Buckden Pike

Buckden Pike, viewed from the slopes of neighbouring Great Whernside

Location: SD 961 788

Getting there: YDNPA car park in Buckden is good for the most direct paths. There are also approaches from Starbottom (no car park) or Kettlewell (another YDNPA car park). As an alternative, approach from the east from Walden Head, or combine with Great Whernside and Birks Fell for an alternative three-peak challenge.

Height (at trig point on summit): 702m

Prominence: 207m

Map: OS Explorer OL30 Yorkshire Dales Northern & Ventral Area)

One of my very favourite places in the Yorkshire Dales, Buckden Pike overlooks the picturesque and verdant head of Upper Wharfedale. Within its beauty and against a backdrop of rich history, there is also a tale of tragedy atop the hill, caused by the incredibly fickle weather you may encounter.

The gorgeous Upper Wharfedale, from the slopes of Buckden Pike

Sharing its name with the village nestled into its lower slopes, Buckden Pike, like many of the fells of Upper Wharfedale, towers over the broad, flat valley. The summit is actually difficult to view from the valley below due to the shape of the hill, meaning it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from the neighbouring fells.

There is plenty to explore on the hill. An ancient settlement once existed on the western slope, and on visiting this I was surprised to find a very substantial rock field, seemingly made up of the remains. At the eastern end of the rock field there is the clear definition of a large, square building or enclosure, and the western end is marked by an ancient cairn.

The remains of the settlement on the approach to Buckden Pike

A little further on is the disused Buckden Lead Mine. Unlike a lot of mines in the Dales, there are substantial remains, including a level and smelting house. The unnaturally-shaped and orange-coloured slopes indicate the presence of a spoil heap. and building stones scatter the area.

The remains of the smelting house of the lead mine on the slopes of Buckden Pike, with the spoil heap in the background

The summit itself can offer glorious views of Great Whernside and Little Whernside to the east, the Yorkshire Three Peaks to the west, and beyond that, on a clear day, the Lakeland fells, including Scafell Pike are visible in the distance.

A view of the (other) Yorkshire Three Peaks, from Buckden Pike

Heading approx 1km south of the summit, lies a silent, Polish war memorial. On 30th January 1942, a Wellington Bomber carrying six Polish airmen got lost in a snowstorm. Briefly making out the lights of town below (which unknown to them was Skipton), they circled around and unwittingly flew into the Dales. Flying too low, it clipped a wall on Buckden Pike and then careered into the plateau.

Four of the crew were killed on impact. Jospeh Fusniak, the rear gunner, had a broken ankle, and went to get help. With no visibility on the moor, he stumbled around before fortuitously coming across some fox tracks in the snow, which he followed until they disappeared. Almost giving up hope, the clouds broke briefly enough to make out Starbottom in the valley below, and after shouting for help, rescuers found Joe. Unfortunately the other crash survivor had died of his injuries by the time they returned to the wreckage, making Joe the sole survivor of the tragedy.

The memorial cross near the summit of Buckden Pike

Buckden Pike is largely topped with gritstone and peat bog, with the areas to the south of the summit and slopes to the east particularly treacherous. There looks to be an interesting, pathless route to the summit from Walden Head to the east, however on the day I tried to descend to Walden Head, conditions were wet and windy, and I found nothing but misery and tears, and I clambered back to the summit after reaching Fosse Gill Pike.

The boggy area to the south of the summit of Buckden Pike

A simple approach from the car park at Buckden is to take the path out of the car park that leads up the valley along the lower slopes of Buckden Pike, then taking a path to the right after about 1.2km, across the fields and up the fell, which eventually circles around to the summit.

Far more interesting in my opinion is to take the path out of the car park, and turn immediately right, entering the gorge carved out by Buckden Beck. Follow this for a pleasant waterfall walk to the lead mine, although be aware there is at least one minor scramble involved.

The view along Buckden Beck, at the foot of Buckden Pike

For those interested in the Wharfedale Three Peaks, Buckden Pike is traditionally the second peak, after Great Whernside. The approach to Buckden Pike is via Tor Mere Top, a very boggy subsidiary summit, about 2.5km to the south. Follow a path from here up to the memorial cross, and on to the summit, before continuing down the path to the car park.