Linton Walk: Visit Linton Falls, Thorpe, and Cracoe War Memorial

Enjoy the River Wharfe and Hebden Suspension Bridge on this Linton Walk

Parking for this Linton walk is conveniently located in the centre of Linton village. You can park by the side of the village green, directly opposite the Fountaine Inn. If those spaces are full, there are other parking spots scattered throughout the village centre. Once parked, head from the Fountaine Inn to the main road, the B6265, known locally as Lauradale Lane. Turn right onto Lauradale Lane and walk across the bridge over Linton Beck. Continue along this road, passing a few cottages on both sides as you leave the village. Soon, you’ll reach a fork in the road where the main road bends to the left. Here, take the smaller road on the right.

Follow this quiet road for about a quarter of a mile until you reach the junction with the B6160. At this point, turn right, and then almost immediately turn left, following the footpath marked Linton Church and Linton Falls. This footpath will guide you across fields, eventually leading to a track and then onto Church Road. Here, you have the option to make a short detour to the right to visit St Michael’s & All Angels Church. If you choose to explore, return to this point afterward. Otherwise, turn left and continue down Church Road, passing the Linton Falls Car Park on your left.

As the road begins to bend left, you’ll see a sign directing you to Linton Falls. Follow this short path, which will take you to the picturesque falls. Before crossing the footbridge over the River Wharfe, you may want to take a short detour to the left to view Linton Falls Hydro. Afterward, cross the river via the footbridge and turn right onto the Dales Way footpath. This scenic path runs along the northern bank of the River Wharfe for just under two miles, eventually bringing you to Hebden Suspension Bridge.

Cross the suspension bridge, but resist the temptation to follow the main path to the left along the riverbank. Instead, take the path that leads through the woodland and then across fields, ascending to meet the B6160 once more. Cross the road and follow the small lane signposted to Thorpe. After about half a mile, you’ll arrive in the village of Thorpe. At the village green, turn left and continue south through the village along a narrow road, passing several charming cottages and stone buildings. This part of the Linton walk offers lovely village views.

At the end of the road, you’ll reach a fork. Take the stone track on your left and begin your ascent. The track climbs the hill for about half a mile before narrowing into a grassy path. Follow this path as it meanders uphill for another three-quarters of a mile, leading you onto Burnsall & Thorpe Fell. Eventually, you’ll reach an intersection with a wider stone track. Turn right here, and follow the track westward across the fell towards Rolling Gate Nook. The path will gradually curve south-west until you meet a dry stone wall.

Continue along the path, keeping the dry stone wall on your right, as you head towards the Cracoe War Memorial. Once there, your next task is to descend the steep slopes leading to the village of Cracoe. Stay on the same side of the dry stone wall as the war memorial and use the wall as your guide down the hillside. The descent may seem steep, but as long as you stay close to the wall, it’s manageable. When you reach the bottom, turn right and follow the wall until you find a gap on your left. Pass through this gap and take the track into the village of Cracoe.

Upon reaching the main road in Cracoe, turn right and head north-east, leaving the village behind. As the B6265 bends to the left, take the smaller road on your right, signposted as cycle route 688 to Appletreewick. This road, Thorpe Lane, will soon bend right and uphill. Instead of following it, continue straight along a concrete road towards Threaplands House Farm. Pass through the farm, keeping a large barn on your right, and follow the track into open countryside. Here, a public footpath will lead you across fields in a north-easterly direction for about 1½ miles, eventually returning you to the village of Linton.

This Linton walk in the Yorkshire Dales covers just under 11 miles. Along the way, you’ll enjoy highlights like Linton Falls, a peaceful trek along the River Wharfe, Hebden Suspension Bridge, stunning views from Burnsall & Thorpe Fell, and the Cracoe War Memorial. The picturesque village of Linton awaits you at the end of your walk, where you can unwind with refreshments at the local pub.

Linton Walk: Distance, Duration, Statistics

Recommended Ordnance Survey Map

The best map to use on this walk is the Ordnance Survey map of the Yorkshire Dales Southern & Western Area, reference OS Explorer OL2, scale 1:25,000. It clearly displays footpaths, rights of way, open access land and vegetation on the ground, making it ideal for walking, running and hiking. The map can be purchased from Amazon in either a standard, paper version or a weatherproof, laminated version, as shown below.

About Linton

Linton is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire. As of the 2011 census, the population was 176. The village is located near Grassington, south of the River Wharfe, and is seven miles north of Skipton. Linton Beck runs through the village and meets the Wharfe at Linton Falls.

