Lady Anne’s Way 110m by Alan Southworth

Lady Anne’s Way 100m (160km)

by Alan Southworth

This long-distance walk begins in Skipton in North Yorkshire and ends in Penrith, Cumbria and follows the route taken by Lady Anne Clifford during her time she spent until her death maintaining and restoring the properties and castles owned by the Clifford family.

Lady Anne Clifford was the last in line of that great family the Cliffords who owned vast estates extending from Skipton in Craven to Brougham in Westmorland (Now Cumbria). She was born in Skipton castle and was the only surviving child of George Clifford 3rd Earl of Cumberland and his wife Margaret Russell, on her father's death she failed to inherit the estate which passed to her uncle and his male heirs, this injustice was felt very deeply both by Lady Anne and her mother and in future years would be a bone of contention between Lady Anne and her husbands, it marked a turning point in her life and she spent the next thirty eight years trying to regain her inheritance.

She was married twice, firstly to Richard Sackville Earl of Dorset who died in 1624 and then six years later to Philip Herbert Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, the second marriage was not a happy one and after four and a half years they quarrelled and subsequently lived apart. The Earl of Pembroke died in1650 and the year after Lady Anne left the south of England forever, it had been her home since childhood but in 1643 she had at last come into her rightful inheritance and now was the time to return to the county of her birth and set her houses in order.

Her estates and in particular her castles were in great need of repair and the restoration of these was to be her self-imposed task for the rest of her life.

As previously stated, the walk starts from Skipton castle, the birthplace of Lady Anne. Skipton is well known as the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales and is a thriving market town with its cobbled streets and narrow alleyways and the Leeds to Liverpool canal basin harbouring a multitude of narrow boats for hire, the town is dominated by the imposing castle, one of the best preserved medieval castles in the country, it was the home of the Cliffords from 1310 when it was rebuilt and strengthened by the first Clifford, Lord of Skipton. However, on with the walk, we leave Skipton heading for Grassington first passing through the villages of Embsy and Eastby eventually meeting up with the river Wharfe and Barden Tower our next link to Lady Anne. The imposing ruin was once home to the 'Shepherd' Lord Clifford in Tudor times and later to Lady Anne where she stayed frequently during her lifetime and undertook much restoration work. Leaving Barden, we follow the course of the river Wharfe through the villages of Appletreewick (shortened by locals to Ap'trick), Burnsall and Hebden and on to Grassington. Grassington a small but bustling town was once the centre of a flourishing lead mining industry which was worked since preRoman times. Leaving Grassington our walk takes us to Buckden, passing through the villages of Kettlewell and Starbottom enroute to Hawes. Lady Anne would have broken her journey North by staying overnight at any number of estate cottages where she would have been made thoroughly welcome, such was her popularity. Our next overnight stop is the market town of Hawes capital of the upper Dales and one of England's highest market towns, famous for its Wensleydale cheese (amongst others it produces) and ropemaking, it was also the centre for the Quaker movement.

The next stage takes us to Kirkby Stephen following the high route known as 'Lady Anne's highway', it takes us over the fells from Wensleydale to Mallerstang and the start of the Eden valley. The 'Highway' was almost certainly a pre-historic route, later used by the Romans, also drovers coming down from Scotland to the markets of the Dales, Lady Anne would have used it on her way from Wensleydale into Westmorland to visit Pendragon castle where she would stay and oversee repairs.

Kirkby Stephen has most amenities, shops, hotels, cafes and accommodation including a Youth Hostel. The town has always been a place of some importance being on the main trading route from Wensleydale through the Eden valley and over the Pennines into Scotland. It was granted a charter 1n 1361 and has continued to hold a market every Monday since. Bull baiting took place in the cobbled square and in the 18th century the town became famous for its woollen stockings which were knitted by both men and women using local sheep wool. Kirkby Stephen also had the tradition of ringing the 'Taggy' bell at 8pm each evening as a curfew for the children otherwise the demon 'Taggy' would pounce on them after dark. Our next stage takes us to Appleby in the Eden valley with its lush pastures and the flowing River Eden, after passing through the villages of Winton, Brough, Warcop, Sandford and Great Ormondside to reach Appleby where the Gypsy horse fair is held annually, reputed to be the largest horse fair in the world many deals of horse sales are traditionally done in the river.

Lady Anne played an important role in the town and spent a great deal of time restoring and repairing the castle which was left in ruins after suffering at the hands of the Scots and later the Parliamentarians, she also had a number of Almshouses built which later became known as the The Hospital of Lady Anne.

Our next and last stage takes us from Appleby to Penrith, a low level route with superb views of the North Pennine moors. Leaving Appleby we soon come in sight of the Pikes of Murton and Dufton and a fabulous view of High Cup Nick, a horseshoe of vertical crags, near which is the Whin Sil an escarpment of extremely hard granite, we pass through the villages of Long Marton, Kirkby Thore and Cliburn to reach Brougham Hall and ultimately Brougham castle which was probably Lady Anne's

favourite for it was here that her father was born and her mother died. She spent a great deal of time here so it is perhaps fitting that she end her days here in this idyllic spot by the river.

Few women can have made such an impression on so many people during their lifetime and be still held in such high regard over three hundred years later.

Lady Anne died in the state bedchamber in Brougham Castle on Wednesday 22nd March 1676 after enduring great pain, her last words being 'I thank God I am very well'.

After visiting Brougham Castle, we continue along the road to Eamont Bridge and on to Penrith and the end of our journey. Penrith was once the capital of Cumbria and marks the gateway to the Lake District and the North Pennines.

I am a retired engineer and professional woodturner from Lancashire, England. I have an interest in all things wood, therefore, trees, mainly our indigenous native trees. I am a member of the woodland Trust and am a volunteer photographer for the trust. My interests are varied and include hillwalking, cycling and I was a Martial Arts student and instructor for over fifty years. I also play acoustic Guitar and ukulele, badly, I may add, my musical interests are also varied and range from English and Irish folk, through to Classical. I also have an interest in Lancashire dialect writing and poems.