Location

WHERE ARE WE?

White House Farm is just over a mile from the North Yorkshire Pennine village of Cowling. The towns of Skipton, Keighley and Colne are each between 6 & 10  miles away.  Leeds and Manchester are both about 30 miles away and Bradford around 15 miles.

HOW TO FIND US:

  • POST CODE: BD22 0LY
  • GRID REFERENCE: 395686 , 443671
  • OS MAP: SD956436
  • WHAT 3 WORDS: backpacks.mushroom.forest

White House Farm isn’t marked on most maps but the neighbouring property, Westfield Farm is shown. We are 75 metres west of Westfield.

DIRECTIONS FROM THE PENNINE WAY:  White House Farm is ideally situated if you are walking the Pennine Way. Walkers often stop overnight after walking from Haworth or Hebden Bridge with their next stop being Gargrave or Malham. We are halfway between Stanbury and Lothersdale.

NOTE FOR WALKERS: The walk from Hebden Bridge  to Cowling is between 17 and 18 miles, which is somewhat longer than most PW guide books suggest. Unless you are a very fast walker over rough ground it will take you all day. Splitting it into two sections at a reasonable walking pace,  HB to Ponden will take you 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours and Ponden to Cowling 2 to 3 hours. However, we have known visitors take 10 hours or longer! 

Our advice is to plan for a good 7 hours walking plus stops and should you be delayed please  try and ring us to let us know you will be arriving late.  This is important if you have booked a meal as all food is cooked fresh.

Approach from the South: If you are walking in the more usual northerly direction, when you arrive at Cowling you will cross the main A6068, White House Farm is about 25 minutes’ walk away.

NO NEED TO  WALK INTO THE VILLAGE OF COWLING – UNLESS YOU WISH TO!

Continue north on the PW passing through the hamlet of Ickornshaw to Gill Lane. Pass a short row of 3 cottages (Starmire) on left and farm on right. At the junction,  the PW forks right  & heads steeply downhill.

(At this point  if you prefer to continue walking on the road, when you reach Starmire fork left uphill along Lane House Road for half a mile until you reach the top of a farm track on your right, where there is a wrought iron sign displaying the name of four properties. Follow this track , cross the bridge round  the back of a cottage then straight ahead for 300m when you will reach White House Farm – which is painted white.)

If you prefer to follow the PW a bit further  you can walk  through the fields to White House Farm. From Starmire, fork right and head steeply down Shop Lane for 75 yards & cross the stream via a small road bridge. The PW then bears immediately left along a tarmac driveway beside the stream towards Higher Gill Bottom, a modern bungalow.

Follow the PW steeply uphill for ¼ mile, first passing a dried up mill pond then cross a stone stile with a gully on the left. At the top of the gully cross a 2nd stone stile into a grassy field. The landscape opens out & walk through another large grassy field until you reach a stile & a padlocked gate between 2 large holly bushes. Leave the PW route at this point – do not cross the stile, turn left along a frequently very muddy public footpath following the field boundary, passing ruined buildings on your right, marked as Stubbings on the OS map. Cross over a stile, down a bank & then right through a gateway. Walk through another two fields to Westfield Farm which you will see to the west.

The public footpath passes through the forecourt of Westfield Farm and then becomes a well-used vehicle access track. White House Farm is 75m on the left.

Approach from the North: Follow the PW mostly uphill from Lothersdale to Cowling Hill Lane. Cross the road and follow the PW downhill. After 1/4 mile you will pass buildings at High Stubbins. (Recently Reconstructed) . Walk downhill through some new trees and the adjoining field towards a padlocked gate between two holly bushes. Cross the wall via a stile.

Leave the PW here and turn right along a public footpath, passing a ruined building on your right, marked as Stubbings on the OS map. This is frequently muddy.  Continue straight ahead over a stile beside a gate, then walk down a bank & across two fields to Westfield Farm.

The public footpath passes through the forecourt of Westfield Farm and then becomes a well-used vehicle access track. White House Farm is 75m on the left.

Approach by car: Use our postcode, BD22 0LY. Our access track is narrow, some of it is rough and bumpy. Please drive slowly and look out for other users including animals, children and chickens.