Around the River Sprint

The River Sprint has its source in the wild and remote valley of Longsleddale Valley, but it is the more gently rolling and open countryside of its lower reaches that is explored in this walk.

1. A stile on the eastern side of Sprint Bridge gives access to a field path that leads upriver beside the Sprint. At the top of the field, cross the river by a bridge to Sprint Mill and pass between the old mill and its adjacent cottage. Keep ahead, leaving the track for a path that rises behind the buildings and then turns right to parallel the course of the river upstream.2. Further on, over a stile, the path parts company with the river and makes its own way along successive field edges. After crossing a stile at the end of the third field, immediately go left to another in the corner. Over that, now turn right and follow the wall to a gate ahead, continuing over the hill beyond. Leave by a final stile at the top right corner.3. Now on a lane, go left for about a quarter of a mile until you come to a left-hand bend at the bottom of a dip. There, turn off right along a bridleway signed to Mirefoot. Approaching Beetham Bank, the obvious track turns to the right, climbing to the farm. Just before you reach the yard at the top, go left through a gate from which an old grass track rises behind the farm. After a while, it then loses height, bringing you to another farm at Shepherd Green.4. There turn right, walking between cottages into a small paddock. Keep ahead, crossing two stiles and then a stream. Go right to follow it, but then bear left to another stile. Over that, walk around the garden behind Meadow House, slip through a handgate in the wall and out along the drive to a track.5. Turn right, and walk down to a junction, there going left. At a fork a little further on, choose the way on the right, which terminates at two gates. Take the left-hand one and walk by the wall on the right to a stile in the corner. Over that, bear right, crossing the field to a gate in front of Hill Fold Farm, now visible ahead. Again bear right passing through the farmyard and out to a lane beyond.6. A group of cottages lies along the lane to the right, where a marked footpath leaves between the last two buildings. Walk through and across the rear garden, to find a stile over the bottom fence. Keep going to another stile and then through an opening at the bottom onto a track. Cross towards the barn ahead, where a stile on the right leads into a field. Now, make for a final stile in its opposite far corner and climb out onto a lane. Turn left and walk down to Gurnal Bridge and the River Sprint.7. As soon as you reach the far bank, leave by a stile on the right, marked to Coppack Howe. Cross the width of the field to a second stile and ascend the bank behind, where a crossing track leads to a stile into the field at the top. Walk ahead, keeping left of the highest ground, making for an obvious tree beyond the wall at the far side. Continue along the next field, walking almost to the bottom, where there is a stile in the hedge on the left. Over that, walk directly away to a gate in the middle of the opposite hedge and out at a junction of tracks.8. Choose the track opposite, signed to Stocks Mill, but a little further on, beyond a gateway at the entrance to Coppice Howe Farm, abandon it through a gate on the left into a field. To the right, a green track perimeters the buildings before passing through an opening beyond. Keep straight on, walking beside a small plantation of spruce and then out through a gate to join a track. Bear right, sticking with it only a few yards, to go ahead and through a gate, to the left of the cottage at Bowbank.9. Keep straight on, following the base of a bank to the right of a marshy depression, shortly picking up a hedge line. The field narrows at its far end, where you will find a ladder stile in the left corner. Now, go ahead, following the left boundary across this and the next field and then directly through a final field, leaving by a ladder stile back onto a lane (Gilthwaiterigg Road).10. Cross to another stile opposite and strike across a field, making for a wooden powerline post. There, bear right, over a stile in the hedge, and cross a footbridge. Keep going, with the stream on your right, heading towards Gilthwaiterigg Farm, which now comes visible in front of you. A handgate leading onto a track lies just to the left of the low building ahead. Turn right, walk past the farmhouse and its garden at the back. Bear left across the grass, passing through a gap in the wall ahead and walk on past a bungalow onto a road (Gilthwaiterigg Road). Turn right, but then a short distance on, leave again on the left along another track, signposted to Sprint Bridge.11. At Must Hill Farm, the track winds through a yard before leaving by a gate at the far end. However, instead, go through a field-gate on the left, immediately after the house. A grass track curves around the field edge to pass into the next field. Keep ahead to another gate, through which, turn right and walk by the wall to a final gate in the corner, coming out onto a lane. Turn left to return to Sprint Bridge and Burneside.

Getting there

Parking: Burneside.

Waypoints