Walking the reservoirs and the river

The easiest and most popular outings hug the waters. At Fewston Reservoir you can follow a well-surfaced path around the entire lake — roughly two hours if you take both sides, with benches, abundant wildlife and gently rolling scenery; it is consistently one of the most-loved walks in the area. Nearby Swinsty Reservoir, framed by moorland and with RAF Menwith Hill's radar domes on the horizon, links into the same network. These are ideal for families, dogs and pushchairs, and are perfect when you want a calm, flat stroll with big views.↗↗↗

For something with more character, follow the river itself between the dams. From Blubberhouses a permissive path runs through conifers alongside the Washburn toward Thruscross; the flow here is set by Leeds's demands, and on high-release days the local canoe club paddles the resulting rapids, adding real excitement for passing walkers. Cross a footbridge to the Thruscross dam and you can loop up onto the moor, passing the drowned village site and climbing the gritstone edges of Far and Near Comb Hill for panoramic views back down over the water.↗↗

Longer legs can take on the Six Dales Trail, which runs the length of the valley from south to north, or the Dales Trails' full "River & Reservoir" circuit — around 9½ miles through woods, over peat and along reservoir shores. The stretch of open river in the upper valley, where it rushes toward Thruscross through a tunnel of autumn colour, is the kind of peaceful spot walkers single out as the best reward of the day.↗↗↗

Worth noticing along the way

Look for Lindley Bridge at the eastern end of the reservoir chain, a small Grade II-listed bridge over the Washburn that J.M.W. Turner painted in watercolour around 1824 — a reminder that this valley was inspiring artists long before the waterworks came. The dale is rich in older traces too: marked Neolithic and Bronze Age rocks on the moorland are scheduled monuments, and Brandrith Crags above Thruscross is traditionally linked to druid worship.↗↗

For a sense of how the valley lived before the floods, the Washburn Heritage Centre beside the old church at Fewston tells the story of the communities that were moved and submerged, and serves light refreshments on Sundays and through the summer. The scattered settlement of Blubberhouses, with its little hilltop church overlooking the A59, anchors the other end of the reservoir walk.↗↗

Getting there and around

The valley's main artery is the A59, which swings across the dale between Skipton and Harrogate and passes the hamlet of Blubberhouses; surrounding minor roads connect scattered villages like Fewston, Thruscross and Timble. There is no station in the valley and public transport is thin, so driving is by far the easiest way to reach the reservoir car parks, though a handful of bus and DalesBus services touch the edges on certain days.↗↗

There are no shops in the valley, but a few pubs, a farm shop and the heritage centre provide refreshments, and several Yorkshire Water car parks (Blubberhouses, Fewston, Stack Point, Swinsty Moor and Thruscross dam) make good starting points — some with toilets, many now subject to a modest parking charge. Map reading is recommended: Ordnance Survey Explorer 297, Lower Wharfedale & Washburn Valley, is the sheet to bring, and note that some paths change with water levels and after storms.↗↗↗