24-508: The Nidderdale Way is a 55-mile (89 km) circular long distance footpath in Nidderdale in North Yorkshire , England. The trail can be started and completed anywhere on the route, but the usual starting points are Ripley , linked by the frequent route 36 bus to Leeds , Harrogate and Ripon , and Pateley Bridge , the only town on the route. The route follows the northern side of
48-447: A green and lush valley, with limestone outcrops , such as Kilnsey Crag , and woodland, generally quite unusual in the Dales. Below Addingham, the dale broadens and turns to the east. This section is shared between North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire and includes the towns of Ilkley, Otley and Wetherby. The northern side of Lower Wharfedale, opposite Ilkley, Burley-in-Wharfedale and Otley,
72-465: A high rocky section known as Guise Cliff, before descending to Dacre Banks . It then follows the Nidd downstream to Darley , Birstwith and Hampsthwaite , where it crosses the Nidd to reach Clint . Finally the path passes Ripley Castle to return to Ripley. [REDACTED] Media related to Nidderdale Way at Wikimedia Commons Nidderdale Nidderdale , historically also known as Netherdale ,
96-672: A road over Stake Moss into what is now the village of Bainbridge in Wensleydale. The Anglo-Saxon influence remains in modern times, with most settlements in Upper Wharfedale having Anglo-Saxon derived names. The name of the valley is derived from the principal river that flows through it: the Wharfe, which comes from the Old English Weorf or Old Norse Hverfr , with both taken as meaning winding river . The River Wharfe starts at
120-599: Is a ward in the north east of the City of Bradford metropolitan borough . It consists of the settlements of Burley-in-Wharfedale , Burley Woodhead and Menston along with surrounding moorland. The population of the ward taken at the 2011 Census was 11,836. In 2017, in consideration of regional geography , the Church of England changed its subdivisions and re-grouped the Deanery of Wharfedale with that of South Craven , in order that
144-604: Is also well served by DalesBus services". The nearest train station is at Harrogate. Highway access is via "A1(M) and the A61 to the east, and the A65, A59, M65 and M62 to the south". All Creatures Great and Small (2020 TV series) was filmed mostly in the Yorkshire Dales with many of the Dales scenes filmed in Wharfedale and Nidderdale. For example, the crossroads that are so important in
168-649: Is in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . The Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust has a remit to conserve the ecological condition of Wharfedale, Wensleydale , Swaledale and Nidderdale catchments from their headwaters to the Humber Estuary. The Wharfedale valley was cut into the shape we know today during the last ice age (the Devensian Glaciation ). The valley was transformed into its classic U-shaped state between 18,000 and 12,000 years ago by
192-664: Is one of the Yorkshire Dales (although outside the Yorkshire Dales National Park) in North Yorkshire , England . It is the upper valley of the River Nidd , which flows east from its source, then south underground for 2 miles (3 km) and then south-east along the dale, forming several reservoirs including the Gouthwaite Reservoir , before turning east and eventually joining the River Ouse . The only town in
216-532: Is split, with Upper Wharfedale consisting of carboniferous limestone of the Yoredale series. In the lower part of Wharfedale, around Ilkley and Otley , the underlying stone is mostly millstone grit, which can be seen best at the Cow and Calf rocks on the south side of the valley on Ilkley Moor . The Bramley Almanac for 1931 lists 'Earthquake in Wharfedale' for 15 December 1859. As an electoral subdivision Wharfedale
240-804: The North Eastern Railway opened the Nidd Valley Railway from Nidd Valley Junction near Harrogate to Pateley Bridge. Between 1907 and 1937 the Nidd Valley Light Railway served the dale above Pateley Bridge. The Pateley Bridge branch closed in 1964. Nidderdale is now served by the buses of Harrogate Bus Company . In 2020, the AONB Web site provided these specifics. The area can be reached by bus "from Harrogate to Pateley Bridge; The Transdev Harrogate & District number 24 service runs regularly from Harrogate to Pateley Bridge. Nidderdale
264-451: The River Nidd , passing Wath , Gouthwaite Reservoir and Bouthwaite to Lofthouse . The path then takes a route high above the Nidd to reach the dam of Scar House Reservoir , where it crosses to the right or south bank of the river. From the dam the path climbs an old track to reach its highest point at 1,424 feet (434 m), before descending to the village of Middlesmoor . It then crosses Stean Beck to reach Stean , and descends on
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#1732851952415288-771: The AONB includes part of lower Wharfedale , the Washburn valley and part of lower Wensleydale , including Jervaulx Abbey and the side valleys west of the River Ure . The highest point in the Nidderdale AONB is Great Whernside , 704 metres above sea level, on the border with the Yorkshire Dales National Park . The AONB Web site provides directions for popular walks and offers information on canoeing and kayaking, caving, climbing, cycling, fishing and horse riding. Nidderdale
