Taking the lower of the two onward paths, carry on up the valley to enjoy some spectacular views into the ravine before rejoining the main trail. After some 800m, bear left at successive forks, following signs to Strid Shop and Car Park. The path climbs to a break in the trees that reveals a last dramatic view along the valley before returning you to the car park.
The legendary Strid
WALK 2
Barden Moor
| Start | Halton Moor (SE 038555) |
| Distance | 5.5 miles (8.9km) |
| Total Ascent | 250m (820ft) |
| Time | 2hr30 |
| Terrain | Good tracks throughout. Note that dogs are not allowed on the Barden Moor Access Area. |
| Maps | Explorer OL2 – Yorkshire Dales (Southern & Western areas) |
| Refreshments | None |
| Toilets | None |
| Parking | Roadside car park at start |
This walk offers a great opportunity to experience the wildness of the open moors without having to stray off the beaten track, perhaps its only drawback being an uphill finish.
BARDEN MOOR
From an abrupt ridge that curves round in a splayed horseshoe between Rylstone and Burnsall, Barden Moor falls as a vast, shallow fold towards the River Wharfe. Gathering sustenance from the bleak uplands, a lively beck once tumbled uninterrupted along its length, but the 19th-century expansion of the Yorkshire mill towns changed all that. The fact that they are founded on limestone saved most of the Dales valleys from exploitation as reservoir sites, but here the underlying stone is impermeable grit. Bradford Corporation built two reservoirs, the first opening in 1874 and the second, higher up the valley, just nine years later, a 22-mile (35km) aqueduct carrying the water to the town. Even in those days, municipal engineering was not simply a matter of utilitarian function and beside the upper dam the grand Gothic statement is the manager’s baronial hall.
A track leaves the lane behind the small car park, heading west and gently gaining height above the Lower Barden Reservoir. Ahead in the middle distance you can make out the grassy bank of the upper dam and on the skyline is Cracoe Fell, distinguished by its obelisk, clearly recognisable even from here. After a mile (1.6km), take the right branch at a fork, the onward track twisting round to give a view across the expanse of water to Barden Fell. A little further on, ignore a grass track that leaves on the right, shortly after which the grassed dam of the upper reservoir pops into view. Keep walking for another mile (1.6km), the gentle ascent then levelling to another junction above the higher lake at Brown Bank.
The Lower Barden Reservoir from the start of the walk
Despite the intrusions, the area has a splendid sense of remoteness and is a noted site for bird watchers. The reservoirs attract a multitude of water birds, in particular the black-headed gull for which this area is one of the largest breeding sites in the country. The moor is home to grouse and you’ll hear the croaky, laughing call as the birds stumble into the air on stubby wings for a short, faltering flight as you pass them. They feed on the carpet of heather, bilberry and crowberry that cloaks the hillside, periodically burnt off to ensure a steady regeneration of new growth.
To the right, a track winds easily down across the heather-covered hillside towards the Upper Barden Reservoir, reaching a junction by sheep pens at the southern end of the dam. Carry on towards the stark and lonely house at the far end. When the reservoir first opened, the various valves and sluices regulating the flow of water had to be operated by hand, requiring the keeper to live on site. Although today’s automated control renders its original purpose redundant, it still enjoys a fine prospect down the narrow, rocky ravine containing Barden Beck.
Wooded dell above Lower Barden Reservoir
After crossing the spill-way, bear right beneath the house and then take the right branch where the track then immediately splits. Meander down the valley towards the lower reservoir. Later reaching another fork keep left, sweeping in a great arc around the head of Pickshaw Dyke. After eventually crossing a stone-walled bridge over Kittlety Sike, turn off sharp right onto a narrower track, which doubles across the stream to drop into a pretty, steep-sided gully.
The trail winds down past a couple of shelters to a ford crossing Barden Beck, where enough conveniently placed rocks enable you to get to the other bank without suffering wet feet. In contrast to the bleakness of the moor, this spot is quite idyllic and, if the weather is kind, a great spot to dally for a picnic.
Rising beyond, the track swings left through a gate and continues at a respectful distance above the shore of the lower lake. Ultimately reaching the foot of the reservoir, keep right at successive junctions to join the access track from Broad Park House. Follow it away, climbing steadily back to the lane beside the start point.
WALK 3
Simon’s Seat
| Start | Cavendish Pavilion car park, Bolton Abbey (SE 078551) |
| Distance | 8.5 miles (13.7km) |
| Total Ascent | 490m (1608ft) |
| Time | 3hr30 |
| Terrain | Generally good paths throughout. Note the Permissive Path onto Barden Fell may occasionally be closed for shooting between August and December; dogs are not allowed at any time of year. |
| Maps | Explorer OL2 – Yorkshire Dales (Southern & Western areas) |
| Refreshments | Café by car park |
| Toilets | Beside car park |
| Parking | Cavendish Pavilion car park |
Barden Fell is the culmination of a long, broad ridge that separates Wharfedale from Nidderdale, and although at just 485m it is not particularly high, its bulk and relative detachment invest in it an exaggerated sense of scale. In good weather, this ascent through the Valley of Desolation onto the upper moor is straightforward and contrasts with a meandering return beside the River Wharfe.
From the Cavendish Pavilion car park, cross the River Wharfe on the bridge in front of the café and follow the riverbank upstream. When you reach a gate, climb a zigzag path to the lane above. Turn left, but after 250m, leave through a gate on the right beside Waterfall Cottage. A track rises above Posforth Gill for 800m, eventually arriving at a marshy pond where you have your first view into the valley below. Branch left off the main track there, down to a footbridge nestling in the base of the valley.
The River Wharfe below Posforth Bridge
VALLEY OF DESOLATION
The Valley of Desolation is now a hardly fitting title for this charming glen. But in 1826 flash floods from a heavy deluge transformed the babbling beck into a raging torrent. It swept down the valley stripping bare the vegetation and uprooting massive trees to leave behind a naked gash cleaving the hillside. Now, apart from the odd ancient rotting stump, only the name gives any hint of its past devastation. More recently, nature has been given a hand, with the planting of some 8000 trees in a scheme to illustrate how the area might have been colonised by a succession of different types of vegetation in the 12,000 years since the last ice age.
