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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".
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