Yorkshire Walks

Broad Park House near the Lower Barden Reservoir dam

A family living in Sydney, Australia had asked us to take some photographs of Broad Park House near the end of the Lower Barden Reservoir dam, where a relative of theirs had lived in the 1950's when he was the head game keeper for the Duke of Devonshire's Bolton Abbey estate. We had contacted the Bolton Abbey estate office and the people there had been most helpful by giving us permission to take the photos and by giving us some additional information about the head keeper at that time.

This morning we, that's Jim, Peter and myself (we all live in the same street), drove to map ref. SE037554. This is on a minor road between Embsay and Barden Bridge, near a cattle grid a few hundred metres from a trig point at Halton Height on the edge of Barden Moor. We had planned a walk of about 10km taking us past both Lower Barden Reservoir and Upper Barden Reservoir. We had a particular reason for choosing this location.

Broad Park House near the Lower Barden Reservoir dam

Heading East from the cattle grid on the road near Halton Height, towards Middle Hare Head

Heading West towards Broad Park House and Lower Barden Reservoir

Drowned new-born rabbit, discarded by its parents after the heavy rain

After about 350m we reached the road where we turned right to walk down the road for about 150m to a track on the left. We went through the gate and walked along this track towards Broad Park House at map ref. SE036561. At the house we stopped and I took a series of photographs for the Australian family in Sydney.

We started walking at about 10.00am heading East on a path that leads down to Bolton Abbey. After about 500m, at map ref. SE044554 we turned left to go down the hillside on a narrow path. The start of the path is easy to miss but it became much more defined almost as soon as we were on it.

Crossing tracks near the end of Lower Barden Reservoir dam

Looking back over Lower Barden Reservoir towards Appletreewick and Simon's Seat

A motorised valve on an aqueduct from the upper Barden Reservoir

Just after we crossed the stream at the head of Lower Barden Reservoir one of the heavy showers was starting as we came to a shelter built against a rocky outcrop. This kept us dry until the shower was over. We took the opportunity to have a drink before pressing on up the track to Upper Barden Reservoir once the rain had stopped.

Afterwards we continued along the track and above the southern edge of Lower Barden Reservoir until we crossed the stream feeding into the head of the reservoir. The weather was very changeable with heavy squally showers and bright intervals with a strong wind. The clouds were moving fast so it changed from wet gloom to broken cloud and sunshine in a few minutes.

A handy shelter we reached just as a heavy shower began

View from the shelter back over Lower Barden reservoir

Track climbing up to Upper Barden Reservoir

View from the track climbing up to Upper Barden Reservoir

View back to Lower Barden Reservoir from the track climbing up to Upper Barden Reservoir

Still climbing up to Upper Barden Reservoir

We explored the lee side of a stone outbuilding and were happy to find a very old plank raised up on a series of large stones to make a long bench with the wall of the building as a back rest. We stopped there in the shelter of the building to have our lunch, quite a comfortable, dry spot.

It was about 1.5km to the dam at Upper Barden Reservoir and from the shelter the track climbed about 150m, an average gradient of one in ten all the way, not too steep but a bit of a long drag. At the dam we could see another shower heading towards us.

Reservoir keeper's house at the Upper Barden Reservoir

The overflow spillway from Upper Barden Reservoir

Just at the end of the dam the track crosses a small stream at map ref. SE013575 there is a path to the left heading Southeast roughly following the 350m contour line.

After our lunch when the rain had stopped again we crossed the dam on the water company permissive footpath.

The draw-off tower out in Upper Barden Reservoir

Upper Barden Reservoir seen from the dam

Path from the end of the dam Southeast roughly along the 350m contour

Path from the end of the dam Southeast roughly along the 350m contour

Path from the end of the dam at Upper Barden Reservoir heading Southeast roughly along the 350m contour

A last look over Broad Park House from our finish near Halton Height

We had escaped the worst of the showers and it had been a very pleasant day out. We stopped for a coffee and a snack on the way home just to keep the tradition going. The following day I sent the photographs of Broad Park House to the family in Sydney and they were very pleased with them, so that was a relief!

After about 1.5km this path joins a grouse shooters' track at map ref. SE022563. We then followed this track back to the cattle grid on the road where we had started. The whole route had been about 10km and had taken us four hours to walk including our breaks and a pause for photographs at Broad Park House.

Grouse shooters' track heading back to Halton Height