Arncliffe via Hawkswick Cote

Arncliffe via Darnbrook

Arncliffe via Kettlewell

Tucked away in the heart of Littondale, Arncliffe is more than just a village—it’s a living postcard from the past. With its stone cottages, winding lanes, and gentle rhythm of life, Arncliffe feels like the place that time forgot. Riding into Arncliffe, using one o the many routes available to us is like stepping into a sepia-toned photograph from the 1930s. The village green, still grazed by sheep, is framed by honey-coloured limestone houses that haven’t changed in generations. There’s no rush, no roar of traffic—just the soft murmur of the River Skirfare and the occasional clip-clop of hooves.

The Falcon Inn, Arncliffe’s beloved pub, looks much the same as it did nearly a century ago. With its low-beamed ceilings, open fires, and hand-pulled ales served straight from the cask, it’s a place where stories are shared and time slows down. You half expect to see a tweed-clad rambler from the interwar years nursing a pint in the corner.

Grassington back via Threshfield Quarry

Grassington back via Mucky Lane & Wood Lane

This is a slightly easier route than some of our other day rides, and it's highly recommended to start with this ride if you are new to outdoor hacking.

As you follow the well-trodden trail, the terrain shifts subtly. The limestone underfoot becomes more pronounced, and soon you’re walking through a landscape shaped by ancient seas and centuries of human hands. The path is flanked by wildflowers in spring and summer—harebells, cowslips, and the occasional orchid—while in autumn, the grasses turn golden and whisper in the breeze.

There’s a sense of quiet here, broken only by birdsong and the crunch of boots on gravel. It’s the kind of walk that invites reflection, where every step feels like a gentle peeling back of time.

Then, quite suddenly, the land opens up into something altogether different: the vast amphitheatre of Threshfield Quarry. It’s a dramatic contrast to the pastoral calm of the path—a yawning bowl of exposed rock, sheer faces, and echoes that bounce off the walls like ghosts of the past.

Bordley back via Threshfield Moor & Quarry

After beginning our journey up through the enclosed walls of Mastiles Lane - Mastiles Lane is a historic trackway steeped in centuries of layered use, stretching across the limestone uplands of the Yorkshire Dales. Originally a Roman marching road, it later became a vital monastic route for the Cistercian monks of Fountains Abbey, who used it to drive sheep to summer pastures on Malham Moor. Known also as the “Old Monks’ Road,” the lane connected the abbey’s grange at Kilnsey with its extensive upland estates. Along the route, remnants of medieval wayside crosses still stand, silent witnesses to the spiritual and agricultural journeys of the past. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Mastiles Lane continued to serve as a drovers’ road, guiding cattle south from Scotland. Today, it remains a well-loved walking path, offering a rare chance to tread in the footsteps of Romans, monks, and shepherds alike, we drop from the moors and pass the old coal mines above Threshfield, stopping for either a packed lunch if preferred or a quick lunch stop at the well-stocked Threshfiled Garage, before returning home, either through the quarry or via 'Mucky Lane' - not as bad as it sounds, but a quaint shortcut, used as part of the local comprehensive schools cross-country roun route!

Hebden Gill

From the centre we ride onto the turf cutters lane known locally as Scotgate Lane, out into the wild landscape, with no habitation for many miles.  The ride passes the site of the gamekeeper’s old house, which until the mid 1990’s was still in recognisable state, crosses the road at the very top of Grassington and onto the old lead mines.  We drop down into Hebden Gill which is a very pretty route along the valley bottom with a stop at either The Old School Tea Rooms in Hebden for lunch, or on to Grassington where there are a multitude of cafes, pubs or just a takeaway sandwich if preferred. We ride on then, close to the river and make our way home using the quiet back lanes.

Middleham Gallops

We are dropped off just outside of Middleham and can have a good pipe-opener up the gallops, often joined by the regular Middleham inhabitants.  This is good fun, and even the shaggiest pony can dream of being a racehorse.  As if that wasn’t enough, we can also use the Top Moor gallop too, for a nice long canter, continuing on along Common Lane, where you can see the early 18th Century packhorse guide stoop at the top of Witton Steeps. Lunch is at the Fox and Hounds in West Burton, with generous portions and good Yorkshire hospitality before remounting and then on to meet our transport back to the Centre.

Other notes: this ride is only suitable for experienced riders who have cantered regularly before, although a lot of the ride is at a steady pace.  Only small groups can be accommodated on this ride – maximum 4.

Malhamdale

Version 1 - Leave the trekking centre and head out across Boss Moor.  We ride across Hetton Common, before continuing on the green lane, over Weets Top and descending into Malhamdale via Gordale Scar and Janet’s Foss. We Return over the ancient green lane known as Mastiles Lane.

Version 2 - We ride over Mastiles Lane following the path the Monks used to take in days gone by, then past Malham Tarn, (where Charles Kingsley was inspired to write ‘The Water Babies’), before we drop down into Malham for lunch and then past Gordale Scar and Janets Foss as we head for home.

Other notes: this ride is only suitable for intermediate riders or better.  Some cantering will be included.