Simons Fell and Ingleborough From Ribblehead
Walk 14 - By car or train from Ribblehead: A circular walk taking in Ingleborough (723m), Simons Fell (650m) and Park Fell (563m) summits with added attraction of Great Douk Cave - 10 miles - 5 hours Back to Ribblehead
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Simons Fell Cairn
Start from Ribblehead station and turn left at main road (in front of pub) pass under the rail bridge and then immediately left up the access road to Ribblehead Quarry Nature Reserve. Passing through the nature reserve gates near the information board bear left following waymarks across quarry floor eventually climbing around the side of the quarry [all way-marked] through a gate and thence to a further new gate in the drystone wall, this being the quarry boundary. The gate in fact leads to the Viking Farmstead which can be observed enroute above the Limestone karst.
There are three buildings which are described in an English Nature leaflet http://www.english-nature.org.uk one of these being a long house, some 15m long, with two smaller buildings one of these being the kitchen [see below]. The site is on slightly elevated land not far from the gate and above the karst.
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Showing the remains of one of the smaller Viking buildings
The pasture is now designated as access area. Cross the open pasture [no actual path] bearing slightly to the right of Park Fell, the hill directly ahead. A stile should eventually be spotted in the wall. Crossing the stile and a further stile proceed with the wall on the left hand side. After this point some way marks conveniently installed by English Nature will be observed. These can be followed almost in a straight line albeit there is a slight dogleg through a gate eventually arriving at Great Douk Cave (actually a big hole in the ground with some pot holes going off it plus a waterfall - very impressive!). Despite the initial appearance there is a stile and a natural but steep ramp leads down to the floor of the hole with care. From here it is possible to investigate the water fall and the further pothole used by the cavers complete with winch system and ladders.
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Great Douk Cave
From Great Douk Cave a decision can be made as to whether to cross two stiles (bearing diagonally right) to take a steep course up Souther Scales Fell [one of the original main ascent routes of Ingleborough but now lesser used] or continue to the main Hill Inn- Ingleborough Path. Which ever way, upon reaching the ridge a further decision can be taken as to whether to go to the summit of Ingleborough, returning the same way [the full walk]. The newer path has recently been greatly improved with stone steps replacing tedious timber boarding walkways.
However, upon reaching the English Nature gate (below the summit plateau) pass through the gate and bear right keeping the wall on the right hand side (in fact following the ridge). This gains height to the true summit of Simons Fell (650m) but the most interesting bit is beyond as the path drops and passes through a gate. Turn right along the ridge and proceed towards the cairn crossing a wall enroute. The views from here are excellent. From the cairn retrace steps and follow the natural contour to Park Fell picking up English Nature waypoints enroute eventually reaching Park Fell trig point.
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Park Fell Trig Point
There are two options here. Either follow the English Nature preferred
route or take a more direct route towards Ribblehead Quarry [described
here]. The latter path descends very steeply down a grassy slope to reach
a stone stile [with part of the steps missing]. After crossing the stile
bear diagonally left eventually to meet a wall at left hand side of field.
Follow the wall downhill for 300m or so until a stile is reached. Climb
over the stile and take a bearing just to the right of Ribblehead station
and towards the quarry [this is now Access area and so there is no defined
footpath] crossing large pasture and then limestone karst to reach drystone
wall and a new gate. The path can now be retraced through the nature reserve
as at the start to reach the Station Inn.