On arriving into Dent Station, 'the highest mainline station in England' it was clear the weather was going to be mean. the station is it's self four miles from the village of Dent, and is actually situated above the Hamlet of Cowgill.
Rising steeply above Dent station is Great Knoutberry Hill, or also know as Widdale fell. And at 672m is no easy climb.
Section 1. Dent Station, Great Knoutberry Hill, to Cowgill.
Walk out of Dent station, and turn right up the Coal Road and continue over the railway bridge. After about a mile you will need to turn right up the Pennine Bridleway which takes you along the edge of Great Knoutberry Hill.
Looking onto Dent Station from the bridge...
I crossed up and over the rough tufted grassy sides of the fell, but if you walk about 400 yards or so up the track, which this area of is down on the map interestingly as 'Monkeybeck Grains', you will come to a well trodden path way that will take you to the summit.
Here's some of the interesting looking rocks which are scatered on the sides of Great Knoutberry...
The summit, and Trig Point of great Knoutberry Hill. The trig was in about a foot of water hence my weird stance at it...
At the summit it's a matter of keeping the dry stone wall on your left, and following the path down to the stile which leads onto the pathway at the side of the fell. This is a cross roads, you have the option to go to Widdale, down through Artengill, under the viaduct to Stone House, or continue on the Pennine Way. Go through the gate which is next to the below sign, and turn right along the side of Great Knoutberry Hill back towards Coal Road...
Looking down onto Artengill Viaduct, with cloud hanging off Whernside's summit...
Looking towards Aye Gill Pike...
Looking towards Aye Gill Pike, Baugh Fell, with The Calf centre...
Section 2. Cowgill to Dent, and back to Dent Station...
Once back onto the Coal Road, follow it down into Cowgill. Then follow the road about half mile, and turn left. After a short walk you have the option to get onto the Dales Way.
Here walking the road before getting to the Dales Way entrance, with a cloud covered Crag Hill in the distance...
And looking back towards Great Knoutberry Hill from the Dales Way path...
And eventually entering into Dent...
After exploring around the pretty village of Dent, it was time to make the long slog back along the road to Dent Station...
A tough old slog was this one, and I would have liked to have scaled Crag Hill and Aye Gill Pike too, but that's for another day.
(15.5 miles -5-6 hours)
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