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| Looking down on the River Swale towards Muker on this walk from Keld in Upper Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales |
Keld to Muker Circular Walk – WHAT A STUNNING AREA!
Keld and Muker are two picturesque unspoilt villages nestled in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, in Upper Swaledale and offer a glimpse into the timeless beauty of rural Yorkshire. Keld, perched high in the Swaledale valley, is known for its dramatic landscapes, cascading waterfalls and rugged moorlands. Muker, just a short distance away, is equally captivating, with its charming stone cottages, vibrant wildflower meadows, and views that stretch out to the surrounding hills. Both villages boast an unspoiled, tranquil atmosphere, making them a perfect destination for nature lovers and hikers.
The Keld to Muker circular walk in the beautiful Upper Swaledale valley is a great way to see this stunning part of Yorkshire. In this blog post I’m showing 3 route options to choose from if you want a walk that is around 6 miles and can be done in 3-4 hours (with stops).
3 WALK route options:
You can do these walks either from Keld or from Muker (Personally I choose to start from Keld as that is the first village I come too when I travel into the area from the A66, via the Tan Hill Inn, if you are coming along the B6270 from Reeth, Muker will be the best place to start). All 3 circular walks featured below from Keld head to Muker on the same path, on the eastern side of the River Swale in a clock-wise direction – but you have 3 options on the return leg depending on your fitness levels and how steep or long you want it to be. Read on to learn more…
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| Here are 3 spectacular circular walk ideas from Keld to Muker in the Yorkshire Dales |
Walk route 1
Keld to Muker along the Swaletrail
– a flatter, easier route:
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This is an easier route and follows the Swale Trail all the way with no steep sections, as you can see from the elevation chart below. The walk starts from Keld and goes in a clock-wise direction. Due to it being very windy on the day of the particular walk I’ve featured on this blog post, we choose this route as it was bit more sheltered.
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| As you can see there’s nothing too strenuous on this route – so choose this one for a more leisurely stroll |
Walk route 2
Keld to Muker along the Swaletrail and returning via The Corpse Way
– the classic walking route:
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| Most of the Keld to Muker walks you find documented on the web are this classic route, where you get some great views from the eastern flank of Kisdon Hill on the path called The Corpse Way from Muker to Keld. Again it goes in a clockwise direction – and it can be done from Keld or Muker. |
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| To get the views you have to do a bit of a steep walk up Kisdon Hill as you can see! |
Walk route 3
Keld to Muker along the Swaletrail and returning via The Pennine Way
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| Another option is to walk from Muker to Keld on the eastern flank of Kisdon Hill via a section of the Pennine Way |
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| There’s still an uphill section but its a little easier on the eastern flank compared to the west of Kisdon Hill. |
The spectacular Muker wildflower meadows in Swaledale – the best time to visit
The Keld to Muker circular is a great walk to do any time of the year, but perhaps a really special time to do it is in May/June when the stunning wildflower meadows in the fields to the north of Muker are in full bloom. Each field has it’s own special mix of Wildflowers and it’s one of the best places to see upland wildflower meadows from a footpath in the Yorkshire Dales. Infact some of the meadows at Muker are protected as part of the Muker meadows Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) as wildflowers in this concentration are now a rarity in Britain and are the result of years of management from the local Dales farmers who cut the fields back at the end of June in the traditional way to provide fodder for their livestock during the winter months. It really is an amazing sight to see.
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| Each of the 12 fields just to the north of Muker has its own mix of wildflowers and in these species rich meadows you’ll find Cat’s ear, Wood crane’s bill, Buttercups, Lady’s mantle, Yellow rattle, Rough hawkbit, Sweet vernal grass, Pignut and Melancholy thistle as well as a wide range of insects, birds and small mammals. Note the best time to see the meadows in all their glory is in June. |
Map location of the wild flower meadows in Muker:
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| Here’s a map of where you will find these stunning wild flower meadows in the months of May & June. As you can see the fields are just to the north of Muker and a clearly marked footpath cuts right through the fields |
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| The wildflower meadows are really easy to access, although you are asked to stay to the well-marked footpaths. Six of the fields have easy to walk down flagged paths and the first two are suitable for wheelchairs or pushchair visitors (until you come to a narrow gate). They really are a must-do activity if you are in the area in early summer – even if you just do a very short walk from Muker to the wild flower meadows and back |
Our Keld to Muker circular walk
Here’s some info and photos from the walk route that we actually chose to do one April. It was a very windy day – so we chose the easier, flatter, more sheltered route (WALK ROUTE 1 from the maps listed above).
