The walk along the embryonic River Swale and subsequent climb on to the moors above makes for an enjoyable day out. When much of the paths are becoming increasingly wet and muddy the 4x4 tracks up high make for excellent winter walking.
There is parking in Keld. Take the bridleway next to the church for 200 metres heading SW (above the river on your left). Turn left and drop to cross the embryonic River Swale and then right to join the Pennine Way. Within 200 metres is Kisdon Force, an impressive waterfall, particularly after heavy rain.
Continue along the main track for half a kilometre. A footpath now leaves the track, forks left and passes through the remains of Crackpot Hall, a two-story house of legend and mystery. After Crackpot Hall the path bends NNE to remain high above Swinner Gill (ahead and to your right), before dropping to a footbridge after half a kilometre.
The path now heads east alongside East Grain, passing some disused mining buildings, before climbing steeply out on to the moors. The mountains and hillsides of Swaledale are rich in history. Lead mining transformed the landscape and today the bare rough slopes, ruined buildings and mines bear testament to rugged times in the 19th Century.
Swinner Gill is a very good example of this, Crackpot Hall was used at its core with the steep sided gill perfect for the thousands of miners to dig the precious lead from the hills. Above the gill join a 4x4 track on the moors and follow for a further half mile to a gate and fence.
Just past here the track divides, turn north (left) and follow the track for over a mile past some shooting butts and a small lodge to the high point. A small summit cairn is 100 metres on the left perched on a peat hag. It is the most northerly of the ‘Dales 30’ mountains.
The name Rogan’s Seat is over 1,000 years ago and of Norse origin and apparently means Rogan’s Upland Pasture. This is typical of Swaledale where places are names after people of times yore. There are also a number of seats but these are spread through the Dales and include Lovely Seat, Citron Seat and Simon’s Seat.
Return to the track and continue north through a gate before turning west. The ‘road’ finishes in a turning circle, carry on along a rutted track past more shooting butts. After the last butt the tracks become less used and rutted.
Just prior to reaching East Gill the path turn south (left) and start to contour the river below. The path is intermittent but keep to the contour (the stream becomes further away as it falls through a steep sided ravine). After one and a half miles cross a fence and as a second fence is approached the path drops steeply and passes under the fence.
From here the path is more clear, eventually passing through a gate and through a field back to the bridleway above the River Swale. Keld is barely ten minutes walk from here.
Walk facts
Distance: Roughly eight miles
Height to climb: 430m (1410 feet).
Start: NY 892011. A small car park is in the centre of the village.
Difficulty: Hard. The walk is on good tracks until the return above the river. Here the path is intermittent and rough.
Refreshments: The take away café is open Fri/Sat/Sun in winter and nearby Keld Lodge, serving food and drink.
Be prepared: The route description and sketch map only provide a guide to the walk. You must take out and be able to read a map (O/S Explorer OL30) and in cloudy/misty conditions a compass. You must also wear the correct clothing and footwear for the outdoors. Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers head out at their own risk.
Please observe the Countryside Code and park sensibly.
- Jonathan Smith is the owner of Where2walk, a walking company based in the Yorkshire Dales. He has written three books on walking in the Dales, The Yorkshire 3 Peaks, The Dales 30 mountains and Walks without Stiles. All these books (and more) are available direct from the Where2walk website making an excellent Christmas gift. Jonathan also runs navigation courses (for beginners and more advanced) and a series of guided days in the Dales including the popular ‘Dales 30’ Weekenders. The 2025 dates are now available on the website. Where2walk.co.uk features hundreds of walks with descriptions across Yorkshire and beyond, from easy strolls to harder climbs. Visit the website for details of all these walks, guiding days and navigation courses.
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