Ingleton Waterfalls Walk
Approx 5 miles (8km).
This circular trail follows a well-defined footpath alongside two rivers. On departing the car park the first section of the trail follows the River Twiss as it cascades through Swilla Glen. The Glen is a deep cleft in the surrounding Limestone rock carved by the force of water flowing through it over millennia. Here you will find dappled woodland with an abundant canopy of oak, hazel, ash and birch, sheltering a variety of woodland plants and the famous Money Tree (it’s good luck to hammer a coin into the tree – that’s if you can find space…) As you leave the Glen you come to the first of five falls that make up Pecca Falls, here the rock is harder, made up of sandstone and slates, which means the river makes a series of dramatic drops into deep pools as it flows ever onward. On leaving Pecca Falls you come onto open moorland where you encounter Holly Bush Spout, here the river thunders through a narrow valley. A little further on you encounter possibly the most famous of all the Falls – Thorton Force – immortalised by J.M.W.Turner – this giant when in speight tumbles over a 14 metre cliff and has to be seen to be believed… a little further on after crossing the River Twiss you will find yourself on Twisleton Lane – the ancient Roman Raod linking the Fort on the slopes of Ingleborough with the fort at Over Burrow. As you follow the lane down you come to Beezley Farm and then beautiful Oak woodland where the Rive Doe makes its way down Beezley Falls to Triple Spout (three falls side by side) a little further on you encounter Black Hole at the foot of Rival Falls, this dark and foreboding pool is reputed to be over 80ft deep! Then you come to Baxenghyll Gorge where you are greeted by a cacophony of noise as the Doe crashes over the rocks, don’t forget to look back though as you wander back through Twisleton Glen… that way you won’t miss the beauty of Snow Falls. From here on in it’s a gentle walk alongside the old limestone quarry workings before arriving in Ingleton and making your way back to the starting point.