Historically, Linton was a parish in Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The ancient parish included the townships of Grassington, Hebden, and Threshfield, which became separate civil parishes in 1866. In 1974, Linton was transferred to North Yorkshire.

The village features two Grade II listed bridges on the village green that cross Linton Beck. These are the 14th-century humpback bridge known as ‘Little Emily’s Bridge’ and the traditional clapper bridge. Overlooking the green is the Fountaine Hospital, originally built as an almshouse in the 1720s. The village also has a Grade II listed public house, the Fountaine Inn, which dates back to the 18th century​.

You can see all of these key features of Linton on this Linton walk, which I have described on this page. The walk takes you through the village, allowing you to explore the Grade II listed bridges, the Fountaine Hospital, and the Fountaine Inn.

Linton Walk: My Photos

The Fountaine Hospital

The Fountaine Hospital in Linton was originally built as an almshouse, a type of charitable housing for the poor that dates back to medieval times. Although almshouses were traditionally established by religious orders, during the 1700s and 1800s, they became more urban and were often funded by wealthy philanthropists. In Linton, the Fountaine Hospital came into existence due to Richard Fountaine’s bequest in his will. Born in Linton in 1639, Fountaine made his fortune in London as a haberdasher and became well-known and respected in wealthy merchant circles during the Stuart reign.

When Fountaine died in 1722, he left instructions for an almshouse to be built in his home village, with funds allocated for a minister’s salary and accommodation for six local residents. However, his relatives were outraged by his generosity, and there is no record of who commissioned the architect or the building’s style. Additionally, Fountaine left a large sum to his carer, Christian Fountaine, who had adopted his surname.

The first Chief Executor of the will, John Colton, was responsible for commissioning the almshouse. He passed away in 1724, after choosing the Baroque-style design for the building’s front facade. Unfortunately, only the impressive front facade was completed before Colton’s death. The rest of the building, including the simpler sides and back, was completed later with reduced funding.

Jane Houlton, who discovered the Fountaine Hospital on a bus trip in the Dales with her late husband, architect Michael Devenish, has extensively researched the building’s history. She published a book titled An Almshouse for Linton. Houlton believes the lack of documentation on the building’s commissioning and design stems from the family’s displeasure at the almshouse’s cost reducing their expected inheritance. She also theorises that the original architect was dismissed and that the family deliberately disrupted the project when they realised it was depleting their funds.

After years of research, Houlton finally solved the mystery of the architect behind the Fountaine Hospital. By examining John Colton’s records, visiting the Thorpe Fell quarry that supplied the Yorkshire stone, and delving into the Fountaine family archives, she uncovered that the architect was William Etty of York. Etty was a renowned artist and member of the Royal Academy, known for other notable buildings such as the frontage of the Mansion House in York, Holy Trinity Church in Leeds, and the long-since-demolished Moot Hall in Leeds.

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Linton Falls Hydro

Linton Falls Hydro is a hydroelectric power station located on the River Wharfe at Linton Falls. It was constructed on the same site as the original hydroelectric scheme, which opened in 1909 by the Grassington Electric Supply Company. Unfortunately, that project was shut down in 1948 when the National Grid arrived. The current power station, developed by a Skipton-based engineering firm, opened in March 2012 and uses the original building.

The plant generates electricity using two screw turbines, each with a diameter of 7 feet 10 inches. These turbines were delivered to the site by the manufacturer, Spaans Babcock, in July 2011. The scheme has a head of water of 9 feet 2 inches, a maximum flow rate of 160 cubic feet per second, and an installed capacity of 100 kilowatts, generating approximately 500,000 kilowatt-hours annually.

Beyond producing clean energy, Linton Falls Hydro aims to minimise its impact on the local wildlife. The area is home to rare species such as bats, white-clawed crayfish, and fine-lined pea mussels. The screw turbines are designed to allow for the safe passage of aquatic animals.

The hydroelectric building is now a scheduled monument, recognised for its industrial significance in the largely rural Yorkshire Dales. It was also nominated for the 2012 English Heritage Angel Awards, which honour the dedication and expertise of volunteers and craftsmen who work on threatened buildings, monuments, and heritage sites.

Linton Falls Hydro generates enough renewable electricity to power between 90 and 122 homes. It stands as a prime example of how natural resources can be harnessed to generate electricity while protecting the environment and preserving historical structures—a fascinating stop on our Linton walk.

