Graham’s Tree
Graham’s tree is situated in the Winskill Stones area of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
It lies just above the village of Langcliffe, about 2 miles from the town of Settle.
The nearest postcode (approximate location) is BD24 9PZ.
If you have the what3words app the location of the tree is ///dialect.clays.rankings
The location of the layby for parking is ///goggles.quantity.duties
Take the B6479 out of Settle and after about a mile look out for a right hand turn signposted for Malham.
(If you miss this turn, then take your next right. They both lead in to the village)
The lane will take you in to the village of Langclife
Keep going with the village green on your right and the church on your left.
As you leave the village, you will start to climb up the hill.
Keep going through the cattle grid and past a couple of tight hairpin bends.
We once blasted down this lane on our bikes, giggling like little kids, pretending we were in the Tour de France in the Alps :-)
As the road continues to climb, follow the bend to the left.
The views from here on are fantastic.
Eventually you will come to another cattle grid.
Go through it.
Straight after the cattle grid is a left turn with a layby opposite.
Park in the layby.
Walk down the lane opposite and through yet another cattle grid
As you walk down the narrow farm track, keep an eye out for a faint track to the right.
Follow it and it will take you to Graham’s tree. The tree can be seen in the distance, circled in red.
Alternatively, stay on the farm track until you reach a large boulder*, walk up the slope to the right. Graham’s tree is right there.
*Graham loved a good Suggy fact, every trip he’d get me to look up a fact, some history or a legend about the places we visited…
So here goes:
The boulder is made of sandstone and shouldn’t be there in the middle of all the limestone. It was carried there by a glacier during the last ice age, about 13000 years ago. As the ice melted the rock was dumped where it lies today. It most likely started life in Scotland!
Its known as "Samson’s Toe"
Local folklore says a giant called Samson lost his footing whilst jumping from Langcliffe Scar into Ribblesdale and broke off his toe. The toe turned to stone and that is what you see today.
Anyway…..
I really hope you get to visit and you love the location. It can be a bit bleak in bad weather but that’s kind of the appeal.