Rylstone Cross and Cracoe Fell

Rylstone Cross and Cracoe Fell War Memorial - 7 miles.

To mark Remembrance Sunday, we thought it was appropriate to walk up to Rylstone Cross and the War Memorial on Cracoe Fell.

These iconic structures are visible from the main road as you pass between Cracoe and Rylstone on the road between Skipton and Grassington.

Conditions were mixed. Mild temperatures, and just slight occasional drizzle, however, there was a thick low cloud that covered the Fell and the wider area for the entire afternoon so visibility was poor and the usual long distance views that the ridge offers were very much absent today.

We parked up in the big lay-by in Rylstone just 50 yards from the duck pond and the we walked up the lane to the beautiful church. Here, we turned right and followed the steady track that cuts across the open fields. (This enables us to avoid walking along the main road). We then turned left and joined the main track which leads up to Barden Moor, before taking a little detour to take a long awaited visit to the remains of Norton Tower - more on that another time!..)

Upon returning from the tower, we continued up the track on to the open moorland - judging by the terrain we were walking on, not what we could see ahead of us, which was almost nothing.

Passing through the gate that welcomes you on to the Bolton Abbey Estate, we then took a left, following the stone wall that climbs up hill to the ridge. The ground here was typically Yorkshire moorland; hilly, wet and boggy. Yet generally easy to navigate.

While walking along the ridge we crossed a stile and took the very short walk to the imposing Rylstone Cross. Carved out of the existing rock, the sandstone pillar was built in 1815 to celebrate the defeat of Napoleon. The concrete Cross was added some 50 years later to mark Queen Victoria's golden jubilee.

Along the ridge we continued, negotiating the sloping ground and mud, occasionally having to regain our composure and heart rate when a grouse would fly out from in front of us!

The next stop was the obelisk - Cracoe War Memorial. Built in 1922 from gritstone as a memorial for Cracoe's 13 fallen soldiers in the 1st World War. Three additional names were added after the 2nd World War. It is an impressive structure and seeing the poppy wreath that some locals have placed on their annual Remembrance Sunday pilgrimage to the War Memorial, made the experience all the more poignant.

As the fog thickened and the sky darkened, we then headed back down the western slopes of Cracoe Fell in to the village and back along the old road to Rylstone.

It was a special walk in quite challenging conditions, the low cloud and poor visibility made for an eery and sombre experience.

#cozyholidaycottagesdales #yorkshiredales #remembrancesunday #lestweforget #wewillrememberthem