Pictures of Drove Roads
Drove roads are ancient tracks that wove webs across the northern countryside linking villages and towns for the movement of farm animals, mainly cattle and sheep. These tracks were also used by traders with packhorses laden with produce and goods.
Clapper Bridge over Austwick Beck in Crummack Dale in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire.
Believed to be 15th century, this ancient limestone and Silurian slate bridge links two ancient green lanes (old drove roads used for herding animals). There is an adjacent ford where animals and carts could cross.
A frozen puddle on the old drove road, Fellfoot Road, at Barbon in the Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria.
The large through stones provide strength and stability in the old drystone wall.
Walker with dog on Fell Foot Road, and old droving road at Barbon in the Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria.
One of Andrew Goldsworthy's sheepfolds lies to the left of the wall.
The Sheepfolds Project was a public artwork, consisting of sixteen folds, each containing a huge boulder situated along the old sheep drove-road. Each fold has access for both humans and sheep and is meant to relate directly to local farming traditions.
One of sixteen Andy Goldsworthy Sheepfolds along Fellfoot Road, an old drovers' route running through Barbon and Casterton in the Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria.
The Sheepfolds Project was a public artwork, consisting of sixteen folds, each containing a huge boulder situated along the old sheep drove-road. Each fold has access for both humans and sheep and is meant to relate directly to local farming traditions.
Occupation Road, Barbondale in the Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria.
This old droving road that linked Barbondale with Kingsdale was rebuilt in 1859 at the time of the Parliamentary Enclosures when previously common fellside land had to be divided up into large allotments for grazing - the ‘occupied’ land.
An Andrew Goldsworthy Sheepfold beside Fellfoot Road, an old drove road running through Casterton in the Yorkshire Dales NP, Cumbria.
The Sheepfolds Project was a public artwork, consisting of sixteen folds, each containing a huge boulder situated along the old sheep drove-road. Each fold has access for both humans and sheep and is meant to relate directly to local farming traditions.
Andrew Goldsworthy Sheepfold beside Fellfoot Road, an old drove' road running through Casterton in the Yorkshire Dales NP, Cumbria..
The Sheepfolds Project was a public artwork, consisting of sixteen folds, each containing a huge boulder situated along the old sheep drove-road. Each fold has access for both humans and sheep and is meant to relate directly to local farming traditions.
Fellfoot Road, and old drove road at Casterton in the Lune Valley Yorkshire Dales of Cumbria.
Walkers on the The Craven Wold, Chapel-le-Dale, Yorkshire Dales.
Also known as the Craven Old Way, this lane is probably a medieval packhorse route linking Ingleton and Dent. Packhorse trains might have consisted of about thirty fell-ponies each carrying two baskets of wool. The route was probably also used by Scottish drovers bringing cattle into England.
Long Lane, Clapham in the Yorkshire Dales.
Long Lane, an ancient packhorse route for the transportation of goods, would also have been used by drovers for the movement of sheep and cattle. Long Lane connected Clapham with Selside and then linked up with other routes to Hawes. From Clapham the route south probably ran to Sawley Abbey. The original routes only started to become walled in the late Middle Ages with the introduction of the Enclosure Act and the dissolution of the monasteries.
Looking towards Middleton Fell from Occupation Road, Dent in the Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria.
Occupation Road (The Occy) was originally an old droving route linking Barbondale and Kingsdale. It was rebuilt in 1859 at the time of the Parliamentary Enclosures when previously common fellside land had to be divided up into large allotments for grazing - the ‘occupied’ land.
Looking towards Middleton Fell from Occupation Road, Dent in the Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria.
Occupation Road (The Occy) was originally an old droving route linking Barbondale and Kingsdale. It was rebuilt in 1859 at the time of the Parliamentary Enclosures when previously common fellside land had to be divided up into large allotments for grazing - the ‘occupied’ land.
