The
Nidderdale Way - by Kevin Ascott
The River Nidd in Yorkshire
rises on Great Whernside, fills three reservoirs on it's way down
a verdant Dale and joins the Ouse near York but is outside the
National Park.
Some years ago a Mr. Piggin put together a circular walk of 53
miles around the middle and part of the Upper Dale which just
happened to have the town of Pateley Bridge handily placed to
link the upper and lower sections. This walk has recently been
republished both as book and plastic cards and is shown on the
new Explorer 298. Even using an old copy and allowing for a certain
shortage of way-marking at some points we were never off route;
using the compass but twice for checking. Not a tough walk, but
one requiring some serious effort to make the height at times.
Roslyn House
is a comfortable guest house providing a very good package of
Bed and Breakfast and transport to either fetch or carry as needed,
thus avoiding backpacking and can cope with up to six people walking
the same section together. As part of our holiday, this base was
a gem to find.
With a day at each end needed for travelling, allow five days
for the walking. We did the walk in May over four long days at
2 mph in good walking weather and there were times we would have
liked to have stopped longer to look at churches etc. Most unusual
was the way each day presented a different type of walking. On
our day one we went up through pastures to the high moor and crossed
the dam of Scar House reservoir, claimed to be the largest masonry
dam in Europe. Day two took us to the disused Providence House
mine workings, going up a pretty dell off the main Dale. Day three
in the morning we were up on the Guise Cliff, which is not dissimilar
to Derbyshire and down beside the river in the afternoon. Day
four we had views out over the Vale of York to the distant hills
before visiting the weird stones on Brimham Moor, then winding
through the bluebell wood and high tracks on the other side of
the Dale before the steep descent to the finish.
As we walked we saw Buzzards, Heron, Dippers, Coots, Grey leg
geese, Mallard, Snipe, Goldcrest, Housemartins busy nest building
at the eaves, Swallows, Kestrel, Curlew and Lapwing and of course,
all the many other common birds.
This is truly a beautiful Dale in spring with so many shades of
green, no arable and a great variety of wild flowers and interesting
buildings to take the eye. There is also a saying, undoubtedly
true "You'll lack for nowt in Pateley Bridge". |
