Day 1: Malham 6½ miles

Not Wensleydale, I know... Tradition has it that we "do something" on the way to our ultimate destination. The delights of Malham are well-enough known - or so I thought. Two of my companions had never been - the third had been once over thirty years ago. At weekends, it's a place to avoid, but on a Monday before the school holidays, the honeypot was barely buzzing...

Our  walk followed the classic route - alongside the stream to Janet's Foss, then up the waterfall at Gordale Scar and across the limestone to Malham Tarn. Here we turned back - past Water Sinks, down beside the dry waterfall and along the dry valley to the top of the Cove, before descending to the well-made path back to Malham village and the car. An excellent introduction to the limestone country!

Day 2: Kirkby Stephen to Garsdale 12 miles

We were in staying in Wensleydale - at Hardraw, near Hawes - but for our first full day walk, we ventured out of the dale - just - to Garsdale station, where we left the car, and caught the 10.21 to Kirkby Stephen, the next station down the line. We would walk back via the valley of the river Eden and the ancient "Lady Anne's Highway", a fine high level route on the east side of the valley, which crosses the watershed between the Eden and Wensleydale's Ure. The area between Ais Gill and Garsdale is interesting in that the Eden flows into the Solway Firth, the Ure enters the sea via the Humber, and water falling on Garsdale flows south-west via the Lune ("that's really interesting, Geoff").

(for more on the bus see www.cumbriaclassiccoaches.co.uk)

The route we followed breaks into two quite distinct sections. The first is gently rural, the path crossing cropped fields at first, though it becomes somewhat wilder as the land rises. We passed Wharton Hall, a part-derelict, part-used fortified Manor House, then a little further on the remains of Lammerside Castle, somewhat older and in an advanced state of dereliction. At this point we left cultivated ground and headed up the valley, passing yet another castle - Pendragon, one of Lady Anne's ports of call (and, according to legend, the place where Uther Pendragon, father of King Arthur, died).

A little way beyond Pendragon (and fortunately after our lunch stop) we had the only serious rain of the five day trip - a heavy shower which prompted a pause under the trees. Shortly after this point, our route crossed the main road and climbed away from the river - truly now the "High Way". An interesting sculpture "Water Cut" by Mary Bourne marks the end of the long climb from the valley bottom. The way now follows a grassy promenade above the railway at Ais Gill summit, crossing the county boundary (Westmorland - North Riding*) on the bridge above the fearful ravine of Hell Gill, before meeting the headwaters of the Ure. The dereliction at High Hall and High Dyke (formerly an inn) serves as a reminder of the earlier importance of the highway.

With Garsdale now in sight, we left Lady Anne's Highway and walked the short distance (downhill all the way) to the road junction at the Moorcock Inn, then along the road (crossing from the North Riding to the West Riding* in the process) back to the car at Garsdale station.

*The old county boundaries seem more appropriate somehow...

Day 3: Semerwater and Bainbridge 13½ miles A car-free day today - we took the flagged field paths across the dale to Hawes to stock up on provisions, before following the flagged way to Gayle, always a photogenic spot, where the mill is undergoing renovation, as featured on the BBC TV programme "Restoration".

The path climbs steadily from Gayle to the ridge between the prominent peaks of Yorburgh and Drumaldrace, crossing the dead-straight Roman road from Bainbridge, then descending through grassland to the isolated hamlet of Marsett, in Raydale - the valley of Semerwater (yes, another of Yorkshire's few natural lakes).

Our path crossed the dale, then skirted the contours towards the southern side of the lake (a recently-cut hay meadow providing an excellent spot for lunch and, in the warm sunshine, a brief shut-eye).

Water flows from Semerwater into the River Bain, supposedly England's shortest river - just over two miles before it joins the Ure. We would follow it as far as Bainbridge, where my colleagues' esteem for my walk-organising skills took a severe blow - the ice-cream shop was closed!

There was once a railway through Wensleydale - from Garsdale (originally Hawes Junction) to Northallerton. The eastern part, from Redmire to Northallerton, is intact and once again sees passenger trains, operated by the Wensleydale Railway Company. Between Redmire and Garsdale the track has long been lifted, and although the long-term aims of the WRC envisage track being relaid throughout, parts provide an admirable walking route. We followed the railway trackbed for a mile and a half, before joining field paths and (very minor) roads back to our starting point.

Day 4: Gunnerside Gill 8 miles

No, not a young lady I once knew! This side valley, from the attractive stone-built village of Gunnerside, cuts deep into the northern flank of Swaledale, and was once famed for its lead mines. The industry collapsed more than 100 years ago - but much remains of interest to walkers in these parts.

We drove to Swaledale over the Buttertubs pass - and paused for a few minutes to examine these deep limestone potholes, emphatically not what one tourist website describes as "holes in the ground made to keep butter cool"...

The path follows the east bank of the beck, and climbs gradually until the first remains are found, a couple of miles upstream. As well as the various adits (and shafts, higher on the moor) and buildings, there are deep scars in the hillside - the remains of the "hushes" where small streams were dammed and then released, to scour away the vegetation and loose material in order to reveal the veins of lead.

We paused for lunch at a familiar spot - beside the arches of the old Blakethwaite mill, before heading further on to the dams near the top of the gill. The lower dam has long since collapsed, though the upper dam, just a few yards higher, remains. The pool above has silted up, and forms a flat reedy area.

Instead of returning direct, we now took the track from the shooting box as far as Melbecks Moor, where desolate acres of former mine spoil remain. A path is clearly marked on the map here, heading more-or-less straight back to the village. It may be clear on the map - but on the ground, what seemed to be the path petered out into pathless heather moor. Perhaps the best way to describe our walk back to Gunnerside is to say that we exercised our "right to roam"...

Day 5: Sulber 4½ miles

A short one before lunch, on our way home. We parked near Horton-in-Ribblesdale station and took the path towards Ingleborough - through Sulber Nick. The intention - just enough of a stroll to work up an appetite, with some limestone scenery.

In the event, we didn't find as much surface limestone as the map seemed to suggest - there was plenty in sight further to the south, around Moughton, but it was a little further than we wanted to walk - it was still a long way home. So, after the obligatory few pictures, lunch at the Crown - a good end to an excellent few days.

Books and Maps:

"Walks in Limestone Country" covers the Malham walk, as does OL2 "Southern and Western area". You'll need OL19 "Howgill Fells and Upper Eden Valley" for the Kirby Stephen - Garsdale walk. Semerwater and Gunnerside Gill are on OL30 "Northern and Central areas". Our stroll from Horton is also on OL2.