Length: 7.15 miles. Height change: 1,024ft. Time: 3hrs.
This is a medium length afternoon walk direct from Strands and perfect for an early summers day when you can catch the meadows full of wild flowers. The walk takes an easy route up on to the Corpse Way at Low Row for those classic views. Take your camera!
From Strands, head down the road towards Low Row. The river meets the road at Rowleth bottom, walk on and once you come across an unofficial parking area take the foot path off through the fields. Follow this path all the way to the road bridge – Isles Bridge. Once there, turn left up the road to Low Row.
Walk through Low Row until you reach the second green. Here, turn left and double back on yourself to go up the road to Blades – one of the oldest settlements in Swaledale. Once in Blades, take the road up the dale, which follows the hill edge – this is the Corpse Way. Eventually the road peters out into a cart track and then a footpath after which it meets a small road. Around here in summer you can see lots of Whinchats and Lapwing.
Take the road down into Gunnerside and the pass through Gunnerside on the road towards Muker. The Kings Head pub is great for drink and food. Cross over the Swale and continue up the road to a T junction. Turns left over a cattle grid and then take a farm track down the hill on your left. This is the Swale Trail. This side of the valley is beautiful, particularly in summer. Follow the trail and eventually you will arrive at a road turning off to your left. Take it and cross the bridge over the Swale – you are now back at Isles bridge. Retrace your path back along the river bank to Rowleth bottom and back to Strands.