should have called at the Wensleydale Creamery or the Dales Countryside Museum for a leaflet. Next time we will be more prepared and we’ll complete the whole walk!

Please always go prepared. Wear suitable clothing, boots and take plenty of snacks and drinks. Plan your route beforehand, it is a little complicated, take GPS, compass and map.

Park in Hawes, lots of car parks to choose from, and probably the easiest is to make your way to The Wensleydale Creamery and then go north in the direction of Gayle along Gayle Lane. Walk past the children’s play area on your left and soon on the right your will see a bus stop. Immediately to the right of here is the footpath, OS X (Eastings) 387049 OS Y (Northings) 489418. Follow the path, mostly flagged through the houses and the fields to come out onto a little road, turn right. (I am a little confused as if walking with the ‘yellow man’ on Google Maps it’s called Garris but on Street Map it’s marked as Harker Hill) No matter, walk to the end to meet another road. Turn right again along Gaits/Buck Hill just for a few yards to the next stile on the left.

Through here and continue up the fields to the junction of paths. Here you have a choice, if like us you are making the route shorter then follow the Pennine Way, west*, or to go the longer route, south west, follow to Aysgill Force, a pretty little waterfall and beyond to OS X (Eastings) 386026 OS Y (Northings) 487641. Wonderful wild flowers along here in Spring and Summer. Turn more or less back on yourself to walk east back to *OS X (Eastings) 386558 OS Y (Northings) 488899. Both routes continue from here. Now we’re going north, pass Gaudy Lane and the next lane on the left is Bands Lane. Turn onto here and on reaching Cam Road at OS X (Eastings) 385690 OS Y (Northings) 489262, turn right and follow the track to the B6255. Turn right onto the road and after a few yards there is a path off to the left. Through here and continue to Thorney Mire House OS X (Eastings) 385215 OS Y (Northings) 489915. Look out for mosaic just here before you go through the gate onto the road if you haven’t spotted any before. Keep going along the road, past Appersett Viaduct, you will find a mosaic here too, after all that’s what we’re supposed to be doing on the Hawes Mosaic Trail!

Once in Appersett turn left over the bridge and follow the A684 down to New Bridge going over the river Ure. Soon you’ll come to junction and on the right another stile leading into a large field. Through here and straight ahead another way marker comes into view, through here, over Broad Carr Sike. (A Sike is a small stream or rill, typically one that flows through marshy ground and is often dry in summer.) (Had to Google that, as they say you learn something every day!) Follow the well worn path up the hill, through the gate, keep going to another junction of paths and turn right, OS X (Eastings) 385845 OS Y (Northings) 491603. Follow through the stiles and you will eventually come out in Hardrow by what looks like what once was the village school. Turn left. Immediately past the Green Dragon building  there is an open area, look for the stile on your right, behind the first cottage. Through here, it does look as if you are going through someone’s back yard but follow the flagged path, into pasture land and continue up the hill. I just had to stop and look at the view going up here my little legs would not allow me to continue!

At West House, OS X (Eastings) 386962 OS Y (Northings) 491466, turn right, east. Admire the walking sticks for sale here, far cheaper then in the town, and continue towards Sedbusk. You can either follow the path off to the right nearly at Sedbusk or continue into the hamlet for a little look. Pick up the path again and continue down the hill to the road just before Stone House Hotel. Over the road, through the stile, down to come out onto Burnt Acres Road and wend your way back to the east side of Hawes and your vehicle.

We have beautiful Burnside View in Hawes to sleep four with it’s own parking and of course all our Country Hideaways cottages are well within travelling distance of this little town. Call me Nadine or my daughter Joanne on 01969 663559 for friendly help and advice and to book your holiday over the phone or do book online if you prefer.

Hear from you quite soon!