Winskill and Catrigg Force

It's a bit of a struggle at the moment finding places to go which are quiet. All the good weather we are having is bringing people out in their droves. The Yorkshire Dales National Park have brought out a car park update on their website and most weekend they are all just about full. Malham is always the first to fill and that is quickly followed by Horton-in-Ribblesdale. After scratching my head for a bit, I came up with the idea of parking on the Langcliffe to Malham rroad and walking down to Winskill Stones and Catrigg Force.

I have been to Winskill a lot and blogged it before. It only takes about fifteen minutes to reach from the car and that includes photo stops but its another of those places where you can make your walk as long or as short as you want.

I decided to incorporate a visit to Catrigg Force, a beautifully hidden waterfall just out of Stainforth. I got my bearings slightly wrong at first but after climbing a few gates I eventually found the bridleway coming out of the village and followed that in to the gorge where the force resides. As you can tell from the photos, there wasn't much water coming down at all but that didn't detract from its beauty. I think another visit in autumn would be a good idea. Whilst down by the falls I was treated to the sound of a cuckoo calling in the surrounding woodland which finished the walk off nicely.

It was grand to get out in The dales again, the lockdown hasn't been easy but essential with the current situation. Looking forward to many more walks in the Dales over the coming weeks, I don't think I will be back in The Lakes until early July though.