Yorkshire Walks

The main street at Pateley Bridge looking towards the River Nidd

View over Pateley Bridge from the Panorama Walk

We set off at about 9.30am to walk up the main street past Kendal's butchers where I bought my obligatory pork pies for lunch. We continued up the hill and round the right hand bend to pass the methodist chapel on the right. Just beyond the chapel we crossed the road to go up some steps where the finger post indicated "Panorama Walk". This is part of the Nidderdale Way route.

This morning my wife and I drove to Pateley Bridge in Nidderdale and parked in the small long stay car park by the river at map ref. SE157655 in the town centre, it's only £1.30 for all day. The weather was bright and sunny with plenty of broken cloud and quite a cool breeze, so it was a pretty good day for a walk.

Starting the climb up the Panorama Walk

Continuing the climb up the Panorama Walk

Start of the track up Tenter Hill

The track up Tenter Hill

We continued along the lane past the cemetery for another 500m to a track on the left at map ref. SE167651. We turned off the lane and the Nidderdale Way to follow this track up the hillside to a minor road at map ref. SE168656.

We climbed up the steep path and along a steep lane to a cemetery on the left at map ref. SE 161653. There was a builder's pick-up truck stuck here waiting for a powerful farm tractor to arrive to rescue it on the very steep lane.

The track up Tenter Hill

Ruined farm on Tenter Hill

An awkward stile at the 'T'-junction

We climbed the stile to follow an indistict path down a gorse covered bank to the far corner of the field where there was a rickety stile onto a narrow lane at map ref. SE165657.

At the road we turned left to walk along the road for about 250m to a 'T'-junction. Directly opposite was a stile over a wall.

Track to the old quarries

Track to the old quarries

Track from the old quarry to Wath Lane

Just before we reached the road there was a grassy bank where we sat for a short break with a lovely view up Nidderdale to Gouthwaite Reservoir.

We turned right to follow the lane to a track through an old quarry area and out to a road called Wath Lane on the map at map ref. SE158669

Seat with a view on Wath Lane

Our break on a bank near Wath Lane

Farm buildings at Wath

Track from Wath, through the woods

Here we turned right off the road onto a track past some cottages and up into the woods.

After our break we followed the road down the hillside to the tiny village of Wath. In Wath the road makes a left hand turn at map ref. SE146678.

Start of the track into the woods at Wath

Track from Wath, through the woods

Track from Wath, through the woods

The dam at Gouthwaite reservoir

Following the river Nidd downstream from Gouthwaite reservoir

Path following the river Nidd downstream

We turned left through a field gate to walk along the Nidderdale way past the dam to Gouthwaite reservoir and back to the road bridge over the River Nidd at Wath.

The track is a bridleway which we followed for just over 1km to map ref. SE140685. Here we had rejoined the Nidderdale Way.

The dam at Gouthwaite reservoir

A fallen beech tree in the woods

Lunch break overlooking the River Nidd

Swaledale ewe with her new lambs

A Dales Barn near the R. Nidd

We continued along the Nidderdale way on the river side for about 3km back to Pateley Bridge.

We crossed the road next to the bridge at map ref. SE144677.

A revamped farm overlooking the farm pond

Fishing in the River Nidd

Path following the river Nidd downstream

Weir on the River Nidd at Pateley Bridge

It had been a very pleasant walk of about 11km which had taken us three and a half hours to walk including our stops.

We changed out of our boots in the car park and went into the tea shop next to the car park and the river for a pot of tea and a toasted teacake.

Path following the river Nidd downstream

River Nidd where it is joined by Ashfoldside Beck

Bridge over the R.Nidd by the car park at Pateley Bridge