312-542: The Christmas episode are "on the roads above Pateley Bridge " in Nidderdale. [REDACTED] Media related to Nidderdale at Wikimedia Commons 54°05′12″N 1°45′28″W / 54.086688°N 1.757728°W / 54.086688; -1.757728 Wharfedale Wharfedale ( / ˈ hw ɔːr f d eɪ l / WHORF -dayl ) is one of the Yorkshire Dales . It is situated in North Yorkshire and forms
336-548: The Wharfedale Glacier, though this was cutting through a channel that had already had a river draining water away to the east through what is now Wharfedale, and also to the north through what is now Bishopdale and then Wensleydale . Evidence of human settlement has been found dating back to Neolithic times and the valley has plenty of artefacts relating to the Celtic , Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods. The Romans built
360-615: The confluence (at the hamlet of Beckermonds) of the Oughtershaw Beck and the Green Field Beck, each of which originates at the Pennine watershed, some 4 miles (6 km) north-east of Ribblehead . The valley roughly follows a south-easterly direction, providing a border between West Yorkshire (on the south side) and North Yorkshire. Between Oughtershaw Moss and Wetherby, the valley runs for 50 miles (80 km). The uppermost part of
384-441: The dale is Pateley Bridge . Other settlements include Wath , Ramsgill , Lofthouse , and Middlesmoor above Pateley Bridge, and Bewerley , Glasshouses , Summerbridge , Dacre , Darley , Birstwith , Hampsthwaite and Kettlesing below Pateley. Nidderdale was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1994. The AONB covers a much wider area than Nidderdale. In addition to Nidderdale itself (above Hampsthwaite),
408-400: The dale on the outward leg and returns on the southern side. Consequently, the outward and return legs are never far apart. From Ripley the path follows a series of side valleys on the northern side of Nidderdale and then climbs to Brimham Rocks . It then descends to the hamlet of Smelthouses and climbs to Blazefield before descending to Pateley Bridge. From Pateley the path keeps close to
432-607: The lower dale fell within Knaresborough Poor Law Union, later Knaresborough Rural Sanitary District and from 1894 Knaresborough Rural District, which merged in 1938 to become part of Nidderdale Rural District . From 1974 to 2023 the whole dale fell within the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire. A Nidderdale Omnibus started operating on 1 August 1849 and ran between Pateley Bridge and Ripley Station. In 1862
456-414: The river's source to around Addingham is known as Upper Wharfedale . It lies in North Yorkshire and the Yorkshire Dales National Park . The first 15 miles (24 km) or so is known as Langstrothdale , including the settlements of Beckermonds , Yockenthwaite and Hubberholme , famous for its church, the resting place of the writer J. B. Priestley . As it turns southwards, the Wharfe then runs through
480-472: The similar regions can work together more effectively. One of the most renowned painters of the Victorian era, John Atkinson Grimshaw , portrayed the area in his piece, "Moonlight, Wharfedale" (1871 – oil on card 17 + 1 ⁄ 2 by 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches [44 cm × 34 cm]). He is known as one of the best and most accomplished nightscape and townscape artists of all time, and this painting
504-511: The upper valley of the River Wharfe . Towns and villages in Wharfedale (downstream, from west to east) include Buckden , Kettlewell , Conistone , Grassington , Hebden , Bolton Abbey , Addingham , Ilkley , Burley-in-Wharfedale , Otley , Pool-in-Wharfedale , Arthington , Collingham and Wetherby . Beyond Wetherby, the valley opens out and becomes part of the Vale of York . The section from
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#1732851952415528-456: The valley is known as Langstrothdale. Below Beckermonds the river is known as the River Wharfe. Wetherby is traditionally seen as the foot of Wharfedale, even though the river continues on through the Vale of York . The valley has been used largely for agriculture, and is now criss-crossed with stone walls and stone barns that evidence its use down the centuries. The geology of the valley
552-479: The western side of the valley to Ramsgill . From Ramsgill the route was changed in 2019 to avoid a section of road walking on the west side of Gouthwaite Reservoir. The Way now follows a minor road back to Bouthwaite and then returns by the outbound route on the east side of Gouthwaite Reservoir to Wath. It then recrosses the Nidd and ascends to Heathfield , and takes a long loop around the side valley of Ashfold Side Beck to reach Bewerley . The path then follows
576-707: Was historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire , and in the Lower Division of Claro Wapentake . In the 19th century local government reforms most of the dale fell within the Pateley Bridge Poor Law Union , later the Pateley Bridge Rural Sanitary District and from 1894 Pateley Bridge Rural District. In 1937 the rural district was merged to become part of Ripon and Pateley Bridge Rural District . Hampsthwaite and Felliscliffe in
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