For those of you that are thinking of going onto the hills I would strongly recommend that you read the advice given by the Mountain Rescue organisation of England and Wales. To read this advice, which will open in a new page please click HERE. If you would like to make a donation to the Mountain Rescue organisation which is purely voluntary please click HERE. Please make the time to read the advice page.

We set off from home on a very dull & dreary morning not really knowing what the day would bring. My primary reason for travelling to Stainforth was to visit the site of the old Craven Lime Works to see for myself the Hoffman Kiln, or to be precise what remains of the Hoffman Kiln. The interest in this comes from the Trowbarrow Ouarry near Silverdale which used to have one but all remains have been cleared. When we arrived at Stainforth it was a wee bit brighter so we took the rucsacs with us thinking we could make a short walk with a return along the River Ribble......but things change!

Route Map

Having left the car at Stainforth there was a short walk back aloong the road towards Settle to gain access to the quarry the face of which can be seen ahead.

I should have taken this in close up.....I have never seen a more sorry looking horse than this one looked as we passed.

We are now off the road and heading towards the quarry.

Below us is the track of the Settle - Carlisle railway.

Before long we arrived at the old site which as been marked out as a trail. Unfortunately with us entering at this end the board numbers are out of sequence but no less informative.

We first visited the 3 Draw Kilns that belong to another company (see above)

For safety reasons the top of the kilns are walled and fenced off. You can just see the holes that are the tops of two of them in this picture.

Next was a descent to see the bottoms of the kilns which are rather overgrown.

This is the bottom of one of the kilns which are overgrown

Next we moved on towards the Hoffman Kiln stopping first to see the tramway along which the limestone blocks were brough from the quarry.

The tramway ran in a tunnel under the spoil heaps. All that moves in there now is a channel of limey water.

An outside view of the kiln. It is massive and difficult to get into the picture.

This is how it would have looked and gives an explanation as to how it was worked.

Looking down one side of the interior of the kiln.

and again down the other side.

There is more to see but after a visit to the quarry we decided to have a short walk.

We picked up this gently rising path to Langcliffe

After a short climb we had the company of the Settle - Carlisle railway track for a while.

A well walked path guides us upwards and ahead

Looking down and over the railway and road to the River Ribble

A look back along the valley

and ahead towards Langcliffe

I'm discussing our options when we reach the end of this path.....think Edith is saying "why ask me, you'll do as you want"

With the cloud lifting and the possibility of better views Option 1 , a return along the river was ditched for a return over the top. This is the start of our return route.

From here there was a good view of the top of the quarry face.

Our path climbed steadily up towards the quarry top.

From near the top of the climb we could see Langcliffe Scar

Kooking back down towards Langcliffe

Easier walking now as we pass Lower Winskill

and Upper Winskill

Our path eventually joined the Pennine Bridleway which would take us back to to Stainforth. That's a gloomy looking Pen y ghent in the distance.

Its Pennine Way partner Fountains Fell at the other side of Silverdale.

As we walked down towards Catrigg Beck we met the only two people we had seen on the walk.

A look over Ribblesdale to Smearsett Scar.

Ingleborough had its head in the clouds.

At the top of the walled lane leading down to Stainforth is this fingerpost to Catrigg Force. Well worth a visit if there's a bit of water coming down the beck.

Here's a picture from a previous visit.

All downhill now

I think Ediths going to start jogging.

It's easy this way!!

Entering Stainforth

And finally....yes it's a pub.....well there ain't no cafe

Next Walk:    19th March 2010 - Yorkshire Dales - The Norber Erratics and Crummackdale   

Last Walk:    16th March 2010 - Lake District - A Great Langdale walkabout 

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