Washburn Valley To Contents

A local version of the Lake District only 3 miles from Otley using well marked accessible Water Authority paths and some lesser used paths on the surrounding moorland. This area should really be in the Yorkshire Dales National Park!

Fewston Reservoir	Fewston Church

Contents

• Walk 1 Dob Park to Timble - 6 miles
• Walk 2 Timble and Lippersley Pike -11.5 miles
• Walk 3 Swinsty and Fewston Reservoirs (A family walk) - 6 miles
• Walk 4 Blubberhouses to Thruscross Reservoir- 8 Miles (5 mile family alternative)
• Walk 5 Swinsty -Beaver Dyke - Little Almscliffe Circular -10 miles

• Back to Yorkshire Dales Contents Page

Map reading is essential for these walks. The  relevant map is OS Explorer 297 Lower Wharfedale & The Wasburn Valley

Thruscross Dam	Fewston reservoir
Path alongside Fewston Reservoir	Swinsty Hall
Fewston village	Fewston Reservoir

Travel : There are few useful transport services serving this area however access by public transport can be difficult and will need careful planning.

• 24 from Harrogate to Pateley Bridge passes Darley every day
• X52 runs between Harrogate and Otley every day
• 59 DalesBus from Skipton to Harrogate passes Bolton Bridge and Blubberhouses on Saturdays
• 74 from Ilkley to Grassington passes Bolton Bridge Mon Wed Fri and Saturdays
• 820 DalesBus runs from Keighley to Fewston Reservoir via Otley [Summer Sundays and BHM only]
• 821 DalesBus Nidderdale Rambler runs from Keighley to Scar House Reservoir via Otley, Lindley Reservoir, Norwood, Fewston and Pateley Bridge [Summer Sundays and BHM only]
• 874 DalesBus from Wetherby / Leeds via Bolton Abbey on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
• X84 from Leeds to Ilkley serves Otley [every day]
• Northern Rail run frequent services to Harrogate, Ilkley and Skipton.

See www.dalesbus.org for further details. Unfortunately the daily X59 which once ran from Harrogate to Skipton was a victim of the cutbacks replaced with the DalesBus 59 service on Saturday only.

Facilities:

Car parks: Water authority car parks (charges now apply) are located at Swinsty Moor and Fewston Reservoir, Stack Point, Blubbershouses and Thruscross dam.The only public toilets are located at Swinsty Moor and Fewston Reservoir carpark.

Refreshments available at

• The Washburn Heritage centre next to Fewston Church is accessed by a path from the reservoir and serves light refreshments on Sundays and some other days throughout the summer. http://www.washburnvalley.org/
• The Hopper Lane Hotel is currently closed
• Sun Inn at Norwood is approximately 1/2 mile from Fewston and Stack Point carpark - probably favoured for ease of access and opening http://www.thesun-inn.com/
• Timble Inn is situated in the hamlet of the same name and caters mainly for meals http://www.thetimbleinn.co.uk/
• Stonehouse Inn Thruscross (open Mon -Sat) https://www.thestonehouseinn.co.uk/
• Fewston Farm shop https://www.fewstonfarmshop.co.uk/

Important note:- Whilst the author has taken every care in assembling the information on this site, no responsibility can be accepted for any error or omission herein. If in any doubt walkers should consult the relevant OS map.

Yorkshire Water

https://www.yorkshirewater.com An excellent site with recreation section covering the water authority sites in Nidderdale and the Washburn

This page was last updated on 30-Dec-2024

Back to Yorkshire Dales Contents Page

Settle and Malham Ribblehead Garsdale Station (Upper Wensleydale) Dentdale and Howgills Wensleydale Kirkby Stephen Swaledale Upper Wharfedale Lower Wharfedale Nidderdale Ilkley Moor Washburn Valley

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©John Carey 2009