Hardraw Force and Aysgarth Falls, Yorksire Dales

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This morning dawned grey and overcast, but at least the rain had stopped! After settling our account at the Inglenook Guest House we went in search of Hardraw Force, a waterfall on the Hardraw Beck in Hardraw Scar, a wooded ravine just outside the hamlet of Hardraw which is not far from Hawes.

The waterfall is a single drop of 100 feet from a rocky overhang, which makes it (allegedly) England's highest unbroken, aboveground waterfall. Its other claim to fame is that it was used as a location in the film 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' - in the scene where Maid Marian catches Robin Hood bathing under a waterfall. So, you would think that this waterfall would be easy to find wouldn't you???!

Not so, for these two hapless Aussie tourists!! First, we had to drive past Ribblehead Viaduct (again!) on our way to Hawes ... and resist the temptation to take any more photographs. Then the SatNav wouldn't accept Hardraw Force as a destination, but we thought that when we reached Hawes there would be really conspicuous signs pointing us in the direction of this (in)famous waterfall. Unfortunately, we drove out the other side of Hawes without spotting any signs to Hardraw Force!

We turned around and drove back through Hawes - all the way back to the other side of the village without finding any signage for Hardraw Force. The red asterisk on the AA map indicated that we needed to turn north so we turned onto the only road that we had seen heading in that direction. We started climbing a steepish hill and came to an intersection that still showed no signage for Hardraw Falls. Left or right, left or right? Of course we turned right and about 50 yards along the road decided that we should have gone left. We turned around again!! It was no easy feat for Bernie to execute all of these six point turns on skinny roads hemmed in by dry-stone fences and hedge-rows!!

We were heading now towards Hardraw, but the AA map showed Hardraw Force not in Hardraw, but on the road up the Buttertubs Pass so we turned right and started driving up towards the pass. We reached the peak and started down the other side so we knew that we had either missed the waterfall or we were still not looking in the right place!!

By this stage we were just about ready to give up on seeing England's highest waterfall, but Bernie stopped at a viewing point at Buttertubs Pass and asked some people if they knew where to find Hardraw Pass. As luck would have it, they were locals and not only did the know where to find it - they told us to follow them and they would take us to it. A big thank you to the friendly and helpful Yorkshire locals!!

Hmmn, the problem was that public viewing of Hardraw Force is rather unusual - you have to go through the bar of the Green Dragon Inn public house - right in Hardraw - to reach the falls. We had to pay an entrance fee of £2.00/each at the parlour bar on our way through the pub. After spending 40 minutes trying to find the damn thing it only took us five minutes to walk from the back door of the pub to Hardraw Force and another five minutes to take a few photos. What a shame our hostess at the B&B didn't mention how difficult the waterfall is to find and provide us with some directions when we told her over breakfast that that was where we were headed!!

OK, next stop Aysgarth Falls. Thank goodness these falls were easily found!! Aysgarth Falls are a triple flight of waterfalls, surrounded by forest and farmland, carved out by the River Ure over an almost a one-mile stretch on its descent to mid-Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales of England, near the village of Aysgarth.

Despite the 40 minutes we lost searching for the elusive Hardraw Force, we still had time (just) to walk to the lower, middle and upper falls that make up the Aysgarth Falls. These falls also provided William Turner with inspiration for his landscape paintings AND the upper fall was featured in the film 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' - in the scene where Robin and Little John fight each other with wooden staves across the top of a small waterfall.

With two more British waterfalls under our belts we programmed the SatNav for Stalybridge. From the falls we headed off on the B6160 via West Burton, Kettlewell and Rylstone until we reached the A59 near Skipton. We followed the A59 until we took the turn off for Colne on the A56. At Colne we turned onto the A6068 briefly until it became the M65. We skirted Burnley on the motorway and then turned south traveling on the A56 until Ramsbottom and then the M66 until we hit the Manchester Ring Road. From there it was just a short hop to Stalybridge and we made it with 25 minutes to spare before my appointment with the beautician.

After my appointment I met Bernie, Kath and Albert down at Bower Fold, the football stadium in Stalybridge. This afternoon and evening the ground was hosting the annual 'Battle of the Bands'. Brass bands, that is. Bower Fold is just one venue in the district that plays host to the bands.

The whole thing is sort of like a progressive band competition. A coach pulls up and the band disembarks. They form up at one end of the car park and play a tune as they march to the stadium gate. Then they enter the stadium and they play their piece for the judge. While they are playing the next coach is disgorging another brass band into the car park. When each band's piece has been played, the band piles out of the stadium and back onto the coach to be taken to the next venue while the next band forms up and marches to the gate. And that goes on all afternoon and into the evening!!

We had a few attempts at videoing this spectacle, but with limited success. Fortunately our best effort records the local Stalybridge Brass Band marching down the car park for their performance.

After watching the bands for a while we headed back to Kath and Albert's with Colin, Lucy, India and Amelia for Indian food. Afterwards we played cards with Colin and Lucy. Kath was unstoppable tonight winning almost every round of Jo and the pot!!

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Comments

[Caroline Brunner]

LIKE.
Hey Tracey, pls just enjoy your holiday and forget about your blog ~ at least the incredible details you are taking such pains to share with your friends. I really admire your energy to constantly update your blog. I'm afraid I barely have time to write in my diary let alone share my daily adventures like you do. Sorry the weather turned bad for you. If it's any consolation the weather here in Melbourne is just as bad. But we have an excuse - it's officially Winter now!! Cheers, Caroline

[Trabern]

I enjoy blogging
Hi Caroline, Please rest assured that the detail in my blogs is for us and our friends are just lucky to be able to share the record that we are keeping for ourselves (if they choose). We find that even with a photographic record memories fade so quickly and it it great to be able to go back to the travel diary to review what were were doing and how we were feeling!! Cheers Tracey.

[Janet]

lucky guess?
Let me guess, who had the pint and who had the hot chocolate?? Duh! One thing you can rely on is buckets of rain when you go for a hike in Yorkshire. What a joy, so glad you packed your wet weather gear. Phil and I visited Hardraw Force and Aysgarth Falls back in 1992 with Kathleen and Michael, back when my uncle was still alive. Just seeing your photos brings back those happy memories of the time we spent with them on that visit. Seems we were lucky to go there with locals as I don't recall any dramas getting there. They were such brilliant tour guides and we enjoyed all our long Yorkshire hikes with them. Kathleen continues to be the person who we turn to for any UK tourist advice to this day. Bernie, we loved your waterfall photos and the Birds of Prey pics were brilliant too. Your cameras pick up the fine detail in their feathers beautifully. Sorry to hear about the car dramas back home. Hopefully the cause has now been diagnosed and there won't be any further problems once repaired.