The Gaping Gill Winch

Gaping Gill, Ingleborough

Gaping Gill is located about half way up Ingleborough and is a top walk for those who aren’t quite ready (or willing) to reach the top just yet!

Plus, you can walk this route to get to the Gaping Gill Winch, which takes place twice a year!

What is Gaping Gill?

Gaping Gill is a waterfall that drops right into a blinking massive black hole. The pothole, Gaping Gill is not accessible (unless you are an experienced caver) other than on one or two occasions a year. On these dates, the Bradford and Craven potholing club winch the general paying public into the supermassive black hole to explore the vast cavern underneath and to see the waterfall in its full glory!

(If you want to find out more about that, head to the Gaping Gill Winch blog or head to the bottom of the page!)

But despite not seeing the waterfall itself, the beck flowing into it has so many spots for a little paddle and a play well away from the massive hole into the underworld!! PLUS this walk takes you past a spectacular man made waterfall in Clapham, the Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail (admission charges apply) Ingleborough Show Cave (tickets must be purchased at Ingleborough Estate entrance) AND the spectacular gorge of Trow Gill!

Oh yes…. and there’s a park at the end!

Paddling in the water of Fell Beck on Ingleborough
Climbing a tree on the Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail
Jumping off a tree stump in front of a bridge

Walk details for Gaping Gill, Ingleborough

Distance: 8 miles

Terrain: Easily identifiable paths. Some signposting. Uneven ground underfoot. Some clambering involved at Trow Gill. Ascent just over 500m.

Parking: Clapham Pay and Display (charges apply)

Public Transport: Clapham Train Station (just over 1 mile away from Clapham) and there are occasional buses to Clapham. Check out the Dales Bus website for more information.

Dog friendly? Yes. Dogs must be kept on a lead in the Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail.

Location: Clapham, North Yorkshire, Yorkshire Dales National Park

Map: Explorer OL2 Yorkshire Dales Southern and Western

What 3 Words:  ferried.snow.fevered

Toilets/ Baby Change: At Clapham Pay and Display

Nearest Cafe/ Amenities: Clapham for food and drinks, cafes and pubs.

walking through Trow Gill on Ingleborough

Walking through Trow Gill

Directions to Gaping Gill

  1. From Clapham Pay and Display follow the brown signposts for Ingleborough Cave. That will take you to the start of the Estate Nature Trail and past the spectacular man made waterfall visible from the side of the road.

  2. The Estate charge a small sum for the toll path through the grounds. We paid £3 as a family of 4, so it is nominal and goes towards the upkeep of the fantastic parkland. The trail is clear and is marked with information boards to tell you more about Reginald Farrer, who was the plant lover and explorer responsible for the planting of the estate. There is a folly, an epic coin tree and a lake to spot on your way through the woodland.

  3. Once through the trail, you will reach Ingleborough Cave. This show cave is open to visitors and is well worth a stop to take in its beauty. Tickets for the cave are available to purchase on the day from the Estate Nature Trail. Check out the website for prices. It also sells ice cream and refreshments from the little shop located there, with plenty of picnic spots outside! You cannot access the cavernous Gaping Gill from Ingleborough Cave, although the cave networks are connected.

  4. From the cave, head across the bridge and onwards towards Trow Gill. The route is wide and clear, and you will not need to deviate from it. Before entering Trow Gill, the path bends round to the left at a 90 degree angle. The gorge ahead of you is Trow Gill and is a climber’s haven! Head through the middle of the gorge and towards the far end. There is a little bit of easy rock scrambling here upwards to the path, which would eventually lead you to the summit of Ingleborough.

  5. Follow the path onwards and upwards, keeping the wall to your left. The path follows the line of the wall until you reach a crossing point. Cross over, and follow the path heading towards the final climb of Ingleborough. You will head past some pretty cool rock formations and sink holes, and eventually, you will see that the path forks into two. You need to take the fork to the right.

  6. At this point, the fence partially surrounding Gaping Gill is visible in the distance on your right. Walk towards the fence. You will see an information board about the pothole, and there are steps leading down to Fell Beck, and to Gaping Gill itself! There are some lovely pools upstream from Gaping Gill which are great to dip your toes in! PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PADDLE ANYWHERE NEAR THE POTHOLE! There are plenty of pools at a safe distance upstream, and children should be supervised AT ALL TIMES because I don’t refer to it as a supermassive black hole for nothing, the drop is 100m in depth and will be lethal.