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Linton Falls on the Linton Walk

Linton Falls is a spectacular waterfall located on the River Wharfe, nestled between the villages of Linton and Grassington. The River Wharfe originates from the confluence of Greenfield Beck and Oughtershaw Beck at Beckermonds and flows for a total length of 65 miles before joining the River Ouse near Cawood.

Linton Falls, the largest waterfall on the River Wharfe, is a popular visitor attraction. You can reach it on foot from Grassington via Sedber Lane. Visitors can park in the nearby Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority car park.

A footbridge built in 1989 spans the falls, offering stunning views of the river as it cascades over limestone outcrops. The sight is particularly dramatic after heavy rainfall. The formation of Linton Falls dates back millions of years when a geological fault, known as the Craven Fault, caused a shift in the earth’s crust. This event raised the limestone rocks to the north higher than those to the south, resulting in the stunning limestone features seen today in the Yorkshire Dales.

Nearby weirs once channeled water into a large textile mill, now demolished. Today, visitors can enjoy the natural beauty of the falls and the surrounding area, with several walking trails and vantage points that offer views of the scenery—a true highlight of our Linton walk.

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Hebden Suspension Bridge

Hebden Suspension Bridge is located about half a mile south of Hebden village. The bridge was constructed in 1884 after a tragic incident where a local man drowned while trying to cross the River Wharfe using stepping stones. The bridge was built to address transportation challenges that arose after the destruction of Burnsall Bridge in a storm the previous year.

Designed as a suspension bridge, it was constructed by William Bell, the village blacksmith, using 262 yards of redundant steel rope purchased from the Hebden Moor Mining Company. Funds for the project were raised through public subscription, and the bridge officially opened in 1885 with a grand celebration, complete with a brass band and public tea.

Today, Hebden Suspension Bridge remains an important footbridge, providing a public path across the River Wharfe for walkers. The bridge offers beautiful views of the river and has become a popular attraction for visitors to the village. Recently, the National Park Authority refurbished the bridge, ensuring it remains safe and functional for continued use. It’s a delightful feature along our Linton walk.

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The village green in Thorpe is a charming spot and a perfect place for a rest during our Linton walk. With its peaceful surroundings, the green offers benches where you can sit, perhaps enjoy a coffee and a bite to eat, and take in the tranquil atmosphere. This lovely village is truly a highlight of our walk.

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After leaving Thorpe, our Linton walk continues south along Thorpe Fell Lane. From there, we begin the climb up to Burnsall and Thorpe Fell, where the landscape opens up, offering scenic views that are a pleasure to experience.

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This lonely shooting lodge, perched on Burnsall and Thorpe Fell, adds a sense of solitude and intrigue to our Linton walk. As we continue, the remote lodge stands as a testament to the wild beauty of the area, blending into the rugged landscape.

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The Cracoe War Memorial

The war memorial on Cracoe Fell, height 500 metres (1640 feet), overlooks the villages of Cracoe and Rylstone on its western slopes. Built in 1922 using local sandstone and a concrete cap, the memorial cost £56. The obelisk is 7.2 metres tall and 2.7 metres wide at the base, divided into three sections. The lower section contains a time capsule with a copy of the Craven Herald and some coins in a sealed bottle, while the middle section is empty, and the upper section is solid.

The memorial honours 13 men who served in the First World War and three who served in the Second World War. The soldiers’ initials and dates of enlistment and death were originally carved into the stone and are still visible today. An alabaster tablet was later added, and this was subsequently replaced by a bronze plaque.

This poignant memorial is a significant landmark along our Linton walk, offering both a reminder of the sacrifices made and stunning views of the surrounding landscape.

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One of the dry stone walls on Fell Side Laithe features a gap that has been neatly closed with rocks. This showcases the meticulous craftsmanship that characterises the traditional methods still used in the Yorkshire Dales. It’s a small but significant detail that adds charm to our Linton walk.

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Angy pauses for a moment to marvel at an incredible ash tree along our Linton walk. The tree’s hollow trunk, doubled over and shaped by the strong, unrelenting winds that sweep across the farmland, tells a story of endurance against the elements. Appearing lifeless, the tree remains a striking feature in the landscape, serving as a reminder of nature’s power and resilience.

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On our Linton walk, we pass a sign by the roadside at the north-eastern end of the village. This sign, standing quietly by the road, is another small but notable point of interest along our journey.

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At the end of our Linton walk, we encounter two very different yet equally lovely footbridges across Linton Beck in the village. These footbridges, each with their own unique charm, provide a picturesque conclusion to our walk, reflecting the beauty and character of Linton village.

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