22 April 2003
Leighton Reservoir, Ilton Moor, Ripon Rowel Walk
Near Masham, lower Wensleydale
Map: OS Explorer 298 Nidderdale 1:25000

This morning we drove to Leighton Reservoir just a few miles from Masham and parked off the road at map ref. SE 157785. We set off walking around 10.30 and went along the access road to the dam of Roundhill Reservoir (that's the one just above Leighton reservoir) and followed the road over the dam. At the end of the dam at map ref. SE 154773 there is a public footpath that climbs up round the end of Ilton Moor for about 2km to join the old county road at map ref. SE 155754 There are several of these old unmade public roads over the moors in this area providing good access to this high wild countryside.

Roundhill Reservoir Dam

We turned eastwards on the county road for about 4.5km to map ref. SE 196758 on Wreaks Lane where we joined the route of the Ripon Rowel walk. We followed the Ripon Rowel walk, almost half of it on roads, for about 4km to map ref. SE 179788. Here the route crosses a road and it's well worth diverting off the route along the road for about 200m into the Druid's Plantation to see the Druid's temple - a sort of mini stonehenge and other victorian follies. Then we continued across the fields for just over 1km to map ref. SE 168793. Here the Ripon Rowel walk almost doubles back on itself but we took a bridleway down to Pott Beck. We crossed a footbridge over the beck a few hundred metres below the Leighton reservoir dam, and following the bridleway, climbed up to Leighton village. We turned left onto the road and followed the road for about 1.5km back to our starting point. The whole route had taken us just over four hours not including a visit to the Druid's temple, and was about 14km.

 

Above: Newly completed drystone wall Below: Drystone wall being built (note the rods fixed to give the proper angle for the sides)

(Note taken from the Ramblers web site) Ripon Rowel Walk Circular around Ripon. £4.95 + 57p p&p from Ripon Group, 9 Melrose Road, Bishop Monkton, Harrogate HG3 3RH. Cheques to RA Ripon (Rowel account). Sew-on badge £1.50 from same source.