(S/E) From the front of The Fountaine Inn, cross the green and the packhorse bridge by the ford. Turn right, with Linton Beck now on your right, past the second footbridge on the village green.
At the entrance to Linton Laithe, turn left in front of Grange Farmhouse. Follow the track round to the right then, at the entrance to the farmyard, go through a hand-gate on the left.
Follow the wall to another gate and continue up the side of the field to a third gate through the wall on the right.
(1) Take a few steps to the left, then turn right across the field on the lowest ‘terrace’ in the stepped field, with a belt of woodland on your left. This leads to a farm gate at the far end of the field.
Follow the path along the top of a couple of fields to a through-stile in a wall.
(2) Cross the next field, heading in the direction of a stone barn, to a footbridge and another step stile. Cross the last field to a third similar stile close to the barn, then cross the track to Ings House at a finger-post beyond.
Follow the path through rough pastures to another stile and continue towards a small wood, crossing another couple of stiles en route, the second a ladder stile.
Pass to the left of the copse, bearing left, uphill, to a gateway below a steeper bank on the left. Cross the next field along the contour towards a second wood, passing through a gateway in a broken wall. Skirt round the left-hand end of the wood and cross a wall-stile in a corner on the far side.
(3) Follow a fence along the bottom of a field, passing a limekiln, then drop down the slope below a tree to join a farm track which leads through a tumbledown wall and continues to Threaplands House Farm.
Pass through the farmyard and bear left up the drive, over a stream and past the farmhouse.
(4) At the road turn right, and follow it to the B6265 road. Cross and turn left along the B-road into Cracoe village, passing a series of large houses on the right.
By a farm shop, cross into Fell Lane and follow it past some stone-built houses; at a junction, carry straight on by the access sign for Bardon Moor and Fell.
(5) Beyond the last house, the road turns into a walled track and continues past a stone barn on the right, passing a couple of small woods to a gate onto open land by a sheep pen. Turn left along the wall, then shortly bear right across rushy ground.
The path ascends gradually at first, boggy in places, then bears to the right, steeply up the slope, with steps worn into the turf. Towards the top, bear right towards the obelisk.
(6) As you approach, you meet a path running along the edge; turn right to the obelisk. Ignoring the ladder stile over the wall, return the way you came, but ignore the path you used for the ascent, instead of keeping right along the ridge with the wall away to your right.
The path eventually meets the wall and runs alongside it, until you reach a gate and ladder stile. Use either to reach the other side of the wall, and turn left (now with the wall on your left) to join a shooter’s track. This follows the wall to start with, then leaves it to curve right, around the heights of Thorpe Fell.
(7) After a fairly level mile along the track, you reach a stone shooting hut. Follow the track a short distance further to a stone shelter, opposite which leave the main track on a less obvious path off to the left. This path descends with fine views up Wharfedale and rightwards to Simon’s Seat, around the head of Hesker Gill and along sunken quarryman’s paths below low crags to a gate into a walled track.
Follow the track as it descends to Thorpe, with good views of the green dome of Elbolton Hill ahead and to the left.
(8) When you reach the road, turn right and walk down through Thorpe village to a triangular junction, where you turn left. Walk uphill past the last of the houses, then turn left at a road junction.
Climb over the shoulder of a hill and follow the road as it levels off below the slopes of Elbolton Hill on your left.
(9) Half a mile from the junction, ignore the first path on the right (signposted ‘BW TO B6160’), but a little further on turn right over a stile (signposted ‘Public Footpath Linton 3⁄4 ML’). Cross the field and climb a little to pass to the right of a wood.
Descend across another large field to a gate and stile, and follow the track alongside the wall beyond. The stony track descends through a gate to Grange Farm. Ignore the first signposted path on the right, then go through the hand-gate in the wall on your right and retrace your steps to Linton village green. Cross the first footbridge over the beck and walk in front of Fountaine’s Hospital and back to The Fountaine Inn. (S/E)
