People have been taking on the challenge of walking Yorkshire’s Three Peaks in a day since 1887.
The Three Peaks consisting of Ingleborough (723m/2372ft), Pen-y-Ghent (694/2277ft) and Whernside (736m/2415ft) provide a challenging circular walk which is achievable for most people who are reasonably fit.
The original Three Peaks route started from the Old Hill Inn at Chapel-le-Dale but limited parking meant this was not terribly practical. In 1968 the Pen-y-ghent cafe hit on the idea of installing a clocking in machine for walkers to stamp their times. This became hugely popular and the beginning of the walk moved to Horton-In-Ribblesdale.
Forward to 2017 – the Three Peaks Challenge has now become so popular amongst large groups and individuals that Horton-In-Ribblesdale can no longer cope with such enormous numbers.
Ingleton’s alternative route was the brainchild of the Overground Underground Festival – the festival of the Ingleborough Dales. The purpose behind it was simple – to alleviate the pressure from Horton-In-Ribblesdale and to promote the traditional Dales village of Ingleton. Famous for it’s Waterfalls Walk and White Scar Caves it has the infrastructure already in place to accommodate large numbers of visitors from parking and accommodation to a wide range of pubs, restaurants and shops.
Working in partnership with Ingleton Area Business Group, Overground Underground launched the alternative route in 2018. This project has been part-funded through Stories in Stone, a four year programme of community and heritage projects developed by the Ingleborough Dales Landscape Partnership, which is led by Yorkshire Dales Millenium Trust and mainly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
All photographs on this site are courtesy of Stephen Knowles Photography