Explore-Nidderdale-AW - Flipbook - Page 6
WHERE TO GO
Take a Walk on
the Wild Side!
Nidderdale is an absolute joy for walkers and offers: truly superb walking routes;
reservoirs to circumnavigate; and scenery to savour and remember long after
you have gone home. Being a designated National Landscape, Nidderdale
offers a quiet serenity in comparison to its sister Yorkshire Dales to the north
and west. You will 昀椀nd peace and tranquillity on its many footpaths and a large
variety of birdlife and mammals to spot as you go.
The Nidderdale Way is a 53 mile (85 km)
circular walk through the wonderful landscape of
Nidderdale. It is traditionally walked in four stages,
none of which is longer than 15 miles, so there
is plenty of time to take in the many interesting
features along the way, including Ripley Castle,
Brimham Rocks and How Stean Gorge. Clare
Balding walked the Nidderdale Way as part of her
BBC Radio 4 series ‘Ramblings’, which was 昀椀rst
broadcast in summer 2017. You can listen to the
six full episodes via BBC iPlayer– a fantastic way
to hear all about this spectacular route. In 2019
a new guide book to the Nidderdale Way was
published and you can buy a copy at the Tourist
Information Of昀椀ce at Nidderdale Plus Community
Hub in Pateley Bridge, where you can also
purchase a Nidderdale Way completer’s badge.
Nidderdale is a landscape punctuated throughout
by beautiful and peaceful reservoirs. Most of
these have permissive paths (and car parks)
provided and maintained by Yorkshire Water,
making them a destination for walkers, nature
lovers and dog owners! Below we feature 昀椀ve of
these, but there are many more to discover and
enjoy. Visit the Yorkshire Water website to 昀椀nd out
more about them all: https://www.yorkshirewater.
com/things-to-do/reservoirs/.
North of Pateley Bridge, and at the top of the
Dale, is Scar House Reservoir, sitting below Little
Whernside. The natural beauty is paralleled in the
masonry of the dam wall which is not only vast at
over one million tonnes of stone, but intricately
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designed. Evidence of the old village, once home
to 1,250 villagers who built the reservoir, can be
seen to the left of the road when approaching
Scar House. The surrounding moorlands support
a wide range of birds including Curlew, Black
Grouse and Hen Harriers, making them a crucial
habitat in the UK. For this reason, a lot of the
surrounding Moorland is designated as a Site
of Special Scienti昀椀c Interest, meaning they are
protected by legislation.
The Washburn Valley at the south end of
Nidderdale, is home to a system of four reservoirs,
each of them a gem and delight to walk round:
Thruscross, Fewston, Swinsty and Lindley Wood.
Built between 1869 and 1966, the reservoirs were
constructed to cope with the rapid growth of
Bradford and high demand for water. Now the
reservoirs provide a beautiful area to visit and
a haven for wildlife. Each reservoir has good,
surfaced footpaths and Swinsty Reservoir is
accessible for pushchairs and wheelchairs. Do not
leave Nidderdale without walking round at least
one of its majestic reservoirs!
Grimwith Reservoir between Greenhow and
Grassington provides plenty of opportunities for
budding photographers to take a snap of the
wildlife, rolling hills or sailing boats gliding across
the waters. The reservoir walk is 4.5 miles long
and features a mostly well-surfaced path with a
few unsurfaced areas which can be muddy. Those
not fancying a walk, can simply park up and enjoy
the panoramic views across the reservoir.
