By Pip, Head Student
On 10 June 2026, I, along with 4 other expeditioners from the Sixth Form, set off to the Yorkshire Dales to commence our Gold DofE expedition. It was an amazing trek - we walked 50 miles over 3 counties, Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cumbria, facing a mixture of wind, rain and the occasional spell of bright sunshine. Our expedition was particularly meaningful to us, being from Sidcot School, as it followed the Friends Way – a route mirroring the exact path George Fox (the founder of Quakerism) took on his walk northwards to preach his newfound Quaker beliefs.
We travelled in the morning from Sidcot School, and after a long drive, a longer-than-planned stop for food and another long drive, we arrived at our accommodation for the first night – overlooking the magnificent Ribblehead Viaduct! It was a good opportunity to cook some food in a kitchen, sleep in a proper bed, fold out all our maps and have one last look over our route; it also provided a great sociable start before the final expedition began!
The first few hiking days offered us not only the challenges of long distances and difficult terrain, but also the cold wind and very wet rain. We pressed on regardless from the small village of Paythorne, trekking north, passing through many towns and villages, meeting lots of farm animals and wildlife along the way. Notably, we passed through Kirkby Malham and other parts of Malhamdale - a historic Quaker area and one of the earliest places in the country to convert to Quakerism. Our second day began with a hike to the foot of Malham Cove – an incredible 260ft cliff face formed 12,000 years ago by melting glacial ice, which is well known as a filming location for Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows! Later in the day, it was a great surprise after walking across the Dales landscape to arrive, very damp, in the small village of Arncliffe – the filming location for the popular television show ‘All Creatures Great and Small’. Having watched it on TV, it was fun to see in real life. Here, we promptly took refuge in the beautiful 15th-century church to let the wind and rain pass us by. After drying out and resting, we refolded our maps and prepared for our next struggle walking over the 880-foot hill that lay between Kettlewell and us – our campsite for the second night.
On the morning of Day 3, we left the now familiar terrain of hill passes and glacial valleys for the windy but dry flat fields of sheep and old crumbling farm buildings along the River Wharfe. Walking Northwards up the valley, we entered the small village of Hubberholme. Scar House, which sits just atop the hill overlooking the old church, was visited by George Fox in 1652 while he was trying to convert the local Seekers to Quakerism. The house is the first piece of land owned by the Quakers and contains a Quaker burial ground, distinguished by the absence of headstones. Stopping in the churchyard and at the riverbanks for lunch, we took time to reflect, refuel, and explore the beautiful church building before continuing along the Dales Way. On arriving in Oughtershaw, we stopped at the parish boundary stone before making the final push – 2 miles – to our campsite.
An early start on Day 4 saw us breakfasted and packed up for the final time; we left for the last leg of our journey before 6:30am. In the warm morning sun, we powered on from Swarthgill, following the contours of the valley, taking paths across the Yorkshire wilderness, crossing small streams, drystone walls, undulating ridges, and the occasional country lane. Thoughts of the comfort of the bus ride home helped push us on through this final day, helping us make good pace to Dent Head Viaduct – where we took the time to admire the view and marvelousness of Victorian engineering. The final stretch of our challenge saw us walking along quiet roads through beautiful little villages until eventually, after 4 days completing our adventures through the Pennines, we met the Sidcot minibus for our final journey back home.
I think completing the DofE expedition gave me an amazing opportunity to see parts of the country that are so strikingly different from Somerset. It was great fun to hike with friends, set up camp, cook together and plan routes. It was certainly an opportunity to learn new skills, test personal fitness and challenge myself in new ways, offering a huge sense of achievement. Above all, for me, this DofE experience was about meeting the physical and mental challenges together with following and experiencing Quaker history; creating lasting memories with friends - truly Living Adventurously.
A big thanks to Mrs Tidey and Mr Gilbert for working so hard and coping with us throughout; making the whole experience possible! It is much appreciated by all.
