Buckden Pike: Walks, History, and Murder Mysteries
This year, we launched a brand new walking weekend centred around Buckden Pike and the stunning Wharfedale valley. Book your place to join us.
Buckden Pike is a fell at the head of Wharfedale, a valley in the Yorkshire Dales. Standing at 702m (2,303ft), it provides a challenging walk that can be completed in a few hours if you’re of a good level of fitness.
Starting out from the charming riverside village of Buckden, home to the National Trust-owned Town Head Barn Bunkhouse, the walk to the summit of Buckden Pike offers superb views over the Yorkshire Dales and some interesting local history.
And what’s more, Buckden Pike is a little off-the-beaten-track when compared to its slightly larger siblings, Whernside, Pen-y-Ghent, and Ingleborough, also known as the Yorkshire Three Peaks. This means that, while Buckden Pike still provides a decent challenge (it is, after all, the 7th highest peak in the Yorkshire Dales!), it’s generally a much quieter, lesser-peopled route on an average day.
Buckden Pike makes for a great walk - a good leg-stretcher with just the right amount of challenge - and with rewarding views from the summit. Marked by a trig point, you’ll enjoy panoramic views over North Yorkshire and the Yorkshire Dales. The ridge walk from the summit has been described as the best in the Dales, and when you’re walking along it you’ll understand why!
Heading south from the summit, you’ll pass disused lead mines from the area’s industrial heritage, and a memorial cross dedicated to the memory of five Polish airmen who lost their lives on the Pike in the Second World War.
Buckden Pike Memorial Cross
© Copyright Colin Kinnear and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Close to the summit of Buckden Pike is the Buckden Pike Memorial Cross, a Second World War-era monument.
On the 30th January 1942, six Polish airmen, based at RAF Bramcote, crashed their Wellington Bomber nearby. Tragically, five lost their lives in the accident. The sixth airman, Jozef "Joe" Fusniak, endeavoured to build a lasting monument to the memory of his fellow airman and, in 1972, with the help of local people, achieved his ambition.
Today, the Memorial Cross stands as a monument to their memory, and to all who fought in the war. It makes for a poignant and unique landmark on Buckden Pike, with walkers often pausing for a moment of reflection before continuing on their way.
Buckden Pike Mine and the tale of Buckden Bill
Buckden Pike is also home to an old lead mine. Operated for several hundred years due to the amount and quality of lead ore under the Pike, the mine eventually closed with the collapse of the lead mining industry in the 1870s.
In 1964, while exploring the long-derelict network of mines, a group of intrepid students happened upon the collected possessions of a man, leading to the launch of a murder investigation. After a lack of evidence and the suggestion that they had been in the mine for a very long time (perhaps more than 80 years!), the possessions became a source of local intrigue.
The clues - a felt hat, a walking stick, and some coins - have led to a host of local theories as to the identity of the man now affectionately known as Buckden Bill…and it’s even said a felt hat-topped ghost can be seen on certain nights!
Delightful riverside villages
After a day of history, mystery, and a properly challenging walk, there’s nothing better than a pint or pitstop at a tearoom. Wharfedale is home to a host of tranquil villages, some of which offer fabulous Dales hospitality - just what the doctor ordered!
We recommend checking out The Buck Inn in the village of Buckden for a chilled-out pint and a pie. Following the river to the village of Hubberholme, The George Inn is also well worth a look-in, offering pub classics and real ales.
Ready to explore Wharfedale and discover the history, mystery, and epic sociable walks around Buckden Pike? Join our open-group, sociable walking weekend, based out of the super-comfortable Town Head Barn Bunkhouse in the village of Buckden.