Buckden Pike and Lead Mine Walk

Although the Buckden Pike and Lead Mine Walk is stunning, it is not for the faint of heart. You will be walking along a path up the highest peak in Yorkshire Dales National Park, so the terrain is rough and mostly uphill. Scrambling may also be necessary along this path through steep areas, so be prepared for this and wear appropriate footwear.

The walk has many incredible viewpoints and takes you through history as you wander along the Buckden Lead Mine and the Polish War Memorial. You can see the orange colour where the Buckden Lead Mine spill occurred, and you will also see the Buckden High Smelt Mill at the bottom of the spill.

Beginning at the car park, pass through the gate and begin heading away from Buckden Village. You will take an immediate right where the Buckden Lead Mine sign is and cross through a stile. Following the path, you will turn right and pass an abundance of sheep in their pens. Continuing along the path to the lead mine, you will encounter a strenuous and steep area of Centenary Path.

As you continue along, you will see the orange colours of the Buckden Lead Mine spill, but do not enter the mine entrance. This area is considered very valuable to the natural habitat and can be very hazardous to walk through.

Instead, turn left and head up to the wall that you can see above you. Follow this wall, and you will arrive at the ridge’s summit, where you will cross a ladder stile. Move along this wall and head towards the trig point, which is the concrete structure that you will see that is used for surveying.

Before you reach the triangulation point, you are able to detour slightly, so that you can see the Polish War Memorial. To get there, turn right instead of left at the summit and follow the path to the memorial.

After, you will continue to follow the bridleway signs that will take you back down into the village of Buckden. You will need to be careful at this point of the summit as it can be boggy and dangerous. As you follow the path, you will arrive back at the car park where you began, as this is a circuit walk.

Other Great Walks in Yorkshire Dales National Park

Check out our trail guides to Malham Tarn, Pen-y-Ghent, Malham Cove, Kisdon Force, Grimwith Reservoir, and the Whernside Walk. Or see all of our Yorkshire Dales walks.