Swinsty Reservoir & Washburn Valley

Nidderdale NL Walk

Waterside Walk + Countryside

Walk Route Description

Click image to see photo description.

A circular walk from Swinsty Reservoir, one of a string of reservoirs in Nidderdale just outside the boundaries of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The route explores the rolling landscape of Washburn Valley and passes through the hamlet of Timble. The walk uses sections of the Harrogate Link and Six Dales Trail, field paths and short sections along lanes.

The walk starts from Swinsty Moor car park (grid ref. SE1865380 which lies a few miles south of Blubberhouses. After parking walk back to the car park entrance and turn right along a tarmac track running between walls ignoring the footpath on the right. Initially the track runs through trees but after 700 metres runs beside Swinsty Reservoir. Continue ahead along the track to reach Swinsty Reservoir Dam. Turn left across the embankment with views into the Washburn Valley on the right.

At the end of the embankment, turn right through a gate in a wall and descend rough ground above a pipeline towards a wall. Cross a wall stile into a field and follow path across fields with the River Washburn on your right. Continue beside the river to reach a bridge (grid ref. SE190518) and turn left along a clear track which soon enters trees and leads towards Folly Hall. Pass through a gate into the farmyard at Folly Hall Farm and walk left past barns to join an access track with a wall on your right. Continue to a road and turn right. The road descends Hanging Bank. Just past Mill House Farm, the road forks/ Keep right and the bear right off the road to join a clear track (with no suitable for motor vehicles sign). Follow track down to pretty Dobpark Bridge (grid ref. SE196509).

Cross bridge and turn right and follow the Six Dales Trail at the fingerpost. After 650 metres you reach a wooded are (OS maps Cup marked Rocks). Bear right across stony and muddy ground, step across two small streams turning right through trees to regain the river. Continue by the river for just under a kilometre to where the path bends left to a footbridge over Timble Beck (grid ref. SE188518). Cross the bridge, turn left and follow Timble Beck upstream. The waymarking is poor so OS map is useful. Continue above tree-lined slopes of the beck for 400 metres then turn north veering away from the beck. As you make progress north the path swaps side of a wall and continues to a stile that leads onto a lane (grid ref. SE185527). Turn left and follow lane into Timble situated on a hill overlooking the Washburn Valley.

Reaching the small village green, head slightly right to join a signed footpath to Blubberhouses opposite. Follow path along the edge of three field. In the next field turn half-left and cross field to a stile and a road (grid ref. SE178534). Cross road and enter Beecroft Moor Plantation. Ignore main path and bear half-right along a feinter path through trees. There are some waymarks and eventually you reach a forest track. Turn right and continue to T-junction with another track. Cross the stile opposite and follow path along the right-hand field edge. The path then turns right and then left by a barn and continues to a road by White Crag. Turn left along the road and return to the car park.

Walk GradingMore Nidderdale NL Walks

Other walks nearby

Walk 1572	Swinsty Reservoir Circular	easy	3.0 miles
Walk 1405	Thruscross Reservoir & Kex Gill Moor from Blubberhouses	easy/mod	8.5 miles
Walk 1574	Thruscross Reservoir Circular	easy	4.5 miles
Walk 3507	Dacre Banks Circular	easy/mod	6.5 miles
Walk 1078	Hampsthwaite & Ripley Park Circular	easy	7.5 miles