Map of our chosen walk route:
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| Due to it being very windy on the day of this particular walk, we choose this route as it was bit more sheltered being in the valley and we did it in an anti-clockwise direction from Keld, heading on the path north of the River Swale initially. Muker is at the half way point and a good excuse for a trip to the pub, before heading back to Keld with the River Swale now on your right. Click the button below to view the interactive map route. |
WALK OVERVIEW:
DISTANCE: 5.8 miles
TIME: 3 hours
TOTAL ASCENT: 773ft
DIFFICULTY: EASY
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| This walk starts at Keld, a lovely little traditional Yorkshire Dales village right the head of Upper Swaledale, and a bit quieter than Muker. |
Photos of this Keld to Muker circular walk:
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| This place to park at Keld is Park Lodge Car park at Park Lodge farm. There is plenty of space for cars and the car park prices are very reasonable at £2 a day via an honesty box. I love this part of the world where things are a lot more traditional and there are no car park machines charging you an arm and a leg |
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| In the car park at Keld you’ll find a board with the various walking route options on which I have featured on this blog post |
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| Soon after starting we take a left at this junction to follow the Swale Trail and head down to cross the River Swale, later we will return via the path to the right |
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| Heading down to cross the River Swale |
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| A glorious sight on the River Swale – it looks warmer than it is though – it’s about 5c here! |
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| We then get up close to East Gill force – which is a nice little waterfall and a good place to stop for a few mins. |
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| Here’s one I made earlier! East Gill force on another day when the water is more in full flow. |
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| Stunning views down the River Swale |
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| Looking back to the village of Keld at the head of Swaledale |
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| The views down the valley are superb on this walk |
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| What a Yorkshire view! |
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| Its a gradual down hill here towards the River Swale |
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| You can take the bridge or just go straight through the beck |
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| This point of the walk is a nice place to stop and admire the Yorkshire views |
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| Looking back up the River Swale to where we have come from. We will return on the path to the left of the River Swale in this picture. |
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| It’s pretty flat from now on and we track the River Swale all the way to Muker |
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| Muker is now in sight |
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| Just a little bridge crossing to go now |
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| After crossing the River Swale we head into the first of the Muker wildflower fields |
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| At this time of year (early April) there are no wildflowers in bloom yet – but soon each of these fields will be covered in a carpet of Wildflowers – if you can, do this walk in June! |
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| The paths are clearly marked through the multiple wildflower meadow fields |
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| This photo is not from todays walk – but it’s a little taste of what these wildflower meadows will look like in May or June time! |
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| Time for a little mooch around the small traditional Yorkshire village of Muker |
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| Muker Village Store – it’s like a land that time forgot! |
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| The farmers Arms pub in Muker – a nice little sun trap and is a good excuse to stop at the half way point of the walk. |
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| Muker Church |
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| The cottages at Muker are about as traditional yorkshire you can get – some I believe are holiday cottages now. |
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| Time to leave Muker and head back on the Pennine Way to Keld |
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| It’s a blustery day with the wind howling down the valley – this old barn looks good place to get some shelter from the wind and have a cuppa |
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| Time for a cup of Yorkshire Tea 🙂 |
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| This path returns along the River Swale but on the opposite side to the one we walked to Muker on |
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| Alfie our dog can’t get enough of the cold waters of the River Swale for a good splash about |
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| One of the many old barns we pass on this walk that are no longer in use – what a nice place they would be to stay if they were converted! |
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| This looks like an old farmers cottage – a lick of paint and it will make a cracking holiday home 🙂 |
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| We are on the Pennine Way here and it’s a bit of an uphill but about as hard as it gets on the return leg |
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| Looking over the Rover Swale valley to the path we walked earlier |
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| And we’ve just about made it back to Keld and rejoin the Swale Trail, where previously we took a left at this junction! |
Well I hope you found this little write-up useful and gives you a few ideas for some walks in the Keld and Muker area in Yorkshire. It’s a lovely area and a lot less busy than other parts of Yorkshire, infact it’s my favourite area due to its remoteness. If you want a walk that is a bit shorter in the area – I recommend the Keld Waterfall walk (link below). And even if you do the Keld to Muker walk, I do recommend visiting Wain Wath Force while you are here, as you can literally park the car pretty much next to it!
This is a very helpful guide. Thank you!
Glad it was of use 🙂
The Keld Muker walk has been our favourite for years it was also James Herriot's as well thank you for highlighting this walk
No problem and thanks for dropping by – I didn’t realise it was James Herriotts favourite walk but I think we can see why
I've wanted 2 go on this walk for years, and your guide looks fantastic, plus it looks a lovely walk with our dog too. Thank you
No problem at all – pleased you found it useful – you’ll love the walk
A really good area if you can no longer go on the tops! I use the Little White Bus to Keld and walk back to Muker, both sides of the river are good downhill walks after the first short climb, to pick up the return bus at the pub! I also get a super breakfast at the farm in Keld! The photos bring back wonderful memories, and also show the tops we used to walk! Thanks for this, Sally Harnett.
Thanks for sharing – the bus can come in handy for walks up this way! Pleased the photos bring back some good memories for you. Stu