Sharp Haw

The hill of Sharp Haw in the centre, flanked by Rough Haw to the right, and an unnamed cairn to the left

Location: SD 960 553

Getting there: The easiest and shortest route involves parking in a small layby to the south (SD 975 539), but please park responsibly. Also possible to walk from Skipton, Gargrave, Hetton or Flasby.

Height (at trig point on summit): 357m

Prominence: 168m

Map: OS Explorer OL2 Yorkshire Dales South and Western areas

Instantly recognisable from Skipton and the A65, the diminutive Sharp Haw provides splendid views of the southern Yorkshire Dales and upper Aire valley, while several surrounding gritstone outcrops provide fun and adventure, perfect for little legs.

The boy, scouting out the path to the summit of Sharp Haw.

Living up to its name, Sharp Haw look distinctively pointy from a distance, and almost feels like a mini-Catbells, though that’s probably does a disservice to the iconic Lakeland Fell - although accessible, compact and delivering a sense of achievement and grand views for comparatively little effort, Sharp Haw at no point feels overly-arduous, or much like a ‘mini-mountain’.

Still for a slightly more rocky adventure, a small detour to the craggy and seemingly ridge-like child summits to the south of Sharp Haw provides a scrambling fix for younger adventurers, and an expansive view into flat plain of upper-Airedale, the town of Gargrave to the west, and Pendle Hill in the distance.

Looking out into the Upper Aire Valley, with Gargrave in the centre, and Pendle Hill off to the far left, from the ‘ridge’ of summits to the south of Sharp Haw

Exploring these craggy tops and boulder fields is certainly worthwhile and is far more interesting than the direct route via the bridleway to the east. A curious cairn tops the highest of these summits, with a very shapely and deliberately placed stone hinting at a richer history to the area than what we see now. Indeed, an ancient (and still quite visible) enclosure is marked on the map just to the south of this cairn, and with the excellent vantage point, it’s easy to imagine this being an important location in the past.

Looking towards Sharp Haw from the cairn and curiously-placed stone

By far the easiest approach is via the bridleway, from the road to the south. You could also include an extra leg from Skipton if so inclined, but the beauty of this place is that you can get a short, sharp ‘hit’ of the Dales, so I’d be tempted start closer.

From Gargrave, and that side of the fell, there is a pleasant approach through Crag Wood, and it’d be quite easy to extend the walk to neighbouring Rough Haw.

The craggy ‘ridge’. Sharp Haw and Rough Haw, viewed from the road at the start of the bridleway.

The views from the summit are excellent - Cracoe Fell (with its cross and obelisk), and Embsay Crag being the most prominent Dales fells visible. Great Whernside can be seen rising in the background to the north and east, and Pendle Hill can be seen to the west. The summit itself is particularly small - never particularly precipitous, but certainly tiny. A shiny, metal memorial bench is currently perched just below the summit to the south - from a distance, and particularly if the sun catches it, you’ll see this long before the trig point.

The trig point on the small summit of Sharp Haw, looking back towards Skipton.

Looking at Sharp Haw and Rough Haw from Cracoe Fell.