Buckden Pike

Buckden Pike is a fell above the village of Buckden at the head of Wharfedale, inside the Yorkshire Dales National Park in North Yorkshire. At 702 metres it falls just short of being the highest summit in the area, an honour that belongs to neighbouring Great Whernside. A trig point sits on the top, and a memorial to a Polish bomber crew stands a short walk along the ridge.

What will you see on Buckden Pike?

The summit looks over the upper dale and the surrounding Dales fells. The terrain is open, exposed moorland with big skies and no shelter. Stretches of the ridge path are paved to cross the wet ground, and the walk from the summit to the memorial is quick and easy.

Who is remembered at the memorial?

South of the summit, a small stone cairn on a concrete base carries a plain Latin cross. A cast fox's head is set into the base, along with pieces of duralumin from the Wellington's geodetic airframe. The monument marks the loss of Wellington N2848, which crashed on Starbotton Fell, near the southern end of Buckden Pike, in January 1942 on a cross-country training flight from RAF Bramcote. The wreckage tore through the drystone wall on the ridge and broke apart. The cairn honours five Polish airmen.

The tail gunner, Sergeant Jozef Fusniak, survived. The story goes that he followed fox tracks through the snow down to the hamlet of Cray, to the north, where help was raised. He later built the memorial himself and died in 2017. It was unveiled in the early 1970s.

How do you get up Buckden Pike?

The simplest route starts in Buckden and climbs a bridleway that is steep and boggy in places. A popular loop from the village is roughly 12 to 13 km with 550 to 580 m of ascent, which walkers report taking two to three hours. A longer circuit of about 17 km (around 576 m of climbing) follows the ridge via Tor Mere Top, drops to the Starbotton road at Cam Head, then returns on the Dales Way through Starbotton. You can also start from Starbotton for about 13.5 km. Stronger walkers link the fell with Great Whernside and Kettlewell.

When should you go, and what should you bring?

The moor is exposed and the weather changes quickly, so pick a day with good visibility. Waterproof boots help, since the higher ground stays soggy after rain. After snowfall the route is harder to follow in winter, so carry a map and compass or GPS.

FAQ

How high is Buckden Pike? 702 metres, just below Great Whernside.

Why is there a Polish memorial on the summit ridge? It marks a Wellington bomber crewed by Polish airmen that crashed here in January 1942 during a training flight. One man, Jozef Fusniak, lived and later built the memorial.

How long does the walk from Buckden take? Walkers report two to three hours for the shorter loop. The longer route through Starbotton takes several hours.

Is it a difficult walk? Gradients are never severe, but the first climb is steep and the ground is boggy. The longer circuit is graded moderate.