Exploring the ColdStones Cut Sculpture and an eventful walk in Nidderdale

This time our Hip2trek adventure was to Nidderdale in the Yorkshire Dales.
Our walk started near the village of Greenhow and so we took the opportunity before our walk began to explore the Coldstones Cut sculpture. I’d seen some amazing pictures of the sculpture on Facebook and so it gave us the inspiration to explore this area.
From the Toft Gate Lime Kiln free car park, we followed the clearly marked path 600m up to the Coldstone Cuts sculpture. It’s a massive sculpture perched on top of Greenhow Hill that you can walk around and which looks over the Coldstones Quarry, the highest quarry in England. It also offers stunning views across Nidderdale and you can see for miles. The Kids loved the street style of the sculpture and there’s two different winding ‘streets’ up to the top. Each child chose an opposite side and ran around to see who could make it to the top first. If you head to my Hip2trek Facebook page you can see a video as we walked to the top. Little lady had problems seeing over the handrail so I had to lift her up momentarily to see the incredible view and we waved to the boys on the opposite side. Having explored the sculpture, we walked back down the big hill to the car park for our next part of the adventure.
Nidderdale is an area on outstanding beauty and there’s quite a few walks in the area that you can find on the internet all following similar routes. We chose an anti-clockwise circular route and from the car park crossed the road to the fingerpost that led us downhill across pastures. Dodging the many molehills my Daughter was worried she might stand on a moles head!
It was a hard-strenuous walk, quite remote in places (or at least it felt like it!) but the scenery was beautiful and we certainly had some interesting encounters. We had heard shooting as we walked down a valley but with the surrounding hills and the sound travelling we didn’t expect to find clay pigeon shooters right below the path. It was a terrifying experience walking along the path knowing the guns were near but not knowing from which direction they came. There had been no signs so we assumed we were safe. I have never been so frightened but we walked past their shooting unscathed although the heart rate will have been high.
Having past this and walked down a winding footpath into an old mining area we came to a ford across the path. We’d known from checking the route beforehand to expect this but with the rain the night before it had become a bit more of a raging torrent! There was no way I was walking past the clay pigeon shooters again so there was nothing for it we going to cross somehow. Me and our eldest could get across by jumping from rock to rock (My Son had a wet foot!) but Little legs and Hubby were a bit stuck. In the end after much debating they walked further downstream and with a bit of team work we got them across. You can see more video of this on my Facebook page!
A beautiful walk through moorlands and old mining areas, we certainly got a good workout and the last mile home was all up hill. A great day out, some interesting moments adding to the adventure and despite a slip and slide in the squelchy, boggy mud we had all managed to remain upright!

Country Kids
Adventures In Websterland
Potty Adventures
26 comments Add yours
  1. This looks like a beautiful walk in an area that thoroughly deserves its AONB status. I’m with you, I’d have been at my wits end with the guns so close by, particularly if I had the little ones with me. I love your photos too! Thanks for joining us, I really hope you can again. #adventurecalling
    David

    1. Thanks David, the area definitely deserves its status and we’ve now enjoyed a few adventures around here. Hopefully some signage can be arranged to at least warn people of the guns. Love your new linky!

  2. What an eventful walk! The scenery looks amazing though. I hate having to cross water…my dad fell in a stream once trying to jump across…Ive never laughed so hard! Ha! Great photos #adventurecalling

  3. What a lovely place to explore. Certainly sounds like you had an adventure-although I too would have been put off by the shooting so close. I love reading your blog as you always go to such interesting places. I really want to spend some time in Yorkshire-but till I do I shall have to make do with reading about it! Thank you for linking up to #adventurecalling

    1. Thanks Lauren for your lovely comments and for reading. Good luck with your new linky, I look forward to joining in again.

  4. It looks so beautiful there, and does look like you are miles from anywhere. The sound of the guns would have made me head straight back to the car, I suspect! #countrykids

    1. Ha ha had the car been near I would have run for it but tried to be brave in front of the kids! Thanks for popping by.

  5. What a long walk this sounds and certainly eventful. The views at the top at by the sculptures looks very impressive even if a helping hand was needed to see over the railings. The shooting would have put me off too, I know it is a good countryside pursuit and my boys love a chance to get out on the land with a gun, but they are not my thing at all. I’m glad you managed to find a way across the ford without having to turn back. It certainly all made for an eventful day.
    Thank you for sharing with me on #CountryKids

  6. This looks like a really beautiful place to walk, despite it being quite an eventful day for you!

    1. We are very lucky to have some beautiful places not far away and I can laugh about the events now! Thanks for reading.

  7. It looks like a stunning area to explore with kids but my, gunshots! My eldest would have run for cover at the sound of it!
    #Adventurecalling

  8. This looks like my kind of walk. I love the first part with 2 ways, and then the views on your hike too #countrykidsfun

  9. looks like a lovely area to explore and memorable for a number of reasons! #CountryKids

  10. Scary with the guns going off. I always struggle to hear where they are here on the farm too, but don’t think we do it near the public footpath. #countrykids

  11. Glad you managed to get across the ford safely. The views from your hike are stunning. The clay pigeon shooting would have definitely put me off too – I would have much preferred to try and cross the ford as well rather than turn back! #countrykids

  12. Criky this sounds quite scary, glad you got across safely! Thanks for linking up with #TuesdayTreasures.

    1. It was beautiful, I love Dartmoor but we’ve only been a few times because of the distance!

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