School Trip to Ingleton, 1961
Field-work expeditions for students taking "O" level geography are rare, and it is to our advantage that we have in Mr. Wells a master able and willing to arrange such excellent expeditions as that which took place on Tuesday, March 27th, when a party of fifth and sixth formers visited the Ingleton area.
The day was cold, clear and blustery with mist and rain as the day progressed. The party travelled by coach via Settle where a stop was taken for morning coffee, and on to Clapham. From here we proceeded to walk along Clapham Beck to Ingleborough cave, where the water re-emerges after going underground at Gaping Ghyll. The walk then followed a grass covered valley the sides of which grew more vertical until they became steep cliffs. This is Trow Ghyll, at present a "dry" valley, but once the old bed of the stream which goes underground at Gaping Ghyll hole. Trow Ghyll was possibly a huge cavern once, the roof of which collapsed thus creating an open gorge - a small scale replica of Cheddar Gorge. Leaving Trow Ghyll by a rocky staircase we emerged on to the open moor. After half a mile Gaping Ghyll was reached, about 1,350 feet above sea level. This is the greatest and most spacious pot hole of the British Isles, descending almost 400 ft. into the limestone and opening out into a gigantic cavern over 100 ft. high, nearly 500 ft. long and 80 ft. broad.
The next stage of the walk lay up the shoulder of the South East spur of Ingleborough, leaving the limestone and eventually crossing the millstone grit slabs which form the summit region. The top of Ingleborough was thus gained although low cloud and threatened mist prevented our seeing the peaks normally visible. Lunch was taken in the lee of the peak and then we moved down to the coll between Ingleborough and Simon Fell, ready for the descent. We "tobogganed" down the steep, grassy slope without mishap. From the foot of the slope the route lay over the plateau until we reached the limestone outcrops (clints and grikes). A dry pothole, Braithwaite Wife Hole, and sundry smaller potholes were to be seen en route. A well-defined path through the clints brought us to a green lane that led, eventually, to the Hawes Road. By this time it was raining so we were glad to see the coach which took us on to White Scar Cave which we explored with the assistance of a guide who indicated the features which included stalactites, stalagmites, underground streams, waterfalls and an endless variety of limestone formations. From here the more hardy members of the party walked through the rain to Twistleton Scar End into Kingsdale and so to Thornton Force, rejoining the main party in Ingleton where tea was taken.
We returned home, tired but happy, having thoroughly enjoyed an exhilarating and educative excursion.