I've done Semerwater a few times, with family and friends, this time I planned a nice big loop around the water. I visited a few weeks previous to this walk where mam and I parked at Stalling Busk and walked down to the ruins of a chruch and was told of a family grave. So I thought I'd do this trip and try to find the old family grave.
This is the route I took, in an anti-clockwise direction to get the steep uphill part done straight away.
It's great to park right by the shoreline here, and makes for a good photo. The ducks thought I was quackers for parking so close to the waters edge.
On the day of this Tiggy Tour it was a bit busy when I got to Semerwater and the parking spots by the water were all taken. So I left Tiggy by the side of the road, still close to Semerwater.
The first mile or so consists of a steady uphill, following the road at first, then onto grassy paths up to the top of Wether Fell. The hard work is worth it with a great view of Semerwater and Raydale.
It was here where I met a couple of locals...
But they were more interested in the view, and the paraglider
After hiking along the top of the hill I turned right, heading north just for a short distance to see over the hill where Hawes lies.
I then turned around and headed back in the direction of Semerwater. A nice downhill walk through fields down to the village of Marsett.
Passing by Marsett and walking along the bottom of the valley, following Marsett Beck. Then a bit of an uphill towards Stalling Busk but turning left a field before you get to the village. It is here where the church ruins are along with nice views back across the valley of the route taken at the start of the hike.
It was here, in the overgrown ruins of the churchyard that I went grave digging, well, grave scraping.
Clearing the grass off a few gravestones I saw the surname Heseltine. I'd found the family grave!
After a sucessful gravestone hunt and a picnic it was time to get back to Tiggy.
The final bit of the hike is quite straight and level as you walk north east along the bottom of the valley near the East bank of Semerwater. I kept to the path but others do head along the shoreline of Semerwater. Get to the road, turn left and then follow it north back to Tiggy.