how stean gorge

Located seven miles from Pateley Bridge, just past Lofthouses and just north of Gouthwaite Reservoir, How Stean Gorge is a spectacular limestone valley, with a small river nestled in the bottom of the twenty meter deep ravine. A visitor traverses the way along narrow paths and foot bridges until eventually reaching the river, or “beck”, which can vary between a raging torrent and a gentle stream, depending on the weather and time of year.

The Gorge is particularly stunning during the late spring and early summer, when the whole place is festooned with fresh, vibrant growth giving it an otherworldly, fantasy feel. It feels like a hidden, secret place, where magic is still real and you expect to see fairy folk flitting about. It is quite normal to feel some resentment towards groups of other visitors whose presence brings the real world with it.

The views are gorgeous as the pathways wend along the ravine sides, criss-crossing the gorge on sturdy foot bridges. Surprisingly, the scenery is just as beautiful from the bottom as from the top and if a visitor is lucky, and feeling adventurous, Tom Taylors’ Cave may be open for exploration. Like Stump Cross Caverns, the Cave drips with stalactites, though here access may be limited by the water level and other safety considerations. If a visitor has wellies it may also be possible to explore How Stean Tunnel. The water should not go over the top of most wellies, but care should always be taken walking on areas of green rocks that are wet and damp.

There is a small cafe and gift shop and bathroom facilities located at the top of the gorge near the parking lot. Tickets are purchased here and it is also possible to rent a torch for cave exploration for £2.00. Dogs are welcome on site (though not in the cafe).

It is also possible for £45.00 per person to go on an escorted adventure trip in areas of the gorge not normally open to the public. This trip does, however, have to be booked ahead. It starts with a mandatory safety briefing, after which you start the tour by crossing the gorge on a beam and then scaling around a rock to climb along a traverse. Then the gorge has to be re-crossed on a ladder before a crawl to a climb that ends with abseiling down into the gorge and scrambling along the river bed into the normally inaccessible area of the upper gorge. It lasts approximately three hours and is not for the unfit or faint of heart.

Admission:
Adult - £5.50
Child (5-16) - £3.75
Under 5’s - free

Links: http://www.howstean.co.uk

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