  7. Once you have paddled to your heart’s content (AT A SAFE DISTANCE… did I mention that?!), head back the way you came. This is a there and back again walk, that you will NOT mind doing twice!

Last walked May 2022

Walking towards Gaping Gill with Ingleborough mountain in the background

Walking towards Gaping Gill with Ingleborough in the background

⭐ We hope you enjoy our walks, but please exercise common sense as routes can change with the weather conditions and seasons! The routes have been walked by our own two feet, but you know your own limits. Always take a back-up map, don’t rely on GPS alone, wear appropriate clothing for the weather and take adequate snacks and refreshments with you (although as a parent, I know you already know that bit!)

⭐ Leave no trace! Take nothing away and leave nothing behind, take all rubbish home with you.

⭐ If you choose to paddle, be aware of bio security. Always wear clean dry water shoes (if worn) to avoid cross contamination of species between watercourses, this is a particular issue in the Yorkshire Dales, to help protect the white clawed crayfish.

⭐ If you decide to paddle, be aware that wild water can be dangerous, and water levels will vary season to season. Always supervise children around water. Check out the safety information on the Royal Life Saving Society website.

⭐ I’ve said it already! Potholes are dangerous and should not be entered.

Playing in the water of the beck at Gaping Gill

What’s cool for kids on this walk?

💦 WATER! Paddle away in Fell Beck. Steer clear of the supermassive black hole of Gaping Gill! (might have mentioned that a fair few times by this point) By absolutely no means am I suggesting you paddle anywhere near the 100m drop! You are able to get close enough to see the spectacular natural wonder, but please, please exercise care and paddle well upstream! Let’s just say if you fall in, you will not be coming back out again.

✨ EXTRA FUN BITS! Gaping Gill is Britain’s highest single drop waterfall. At 100ft high, you can only imagine how incredible the cavern is beneath your feet. Originally found in 1845, the cave was partly explored by John Birkbeck of Settle, who only made it down 55m. It wasn’t until 1895 that it was fully descended, by candlelight! Since then, more and more of the cave network has been explored until in 1983, a team of expert cavers finally made the connection between Gaping Gill and Ingleborough cave. Such a cool place to learn about. Plus, once a year the Craven and Bradford caving clubs hold an annual winch into the cave. You can come along and pay to be lowered into the hole to explore what lies beneath your feet. I’m there next year with bells on!

🌳 Ooh it is a long one this one. 10km and 500m of climb will cost you in snacks! What is really going for you is the structure of this walk though! Half way, you get a cave (pictured - charges apply). A fabulous distraction in itself, but if you don’t fancy it, then there’s ICE CREAM half way to the Gill! Perfect timing I’d say. Then you get a paddle spot at the furthest point. AND Clapham park is just up the road from the car park, so park bribery too! But if you are still stuck, why not check out one of our scavenger hunt printable sheets or try handing the camera over to the kids to document their journey, find more walking games here!

👻 This walk has not one, but TWO ghost stories associated with it! At the beginning of the walk (and in fact on the way to the park from the Estate Nature Trail) you will first pass and later cross the top bridge of Clapham, near St James’ Church. Here, it is rumoured that Dame Alice Ketyll, a once resident of Clapdale Hall, and Clapham haunts the bridge. An alleged witch, she is said to be seen repeating a gruesome ritual in a circle of dead cockerels! So well known is this story, that Dame Alice and her cockerels feature in the Millenium Stone at St James’ Church. Gaping Gill is also rumoured to be haunted by a ghostly monk, who appeared to a caver in the 1950’s… not that you will see him, unless you get winched… Read more Ghost Stories and Witch Stories on the blog!

(Source Haunted Yorkshire Dales - Summer Strevens)

Checking out Ingleborough Cave
Some of the cool rocks on the final approach to Gaping Gill

Some of the cool rocks on the final approach to Gaping Gill

The spray rising from Gaping Gill

The spray rising from Gaping Gill

The cave below Gaping Gill at Winch Meet

We got Winched!

Yup, we attended the 2022 Gaping Gill Winch Meet and it was worth every minute!

An absolutely fantastic experience. If you are interested in getting winched with (or without!) the kids, then you have to read the blog we wrote all about it!

It’ll answer all your FAQs about the Gaping Gill Winch Meet!

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