Flasby Fell Walk: An Excellent Section of A Dales High Way

The Flasby Fell Walk is a great trail option in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. At least half of the circular walk follows a magnificent section of the multi-day Dales High Way. By following this trail, you’ll summit Sharp Haw, which is the highest of Flasby’s Fell five tops.

In this guide, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about the Flasby Fell Walk. After describing the highlights of the walk, we’ll discuss how to get to the trailhead. We’ll then look at hiking essentials and some bonus tips.

Flasby Fell Walk Overview

The Flasby Fell Walk is a lesser-known trail option near Skipton in North Yorkshire. There are certainly more popular walks in the Yorkshire Dales. So, don’t expect too many people on this route. To that end, even on the weekend, you may only see a dozen or so people following along the Flasby Fell Walk.

One of the reasons to do this walk is to experience a section of A Dales High Way, which is a 144km long route stretching from Saltaire in West Yorkshire to Appleby-in-Westmorland in Cumbria. Sure, you might not want to do the entire Dales High Way. But, by doing the Flasby Fell Walk, you’ll get a little taste of A Dales High Way.

FYI – A Dales High Way is a different trail than the Dales Way! The Dales Way is a 126km long route, starting from Ilkley in West Yorkshire and finishing in Bowness-on-Windermere in Cumbria.

Anyway, before we describe the Flasby Fell Walk, please find below the trail specs and a GPS-guided map.

Read our guides about Brimham Rocks and the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge

Flasby Fell Walk Map and Stats

• Type: Loop
• Distance: 9.5km
• Time: 2.5–3.5 hours
• Accumulated elevation gain: 310m
• Difficulty: Easy
• Trailhead: Skipton or Bog Lane
• Grid Ref (Parking): SD 975540
• Map: Wikiloc

You can find the official Ordnance Survey map for this walk here.

Flasby Fell Walk Report and Photos

In this trail description, we’re going to talk about the key points of the Flasby Fell Walk.

It’s worth noting that following A Dales High Way, from Bog Lane to Flasby, via Sharp Haw, is the preferred route and an excellent one at that. It’s the route that we took (see interactive GPS-guided map above) and the one we recommend doing.

But, in case of bad weather or boggy terrain, there’s an alternate lower-level route, that you can take from Bog Lane to Flasby. This lower-lying trail has a short side trail option, so that you can still access Sharp Haw. Please note that it’s the low-lying trail that we used to return from Flasby to Bog Lane, which makes a circular route.

Follow A Dales High Way to Sharp Haw

You’re welcome to start the walk in Skipton. But, you may as well start a little closer to Flasby Fell by parking at Bog Lane. From there, you’ll follow a wide track towards Sharp Haw, which is the most obvious of the hills in the distance. This initial track that you follow from Bog Lane picks up the multi-day Dales High Way.

You’ll soon arrive at a fork in the path. Continue on the trail to the right, which leads straight to the gritstone outcrops of Sharp Haw and continues along A Dales High Way. At 357 metres above sea level, you’ll enjoy a decent vantage point from the peak of Sharp Haw. At the summit, you’ll find the Sharpah trig point.

Once you’ve enjoyed the views from Sharp Haw, you’ll descend the peak via its eastern face. By doing so, again, you’ll continue along A Dales High Way. Soon, you’ll arrive at the base of Rough Haw, which is the other outstanding tip of Flasby Fell. There’s an option to summit Rough Haw. But, this will have to be done as an out and back as beyond this tip (north of it) is inaccessible land. On the day, we opted against climbing to the peak of Rough Haw, choosing to continue along A Dales High Way, towards Flasby.

Flasby and Flasby Hall

After passing Rough Haw, the trail descends past Low and High Fells. Soon enough, you’ll reach Flasby, which is a small village. Admittedly, there isn’t much to see and do in Flasby. The most high-profile attraction in the town would be Flasby Hall, which is a large house that was built between 1843 and 1844. Flasby Hall is a Grade II listed building, which means the building has particular historic significance. This is owing to the fact that in 1848, the Flasby Sword, an Iron Age sword and scabbard, was found on the grounds of Flasby Hall. The sword now lives in the Craven Museum in Skipton. 

Returning From Flasby

Personally speaking, Beck and I didn’t scope out Flasby Hall. We quickly had a look at Flasby Hall as we departed the small village and made our way back towards Flasby Fell. By taking the lower-lying trail, you’ll cross Septeria Gill and then pass the Helen Handley memorial seat. Along this trail, you’ll also walk by the lovely Crag Wood.

Eventually, you’ll leave the woodlands behind, entering an open expanse, which passes farmland as you near the trailhead at Bog Lane.

How to Get There

The easiest and quickest way to get to Bog Lane for the Flasby Fell Walk is to drive there yourself. You’ll find parking on the side of Bog Lane, where A Dale High Way meets. There’s enough space for around half a dozen cars there.

If you don’t have your own vehicle, we recommend hiring a car.

To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.

In terms of public transport, it’s possible to get the Skipton to Grassington 72 bus service from Skipton to the None-Go-Bye Farm bus stop. From there, it’s an approx. 650 metre walk from the bus stop to Bog Lane, where A Dale High Way meets. But, bus services are limited. So, we don’t recommend relying on public transport to get to Bog Lane.

Hiking Essentials

These are our hiking gear essentials for the Flasby Fell Walk.

To find out more about all of the gear that we use and recommend, read our guides about our favourite hiking gear, travel gear and camera gear. Otherwise, read our comprehensive travel packing checklist.

Best Villages to See in the Yorkshire Dales

• Grassington: Everything You Need to Know About Grassington
• Hawes: The 16 Best Things To Do In Hawes
• Ingleton: 10 Awesome Things To Do In Ingleton
• Masham: Everything You Need to Know About Masham
• Buckden: The 5 Best Things To Do In Buckden, Yorkshire
• Keld: The 5 Best Things To Do in Keld, North Yorkshire
• Clapham: The Top 13 Things To Do During A Visit to Clapham, Yorkshire
• Ribblehead: 15 Awesome Things To Do In Ribblehead

Bonus Tips

• Do the walk in summer: it would be a shame to miss out on the preferable route to Sharp Haw (via A Dale High Way). So, if you can, try and do the walk during summer, when the ground isn’t as boggy. Of course, doing the walk on a day void of bad weather would also be preferable.
• Try these other lesser-known walking routes in the Yorkshire Dales: Middleton Fell Walk, Hoggs Hill and Barbon Low Fell, Mossdale Scar Walk as well as the Grass Wood Walk and Lower Grass Wood Walk in nearby Grassington.
• Explore other national parks in and near Yorkshire: don’t just stop at the Yorkshire Dales. Head to the beautiful Lake District (coming soon) and North York Moors National Parks.

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