The Ladthwaite Beck converges with the River Eden on the banks of Castle Hill on the east side of Kirkby Stephen. A large ribbon woodland has accompanied the Beck since it left Birkett Hill at Ladthwaite.

A narrow wooden bridge provides access to the wooded valley through which the Ladthwaite Beck flows before converging with the River Eden. The ribbon woodland persists all the way to Birkett Hill at Ladthwaite Farm.

The footpath from Castle Hill takes you over a field midway between Ladthwaite Beck and the River Eden and across the dismantled railway near to Podgill Viaduct. A short walk across a field from the viaduct leads to Ewbank Scar.

Roe Deer are frequent visitors to the Podgill and Hartley Valleys. Although difficult to spot in the woodland surrounds there are many glades where they can be seen basking, particularly from the Merrygill Viaduct which looks down onto the Hartley Beck. Roe Deer habitats are associated with woodland fringes such as the ribbon woods of Ladthwaite Beck and Hartley Beck..

Between Birkett Hill and Podgill the Ladthwaite Beck glides through the limestone woodland of Ewbank Scar Wood, where it is fluted along one of the ribbed limestone riverbanks.

The entrance to Ewbank Scar Wood, whether coming from the east or west, is very steep, and the wood is very dense. A narrow path leads through the wood. The trees are mostly ash, alder, birch and hazel.

The layers of limestone comprising Ewbank Scar are about 200 million years old. The manner in which Ladthwaite Beck is fluted along layers of limestone shows how it is undercutting the rock and working its way beneath. There is at least one sinkhole along the course of the beck, which reduces the size of the stream, sometimes causing it to disappear altogether. The sink water re-emerges further downstream.

Ewbank Scar Wood is designated as an SSSI due to the rich limestone grassland and ancient woodland. The flora consists of many rare plants and there are many seldom-seen animal species such as the Brown Argus Butterfly, red squirrels, roe deer, hares, redstarts and spotted flycatchers.

Ladthwaite Beck is deflected at Ladthwaite, around Birkett Hill before finding its way to Ewbank Scar.

Ladthwaite borders a mixed coniferous and deciduous wood, and marks the location where the path leaves the Ladthwaite Beck. It is also the location where the Ladthwaite Beck inherits its name having previously been named the Rigg Beck, flowing from Dukerdale.