Ingleton Waterfalls, Yorkshire Dales, Autumn
Finally, we’re starting to see some crisp and clear autumnal days.
After another week or so of rain and clouds, Saturday set the scene with clear skies, warm sun, and cool temperatures. Our mind started racing: where to go? We wanted to go somewhere where we could shoot the last of this season’s autumn colours, ideally.
We decided on the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail.
We’ve both been around the trail countless times before, but that doesn’t matter. The trail changes depending on weather, season, amount of rain, and so on. After all the rain we’ve had recently we were very much hoping for roaring powerful waterfalls complete with autumn colours.
And that’s exactly what we got.
All photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0 and a Laowa 9mm f/2.8. Images were developed in Lightroom using my Classic Chrome RAW-based preset, then finished in Affinity Photo.
Not far into the first part of the trail, and the soft reflected light is already giving me ideas.
A dead tree trunk completely taken over with a variety of fungi and mushrooms.
The first part of the trail heads down into the depths of the Swilla Glen, created by the River Twiss. Already the autumn colours has us excited.
This is exactly what I’m talking about.
Deeper into the gorge, I spotted a cave halfway up the gorge wall. The sun started to catch the tree branches, so I used them as leading lines pointing towards the cave.
Our first sighting of the first waterfall on the trail: this is Pecca Falls, surrounded by lovely autumnal foliage.
The trail criss-crosses over the River Twiss before ascending up alongside the waterfall, given me glorious views like this.
I decided to whack on my 9mm ultra-wide lens as we get closer to these massive falls.
The main drop of Pecca Falls, water stained with peat from the moorlands above the falls, delicate autumnal colours everywhere.
The trail continues to climb and we soon reach our second waterfall, Hollybush Spout. We’re starting to get high enough out of the gorge that the sun catching the walls of the gorge.
The trail pops out of Glen Swilla and onto the lower end of the Kingsdale valley. Soon you round the corner and are confronted with arguably the jewel of the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail: Thornton Force.
Lisabet quickly makes friends with a local runner. She’s like that, very personable.
As they chat, I clamber down to the river shore and start seeking interesting compositions. Thankfully, the river bank near Thornton Force features these rock striations that I use as a leading line towards the waterfall.
After taking in all 50ft of Thornton Force’s roaring power, we follow the trail up and out above the waterfall. I look back and spot this lovely scene that I wanted to capture.
Above Thornton Force there’s a clear view towards Twistleton Scar End. Lisabet was gracious to pose for me for this composition.
The Kingsdale fells come into view as we head for Raven Ray bridge, the point at which we connect with the Twistleton Scar Bridleway.
It was such an unbelievably clear and beautiful day.
We’ve now joined the Twistleton Bridleway above the River Twiss. The small hump of Tow Scar comes into view.
A different view of Tow Scar, featuring the characteristic limestone drystone walls of the Yorkshire Dales.
Twistleton Bridleway descends down into the next valley, where you’re greeted with this magnificent view of one of the Yorkshire Dales’ most famous peaks: Ingleborough (723 m/2,372 ft).
We joined the second half of the trail, which follows the River Doe south back to Ingleton. The first of the falls on the River Doe is Beezley Falls.
The bottom half of Beezeley Falls is known as Triple Spout. It’s easy to see why.
Below Triple Spout is the next wide section of Beezeley Falls, known as Rival Falls. A thunderous pounding of water.
As we clamber down the trail south, the River Doe digs further and further down into the gorge, eventually culminating in this deep slot called Baxenghyll Gorge. A small footbridge allows stomach-churning views straight down the gorge.
Gradually the trail moves away from the River Doe as we near Ingleton. Quarry Woods provides some beautiful colour as the sun beams through the canopy.
Shafts of light beam through the trees, catching Lisabet’s glorious hair.
Before reaching the town of Ingleton the River Doe flattens out and the views open up. This is also the site of some in-progress limestone quarrying. I snap this final composition of the day as the sun illuminates the crag face of the quarry.