Picture Post: Stunning views from Kilnsey’s famous crag

This famous limestone cliff overlooks the picturesque road linking Grassington and Kettlewell, as well as the River Wharfe from the west.

The towering inland crag is around 50 metres high and has a distinctive overhang of about 12 metres, forged by the Wharfedale glacier during the ice age.

Running west from Kilnsey towards Malham Tarn is the historic Mastiles Lane, a Roman marching road, later an important drovers’ way used to take Fountains Abbey flocks to summer pasture on higher ground. Today, it is a popular Wharfedale walking track.

The village itself packs a lot of history into such a small place. The Old Hall was used as a medieval administrative site for the wool trade and most of the building that stands today dates from the mid-17th century.

More recently the Tour de France cyclists sped past Kilnsey during last month’s brilliant Grand Départ which has sparked a big upturn in trade at the local pub, the Tennant’s Arms.

It’s also home to the Kilnsey Show, billed as the Dales’ foremost agricultural show, which takes place later this month.

The village is no stranger to famous visitors either. On July 26, 1816, JMW Turner, having spent the previous night at nearby Kettlewell, explored Kilnsey Crag as part of his grand artist’s tour of Yorkshire.

He made a series of quick sketches recording views from the road to the north and south in a small pocketbook, before deciding that the best profile was that from the south and recording this in his largest sketchbook.

And the great landscape painter isn’t alone in being beguiled by the landscape here. According to local legend an enterprising witch, known as ‘Old Nan’, lived under the crag for many years and even had her own market stall in Skipton.

If true then she obviously appreciated a good view, because they don’t get much better than this.

Technical details: Nikon D3s 80-200mm lens, f8 @ 640 sec, ISO 400.

Picture: Gerard Binks

Words: Chris Bond