Orton to Kirkby Stephen

History

This stage threads through more than 2,000 years of upland history. The moors above Crosby Garrett carry Iron Age and Romano-British settlement remains - linked enclosures and field systems at Severals and Intake, and the defended limestone outcrop of Castle Folds - evidence of pastoral and arable farmers on the Brigantian fells. The day's industrial set-piece is Smardale Gill Viaduct, designed by the Cumbrian engineer Sir Thomas Bouch and completed in 1861 for the South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway, which hauled County Durham coke west to the iron and steel furnaces of Barrow and West Cumberland. The line closed in 1962; the viaduct fell derelict until the Northern Viaduct Trust restored it, and it was formally handed to Cumbria Wildlife Trust by the late Lord Whitelaw in 1992. The day ends in Kirkby Stephen, granted a market charter by Roger de Clifford under Edward III in 1352-53 (renewed 1605 under James I) - its weekly Monday market still trades. The church of St Stephen, on the site of a Saxon church, guards the early-medieval Loki Stone, a Norse cross-shaft showing the bound god Loki, one of only two such depictions known in Europe.

Nature & Wildlife

The middle of the stage is prime limestone-and-moor wildlife country. Sunbiggin Tarn is a calcareous marl lake and SSSI, a magnet for waterfowl and waders - teal, wigeon, tufted duck, little grebe, water rail, lapwing, redshank and snipe breed or visit. The adjacent Tarn Sike reserve adds rich fen flora, rare snails and butterflies. The undoubted star is Smardale Gill National Nature Reserve and SSSI in the sheltered Scandal Beck valley: it is one of only two sites in England where the Scotch argus butterfly flies (late summer), alongside dark green fritillary, northern brown argus, common blue and dingy skipper, with bluebells, orchids and limestone wildflowers along the old trackbed. Red squirrels, roe deer and woodland birds use the wooded sections, and the surrounding Orton and Asby fells are classic karst - limestone pavement, scars and species-rich grassland grazed by hardy sheep.

Geology

This is a limestone day. The route crosses the Carboniferous limestone uplands of the Orton, Asby and Ravenstonedale fells - a karst landscape of pavement, clints and grikes, dry valleys and outcropping scars, with calcium-rich "marl" lakes such as Sunbiggin Tarn fed by the lime-laden ground water. Scandal Beck has cut the deep, sheltered gill at Smardale; the viaduct's warm sandstone was quarried locally from the valley sides. Kirkby Stephen sits at around 180 m in the broad upper Eden Valley, the young River Eden having risen only a few miles south in the peat of Mallerstang below Hugh Seat.

Scenic Highlights

After the enclosed Lakeland of earlier stages, this is wide, airy walking with huge skies. Highlights are the reed-rimmed bowl of Sunbiggin Tarn, the silver limestone pavements catching the light, and the sudden drama of Smardale Gill - the green valley, the packhorse bridge and the great viaduct framed together. From Smardale Fell the panorama opens to the Howgill Fells, the Mallerstang skyline and the Pennine wall of Nine Standards Rigg ahead, before Kirkby Stephen's church tower marks journey's end.

Photography

The signature shot is Smardale Gill Viaduct - best from the descending path on Smardale Fell or from the trackbed below, with Scandal Beck and Smardale (County) Bridge in frame; soft morning or late-afternoon light flatters the sandstone arches. Sunbiggin Tarn rewards a still, early start for reflections and birdlife. Limestone pavement on the Asby/Orton fells makes strong foreground in raking light, and the long view from Smardale Fell toward the Howgills and Nine Standards Rigg sets up the days ahead.

When to Visit

Best walked April-October. Late spring brings bluebells and orchids to Smardale Gill and breeding birds to Sunbiggin Tarn; mid-to-late summer (roughly late July-August) is the window for the Scotch argus butterfly. The open moorland between Orton and Smardale holds water and is genuinely boggy after rain and through winter, and is exposed with little shelter - clear weather makes the pathless middle far easier to navigate. Given the 12¾-mile distance, allow for short daylight outside high summer and start early in spring/autumn.

Getting There

Kirkby Stephen is one of the better-connected points on the walk. Kirkby Stephen West station, ~1.5 miles (steep walk) south-west of the centre, sits on the scenic Settle-Carlisle line (Northern) with several daily trains each way to Carlisle and Leeds - handy for reaching St Bees (via Carlisle) at the start or for a bail-out. Buses are run by Stagecoach in Cumbria alongside community/Dales services (e.g. Cumbria Classic Coaches, Western Dales Bus) linking nearby villages. Orton is reached by limited bus links from the Kendal/Penrith/Tebay area; there is roadside parking in both Orton and Kirkby Stephen. The main bail-out if weather turns is simply to press on to Kirkby Stephen, as the moorland middle has no road crossings until you near the town.

Stay & Eat Nearby

Kirkby Stephen is a well-equipped staging town with a wide choice of B&Bs and guesthouses (e.g. Georgian Grade II-listed Fletcher House, Victorian Lockholme), inns with rooms, a hostel in a converted Methodist chapel, and campsites/camping nearby; many walkers take a rest day here as it is near the route's midpoint. Book well ahead in the May-September peak, as beds in this small town fill quickly. Baggage-transfer services (e.g. Coast to Coast Packhorse, Sherpa Van) serve the town, so most walkers send packs ahead and walk with a daypack. Orton itself has limited beds, so check availability if starting from there.

Water & Facilities

Carry enough for the day - the moorland middle is dry of reliable safe water. Orton has shops/cafe to fill up before you leave; there is no on-route service until Kirkby Stephen. Open moor and beck water (Scandal Beck, tarn outflows) should be treated and is not recommended. Kirkby Stephen has full facilities at the end.

Safety

Difficulty is overall moderate but multi-axis: stamina moderate (12¾ mi / 20¼ km, gentle 389 m ascent); terrain moderate (grassy fell, limestone, wet peaty moor, farm tracks, short roads; the Smardale trackbed is easy); navigation is the crux. Across Ravenstonedale Moor the path is faint or pathless with few landmarks - the principal risk is losing the line in mist, so carry an OS map (Explorer OL19), compass and GPS and know how to use them. Ground is frequently wet and boggy; wear waterproof boots and gaiters and watch footing on tussocks and limestone. There is little shelter for long stretches and mobile signal is patchy to absent across the moor - tell someone your plan. Scandal Beck is normally crossed dry on Smardale Bridge. In an emergency dial 999 (or 112), ask for Police then Mountain Rescue; use NHS 111 for non-emergency medical advice.