Dales Walks: Appletreewick to the Strid

Having lost walking time on the Monday I decided on the Tuesday to have a steady stroll down to the Strid near Bolton Abbey, the previous day and night had seen heavy rain so I thought I might be in for a treat, I was.

The walk started off at my campsite in Appletreewick. The route down to the Strid is pretty straight forward as it follows the Dales Way. The weather was good that morning so I was hoping for some good photos. This was after all a holiday and sight seeing holiday as much as a walking holiday. The path is very easy going with little in the way of poor path quality or inclines.



River Wharfe in full flow about a foot up on the previous day.



The route leads down to the Barden Bridge which is overlooked by the Barden Tower, built in the 15th century. The bridge is a 17th century grade two listed building and care should be taken when crossing it. I say this because at this point you have two choices of path, one on either side of the river. Be advised that if you continue on the east side of the river, while you will get some nice views of the Strid, getting up close and personal is impossible. I changed over to the west side of the river so that I could easily access the Strid.

The Barden Bridge.

Just past Barden Bridge and more evidence the river was up.

The path is quite well sheltered in places and even if it  had still been raining would have made for quite a pleasant walk. As you get closer to Bolton Abbey the path quality improves.

As you get closer to the Strid the river gets more lively. There are quite a few rapids and falling it would certainly be interesting at least.

Rapids above the Strid as the river increases pace.

It was evident the river was running a great deal faster. Then the Strid comes into view and it's hard to believe that a river around forty feet wide compresses into such a narrow channel. The rain of the previous few days had made the Strid far more spectacular than when I saw it last year at a drier time of year.

A warning best heeded.



The Strid on song.

People stood nearby give you an idea of the size of the Strid.



After the Strid you come to the Cavendish Pavilion where there is a cafe, shop and WC. The shop is quite nice, but for me a visit into the cafe was brief. It's not extremely expensive, but if you are thinking of calling here you will need a few pounds in your pocket.....nuff said. At this point it is possible to cross back to the east side of the river for the return walk.

On the way back, several hours after setting off, the river was still very high. It stayed this way for a day or so. Although going by the news reports before I left for my holiday, we need this water anyway.

Just north of Barden Bridge and still high.

Next up will be the Barden Triangle once I have sorted through the photos.