A view into Dentdale from the Galloway Gate bridleway, known as the Driving Road on the lower slopes of Great Knoutberry Hill in the Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria.
The Driving Road is an extension of the medieval trading route, the Galloway Gate.
A view into Dentdale from a gate on the Driving Road around the lower slopes of Great Knoutberry Hill near Cowgill in the Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria.
Gaugh Fell and Wild Boar Fell from the medieval drove road known as the Galloway Gate running round the lower slopes of Great Knoutberry Hill near Cowgill in Dentdale, Cumbria.
The Highland Drove Inn, Great Salkeld in the Eden Valley, Cumbria.
This pub was once the stopping place for drovers, whose animals were watered at the Dub just outside the village.
Crook of Lune Bridge, Howgill, Sedbergh, Cumbria.
An ancient narrow road bridge over the River Lune believed to be 16th century or earlier. The bridge forms part of an ancient north-south route along Lunesdale, used in 17th and 18th centuries by drovers.
The Old Scotch Road at Killington in Cumbria.
Originally known as the Galwaithegate (Galloway Gate), this was the main ancient trading route from Scotland into England. It was used by Scottish drovers with their herds of galloway cattle to access other routes to reach markets throughout England. There was a cattle market in nearby Old Town every October.
Three Mile House on the Old Scotch Road, an overnight stopping place for drovers travelling with their herds of Scottish Galloway Cattle to the cattle markets in England.
Old Town had its own market every October.
Looking across the vale of Kingsdale to Keld Head Scars from the Kirkby Gate, an ancient route over Scales Moor in the Yorkshire Dales.
The Kirkby Gate was much used by peat collectors. It joined with the Craven Way to access Dentdale.
To the left can be seen the terminal moraine, Raven Ray This rounded hump was the dumping ground for debris collected by the Kingsdale Glacier as it ended its journey down the valley. Photo taken from a hot-air balloon.
Slater Bridge spanning the River Brathay in Little Langdale, the Lake District, Cumbria.
Slater Bridge is a 17th century pack horse bridge connecting the hamlet of Little Langdale with the Tilberthwaite slate quarries.
Slater Bridge spanning the River Brathay in Little Langdale, the Lake District, Cumbria.
Slater Bridge is a 17th century pack horse bridge connecting the hamlet of Little Langdale with the Tilberthwaite slate quarries.
Hell Gill Bridge, an early 19th century bridge that replaced an older bridge spanning the gorge of Hell Gill on the Cumbria / North Yorkshire boundary.
An earlier bridge over the gill carried the main road from Wensleydale to Westmorland and was a popular stopping place for drovers and packhorse trains. It was the site of an annual fair and local women laid out stalls here with provisions for the travellers. Lady Anne Clifford would have also crossed an earlier bridge here as she travelled between Skipton Castle and her Westmorland estates.
Lime kiln and limestone quarry visible from the ancient drove road, known as Lady Anne Clifford's Highway above Mallerstang in the Eden Valley and the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Cumbria.
Mansergh High Farm, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria.
In the 18th century, this remote farmhouse high on the hills above the Lune Valley was The Packhorse Inn, a pub and resting place for drovers, packhorses, and large herds of sheep or cattle. Sometimes the droving processions would have been led by a Scottish piper. This packhorse route across the Lune Valley may have been on the Galloway Gate, a droving and packhorse route that ran from Scotland to England. If not on the Galloway Gate itself, this route would certainly have linked to it. The plaque above the porch of the farmhouse bears the relief of a packhorse and is dated 1732.
The plaque on the former Packhorse Inn at Mansergh, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria.
This plaque above the porch of the farmhouse bears the relief of a packhorse and is dated 1732.
Molehills in Dentdale, Cumbria.
Molehills commonly occur in lines along the route of the burrow
Drovers Rest, Monkhill, Cumbria.
