"Wizzendul" is arguably Yorkshire's most remote dale, a tucked-away sheep-grazing hideaway not far from Upper Swaledale and Birkdale. There is no road access and its northern approach can only be arrived at after a trek along the Coast-to-Coast from Kirkby Stephen. Its southern tip, however, accommodates Ravenseat Farm, accessible by a single track road, and famous to walkers for Amanda's cream teas. Amanda Owen, who we first met on a Day in a Dale trip to Birkdale, has now appeared on TV, radio and in various newspaper and magazine articles. Amanda is one of the region's true characters ("Fame hasn't changed me," she deadpans). The last time we met the Swaledale Shepherdess, she was heavily pregnant: her fourth child, Edith, is now 10 months old. As we drove north through Birkdale towards her farm a car passed us going the other way. It had the unmistakable Amanda at the wheel.

A hare loped down the road, an owl was hunting above Sleddale and the mists over Gayle and Hawes added to the glorious views. At the farm, we were greeted by Clive, Amanda's husband, and their three children, with the news that Amanda was taking baby Edith to the doctor's at Hawes because of an infection.

Clive kindly offered to drive us towards Kirkby Stephen so that we could make a start. He took us past a signposted route towards the Nine Standards and dropped us off further north at a spot with views over Cumbria and the Eden Valley. After 10 minutes of walking we realised that there was no sign of a path to the cairns which we had chosen to be our starting point. We scrambled over walls and becks and up steep slopes before we worked out where we were on the map. A Canadian couple by-passing the Nine Standards en route to Keld, confirmed we were not quite as lost as we feared. Even so, by the time we arrived at the top of the ridge we were around an hour behind schedule.

The Nine Standards – cairns which have withstood centuries of tempests and torrents – have given their name to the hill on which they stand 660 metres above sea level. Nine Standards Rigg is a watershed. East of this ridge, waters flow towards the North Sea, westwards towards the Irish Sea. On this day, much of the water had decided to stay where it was, adding to the boggy state of the paths. The Standards are on the former boundary between Yorkshire and Cumberland and myths abound as to their original purpose. They are more than 200 years old, as verified by historical maps – and many think they were built to suggest a camp of soldiers to dissuade potential invaders from the North. They are also the perfect spot for a picnic. An American couple, Bert and Jean Hammons, who had come from Wisconsin to walk the Coast to Coast route, are veteran long-distance walkers in Europe. "We really enjoy being out in the countryside," said Jean. "It's delightful to see people, particularly young people, out walking because it just doesn't happen in the States." They were also impressed by the hospitality at the B&Bs they were staying in. "It's great to be able to walk from one overnight stay to another," said Bert. "We don't have that kind of structure at home because the distances in between are just too large."

We followed the "blue" route past the trig marker and made our unseasonal journey towards Whitsundale. Unseasonal, because you are advised to follow particular paths (designated red, blue and green) at certain times of the year, and the Whitsundale route is for August to November. We, of course, wanted to see the dale during the Whitsun week itself and had chosen the very best of weather for our explorations.

But the bogginess of the path, particularly when crossing the numerous rills that bisect the terrain, made progress tricky. Good walking boots are essential – and probably a change of clothing. We were also very grateful for the regular marker posts, without which we could have strayed into potential difficulties: this, but for the path, is pretty wild country.

With views from above Birkdale Tarn in the distance, we descended into the northern tip of the dale, where the beck meanders in textbook fashion and the valley is at its flattest and widest. A bluff above the meander, with bird's eye views of the water's course, is a perfect resting point, or lunch spot.

The beckside is punctuated by sheepfolds, though prior to arriving at the stream, we had not seen a single living thing apart from the lapwings screeching overhead, protective of their ground nests. At one point we startled a grouse, though it was probably less startled than we were. The Coast to Coast route here follows the beck on its west bank, with no sign of human habitation for miles.

This is the valley that Wainwright referred to as "desolation profound."

You are now into gentle walking country, secure in the knowledge that just by following the beck you are guaranteed to arrive at Ravenseat without losing your way. The beck itself continues to wind and bend, its clear brown waters suggestive of pale ale. In time, it is possible to make out field barns on the horizon, the first indication that the farm is not far away.

After the beautiful bleakness of Whitsundale, Ravenseat is a welcome oasis, surrounded by a sea of yellow marsh marigolds and low hills.

Clive, concerned that we might have got lost, had been quizzing walkers who had arrived for tea and scones and would have come in search of us had he not been reassured that we had been spotted en route. We'd made good time along the dale itself and caught up with those who had followed the "red" route. As we climbed our last wall, Amanda roared into view on her quad bike, racing off to a field barn to collect eggs. Amanda combines the roles of shepherdess, mother, baker, waitress and media celebrity with aplomb and her next venture is to provide overnight accommodation for Coast to Coast walkers. For a small charge, she's also happy to make arrangements for anyone who wants to park their car at Ravenseat and be driven by her to the signposted route to the Nine Standards. That way, as long as you have food, fitness and footwear, you can follow in our footsteps as we followed in Wainwright's.


Whitsundale facts

Coast to Coast www.coast2coast.co.uk

Walking routes – the "green" route (December to April) avoids the Nine Standards altogether; the "red" route is May to July, and the "blue" route – which includes Whitsundale – is August to November.

Keld Lodge, Keld, Nr Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL11 6LL – Bed and Breakfast, bar and restaurant, www.keldlodge.com, 01748 886259.

n Ravenseat Farm. Cream teas with homemade scones, 01748 886387.