Timble & Swinsty

Friday, 29th April & Monday 2nd May

5.7 miles (9.3 Km) 

OS Explorer 297 - Lower Wharfedale & Washburn Valley

For many years, particularly when the children were young, a group of us used to go away to various locations for weekends.  Central to these was a whole day's walk on the Saturday, always followed by a fancy dress party in the evening.  I think we did enough by emphasising the party (and party games!) to fool the youngsters in to walking further than they thought they could ! 

My role on these weekends was to plan Saturday's walk and I became infamous for the phrase "It's only around the next corner" when being asked where the finish was!  Anyway, with four Bank Holidays in quick succession we decided that it would be good to get together again and walk - sadly, this time there was no promise of a fancy dress party and, consequently, no children !!  In their defence it has to be said that the youngest "child" is now in their twenties !

This is the sole reason that the walk appears twice - I did it on the Friday (to escaps the Royal Weddding) but also to ensure I knew the route.  It's O.K. getting lost on your own but leading a party of fifteen astray does nothing for one's credibility.

I seem to have become a resident of Timble over the past couple of weeks and this walk also starts there (GR SE180529).  Leaving the hamlet the track drops quickly to Swinsty Hall and then follows well maintained pathways through Swinsty Moor Plantation to the car park (GR SE186537).

After crossing the embankment the route once again follows the Yorkshire Water maintained footpaths which hug the side of the reservoir.

Here, on both days, we did a bit of Cache-Finding and congratulations go to Dave Sumpner who found the cache on the second day.

Finally, the walk leaves the surrounds of the reservoir and drops down Swinsty Embankment to pick up the River Washburn.  This was, probably, a surging torrent until the reservoirs - there are four in total, reduced it to a mere trickle !! 

The final section provides a bit of sting in the tail as the path turns at the bottom of Timble Gill (GR SE188517) and provides a stiffish climb back to the village.  

Monday provided a pleasant stop at the Yew Tree Inn in Otley.  

A good walk on both days with a stiff breeze that made us forget how warm the sun has been.  It was great to see Marilyn & John, Phil & Gill, Dave & Sally, Pete & Norma, Steve and (not forgetting) our daughter Charlotte !  Here's to the next one !

As usual a set of photos from the link