This old tavern standing close to a narrow crossing point of the River Eden, would have provided a welcome break for many of the Scottish drovers, who had crossed a Solway ford to Bowness en route to the cattle market at The Sands in Carlisle. From spring to autumn these old droving routes would have been thick with herds of cattle and sheep, some even travelling to the south of England.
Drovers Rest pub sign, Monkhill, Cumbria.
This old tavern standing close to a narrow crossing point of the River Eden, would have provided a welcome break for many of the Scottish drovers, who had crossed a Solway ford to Bowness en route to the cattle market at The Sands in Carlisle. From spring to autumn these old droving routes would have been thick with herds of cattle and sheep, some even travelling to the south of England.
Moughton Green Lane, Crummack Dale, Austwick in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire.
The lovely old packhorse route, Moughton Green Lane leads to Moughton Scars and the amazing expanse of the Moughton limestone pavement.
Early 19th century milestone next to a fingerpost at the junction where the Old Scotch Road meets the B6254 (the 1753 Kendal to Kirkby Lonsdale turnpike road) at Old Town in the Lune Valley of Cumbria.
Lambert Lane, Settle, North Yorkshire.
A walled, stone metalled lane which follows a route used since medieval times.
Dusk, Lambert Lane, Settle, North Yorkshire.
A walled, stone metalled lane which follows a route used since medieval times.
Pendle Hill can be seen in the distance.
The Galloway Stone near the Shap Wells Hotel, Shap, Cumbria.
This large Shap granite erratic boulder probably had significance for drovers using one of the drove roads of the Galloway Gate that linked Galloway in Scotland with northwest England.
There is an OS bench mark on top of the stone.
C18 packhorse bridge over Scandal Beck on a drovers' route so popular that an inn was built here, 'The Scotch Alehouse'.
C18 packhorse bridge over Scandal Beck on a drovers' route so popular that an inn was built here, 'The Scotch Alehouse'.
C18 packhorse bridge over Scandal Beck, Cumbria.
This drover's route was so popular an inn was built here, 'The Scotch Alehouse'.
The Church of St John, St. John’s in the Vale, the Lake District, Cumbria.
This building dates from 1845 but there has been a church here since the 16th century, standing on the once busy drove road between Matterdale and Keswick. Local poet, John Richardson is buried in the churchyard. St. John’s Well springs from under a yew tree near the tower.
Goat Scar Lane, Stainforth in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire.
This lane was first walled in the 16th century and runs from Stainforth to just beyond Catrigg Force, where it continues un-walled to join the old road from Helwith Bridge to Kilnsey via Malham Moor.
Aerial view of Robin Lane and the old Hundreds Road on the eastern slopes of Wansfell, near Troutbeck in the Lake District, Cumbria.
The Hundreds is a centuries old system of allocating rough grazing land to the local peasant farmers. This area was once part of the ancient Forest of Troutbeck and contained an upper, middle and lower Hundred. Hundred. Each Hundred was divided into one hundred cattels, and every cattel was considered large enough to graze five animals.
Walking the dogs on a rainy day along the old drove road, Robin Lane near Troutbeck in the Lake District, Cumbria.
Occupation Road, Warton in Lancashire.
Occupation Road is an old drove-road which would also have been used in the 1830s for the transportation of the haematite mined close-by. This ore was then processed to provide a red dye (reddle) used in the manufacture of paint.
Row Bridge, an 18th century packhorse bridge spanning Mosedale Beck at Wasdale Head in the Lake District, Cumbria.
Great Gable can be seen behind the gorse bushes.
Ashness Bridge, Keswick in the Lake District, Cumbria.
This 18th century packhorse bridge over Barrow Beck carries the old drover’s road to Watendlath. It is one of Lakeland’s most photographed beauty spots.
Ashness Bridge, Keswick in the Lake District, Cumbria.
This 18th century packhorse bridge over Barrow Beck carries the old drover’s road to Watendlath. It is one of Lakeland’s most photographed beauty spots.