Get Lost Mountaineering

Plover Hill from Foxup via Horton path and returning down east ridge

Start/Finish

The tiny hamlet of Foxup which is about a mile west of the small village of Halton Gill. There is limited verge parking in Foxup. Halton Gill can be reached from either Settle or Kilnsey in Wharfedale on the Skipton to Kettlewell road. From Settle take the Horton-in-Ribblesdale road (a right turn from Settle which is easily missed) and follow it to Stainforth. Take the second turning into Stainforth if you wish to use the public toilets then turn left on the Halton Gill road which rises fairly steeply. Follow it for about 7 miles to Halton Gill passing Pen-y-Ghent and Plover Hill on the left and Fountains Fell on the right. The road is also known as the Silverdale Road. It can soon be blocked by snow in winter as it goes quite high. The alternative way in from Kilnsey follows Littondale through Arncliffe and Litton so is less likely to be blocked by snow but it is quite a narrow road. To make the most of the scenery whilst driving, it is best to approach from Settle and depart via Kilnsey.

Distance/Time

10 km.   About 3 – 4 hours.

Peaks

Plover Hill, 680 m, SD 849 752.   OL2 Yorkshire Dales: Western Area

Introduction

Plover Hill is effectively the north top of Pen-y-Ghent, one of the famous three peaks of the Yorkshire Dales. Plover Hill is a more gentle moorland hill than the much rockier Pen-y-Ghent but this means it is often wet and boggy underfoot although the worst of the terrain is on the way to Pen-y-Ghent which is not part of this route. For some reason, the tiny summit cairn of Plover Hill lies on the wrong side of a high wall with no stile to allow easy access to that side of the wall. The descent of Plover Hill follows the east ridge and some walls and fences, without stiles, have to be negotiated.

Route

(1) From the end of the public road (soon after the bridge) in Foxup, there is a sign for Horton-in-Ribblesdale pointing uphill (south). Follow the faint path up moderately steep ground. The path splits higher up. Keep to the right to reach a gate where there is a sign for the path to Horton. Follow the track/path on the other side of the gate. Pass through a few more gates until there is a stream just after a gate. Immediately after the stream, signposts direct one uphill for a short distance before the path levels out and follows a broken wall. It looks as if one can continue on a lower path instead of going uphill but this crosses rough ground and means a pathless ascent to join the upper path further on. When the upper path passes through a gate, look for a sign post pointing uphill, towards some crags, about 50 m further on. This is the path up Plover Hill. It is grassy lower down and can be wet but avoids the crags on a good stepped path. When this levels out, continue following the path towards a wall corner where there is a stile. This is where the route from Pen-y-Ghent comes in. The stile is of no use for reaching the summit of Plover Hill as it goes over the wrong wall. However, the corner next to the stile is probably the easiest way over this awkward high wall. Once over, head roughly east, gradually diverging from the wall on the crest. There is a faint path leading to a tiny cairn which is the the summit of Plover Hill, 680 m, about 50 m south of the wall. On 13/5/23, there was a short pole in the cairn which helps to find it. In mist it might take a while to locate.

(2) Follow the wall down the east ridge. For much of the way there is a path or ATV track but it can be a bit rough in places. Another wall has to be crossed at a corner. Lower down, the gradient steepens for a short distance and a barbed wire fence has to be crossed. Continue down, shadowing the wall on the left to reach a grassy track. Go left, through a gate, and continue along the track which meets the outward route above Foxup. Descend down to Foxup.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 13^th May, 2023.