Changes can take place over limited stretches of the Dales Way due to local conditions or improvements to the route.
It can take many years for these to appear in all guide books and on maps. The
changes are shown here, with the approximate year of change shown in brackets.
Original road walking - Bolton Rd
Between Addingham and Bolton Abbey there is a short section of road
walking on the busy B6160, where the footpath leaves the edge of Lob
Wood, crossing Bolton Road at a narrow road brow.
A new permissive footpath now takes walkers off the road and onto a track
on the right hand verge, parallel to the road, intially behind shallow earth
mounds, then through a gate and along an engineered path through a narrow
section of woodland between Bolton Road and the River Wharfe. It rejoins the
original path where it leaves the roadside to follow the riverside under the
A59 and onto Bolton Abbey
The new route is waymarked and straightforward and should offer
no difficulties if walkers follow the signs.
This is all thanks to a unique collaboration between the Chatsworth
Estate at Bolton Abbey, volunteers from Burley Walkers are Welcome who
undertook most of the work, and the Dales Way Association.
> View this route with map
Burton House approach
This new route diversion takes walkers around the farm buildings at
Burton House and along a good farm track to cross a stream before
rejoining the original route.
The previous path passed through the farm buildings and then followed
a route which was not on the line of the definitive right of way. It
then crossed the stream at a very muddy stile.
The new route is well waymarked and straightforward and should offer
no difficulties if walkers follow the signs.
When leaving the A6 enter the access lane to Burton House as before.
Watch for a walker's gate on the left which takes you onto a parallel
farmer's track on the other side of the wall, to bypass the farm
buildings to the east and south.
The track then descends a field to a gate and crosses the stream,
before turning left alongside the stream to another gate, rejoining the
original path.
> View this route with map
Sprint Mill Bridge
This route change takes a small section off the very busy road
at Sprint Bridge, on the approach to Burneside, taking a slightly longer
but much safer route via Tenement Farm.
The new route crosses the bridge at Sprint Mill (SD 5158 9611),
between buildings, bearing right along a waymarked footpath through a
pretty garden area. A stile leads into a field with a wall on the left,
following this to a large metal gate. The way continues west, with the
wall now on the right, through a couple of gates to pass Tenement Farm.
Continue out along the farm access road to join a quiet country lane,
left, down to the busy road near a junction. A right and left bring you
quickly onto Hall Road and the roadside path down towards Burneside.
This is now the official route for Dales Way walkers.
> View this route with map
Crook 'O Lune Bridge
This route change takes a small section off the road and was made
possible by change to a right of way that came about in 2000, the same
time as the path across the west coast railway was closed. It is on the
section between the M6 and Grayrigg.
As you descend from the stile onto the minor road that leads to
Thatchmoor Head (SD 5836 9602), the route previously turned left along
the road to the rail way bridge. To avoid the road walking, cross the
road and mount the stile which now has a Dales Way finger post erected.
Following down the side of the field turn left at the bottom corner and
after climbing [and descending if you want to make progress] a rather
large ladder stile, continue to walk alongside the hedge beside the
railway line, then emerge through a gate to the railway bridge.
> View this route with map
Black Moss Tarn & to Howgills
Heading west after crossing the M6, the original
route of the Dales Way crossed the railway by a foot crossing. With the
upgrading of the line
this has become very dangerous, and rather than construct an unsightly
footbridge, the route has been closed. Heading west, the new route now
follows along the lane from Hardrigg and
around a right turn as before. Where the old route turned left through a
gate into a field and made its way down to the railway, the diversion
now commences. Instead of cutting down
across the field, one turns right immediately after the gate and
follows a newly created path along the field edge parallel to the lane.
On reaching the railway, it rejoins the lane
to cross the road bridge. Immediately on the north side of the bridge a
new path has been created running west along the railway boundary to
rejoin the original route on the north side
of the closed level crossing. ( Look carefully for the point where one
turns away from the railway towards Greenhead ). This new route has been
waymarked and new stiles erected as
needed.
> View this route with map
Down Wharfe at Linton Falls
A diversion has been made by the Yorkshire Dales
National Park where the Dales Way leaves Grassington and heads north.
This is to avoid having to pass through the busy farmyard of Town Head
Farm. The new route leaves Chapel Street before reaching the farm,
turning right up the existing right
of way up Bank Lane. This is followed round to the left and on until
the right of way makes a sharp right turn. A new path has been
constructed from here across fields in a
westerly direction to rejoin the present route of the Dales Way well to
the north of the farm. The present line of the route from the farm to
this point has been closed.
The National Park has clearly signed and waymarked this significant
diversion.
> View this route with map
River Lune & Howgills from above Lincoln's Inn Bridge
Only a year or two back the route of the Dales Way
was revised downstream from Dent in order to avoid the road walking
between Ellers Bridge and Rash.
However since that time a completely new footbridge has been
constructed at Brackensgill, where there was previously only a deep
ford. The official route of the Dales Way has now been
changed to make use of this. So do not cross Ellers Bridge, but
continue along the lane down the SW side of the dale until the bridleway
leading to Brackensgill Bridge can be followed
down to the river. Short stretches of footpath have been created to
give access to the bridge. Continuing, the main valley road is crossed
almost directly to climb on another bridleway
up the other side of the dale and, after a left fork, one duly joins
the contouring track to rejoin the original route above Rash. This route
is very clearly shown on the Explorer
(Outdoor Leisure) map. It should be noted that this is now the official
and recommended route, but the original route and the diversion from
Ellers Bridge are on rights of way and can
still be used if preferred.
> View this route with map
Up Wharfe to Bolton Abbey
One of the worst sections on the original official
route of the Dales Way was the stretch along the dangerous B6160
between Addingham and Bolton Bridge. A new section of the route has
been created to avoid the majority of this road walking. This follows a
line through the fields
parallel to the wall along the road side. This has been made possible
by the goodwill of the Bolton Abbey Estate and North Yorkshire County
Council in creating the
right of way and permissive path that were needed.
Dales Way sign posts and waymarks are now in place. Coming along the
river from Addingham, on reaching the road one can now go almost
directly across and pass through
a new kissing-gate into the grounds of the Friends Meeting House.
Walkers are very welcome to make a stop here. A gravel path leads round
the building to join the
drive to Lobwood House.
Bolton Priory
Almost immediately by a metal gate you will find a stone stile in the
wall on your right. Cross this and make your way parallel to the road
and fairly near the wall. Shortly you must ignore a wooden stile which
leads back to the road. Continuing parallel to the wall you soon cross
another wall by a stone
stile followed by a footbridge. Eventually you will reach the gate at
the far end of the field which is the access to the road. A stone stile
on the right takes one
past this and onto the road at roughly the brow of the hill. Crossing
with care one can soon take advantage of a rudimentary footpath on the
river side of the road.
> View this route with map
A diversion has taken place, which affects the route
of the Dales Way at Staveley. This may not yet be noted in some
guidebooks. On approaching Staveley
from the Burneside direction, the route no longer follows the walled
track all the way to Sandy Hill Farm but bears left up to the road. This
is well signed and waymarked.
> View this route with map