The COVID-19 lockdown rules are being relaxed so people in England will be able to spend more time outdoors, from Wednesday 13th May 2020, “for leisure purposes” – including sunbathing.
There will be no limit to the amount of exercise allowed. Activities such as golf, angling and tennis will be permitted, but only alone or with one other person. That person can be from another household but social distancing rules will still apply.
Playgrounds and outdoor gyms, where there is a higher risk of close contact and touching surfaces, will remain shut.
Households will also be able to drive to other destinations in England – such as parks and beaches. But they should not travel to Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of great walks in Wharfedale & Craven and further afield – all child-friendly and great for seeing our countryside at it’s best. We hope you enjoy.
This is a great stroll at any time of the year, thanks to the paved footpath that leads all the way around the perimeter of the lake. It is a short walk, making it extremely suitable for pushchairs and little legs. There are often ducklings and wild birds to be seen on the Tarn too. It’s location next to the airport runway, also makes it a fun (if a little odd) place to watch planes taking off and landing. There is also an excellent play area. For more information on how to get to the Tarn and where to park, click here
The Chevin is crisscrossed with multiple paths so you can plan your own walk from car parks or bus stops.. There are also some themed trails that have accompanying leaflets or guides that you can follow as a family. The Heritage Trail is a 2km circular route starting from Lower Shawfield car park and going along Chippendale Ride. It is a fairly good surface suitable for mobility scooters and prams and only has two steeply sloping sections. You will find 8 fun timber sculptures created by local artist, Shane Green, that represent a different time period in The Chevin’s history. Children can have fun spotting them and even taking rubbings of them if you bring along some crayons.. For more information on the trails click here
Once a privately run amusement park, complete with a miniature mono-rail, boating lake and dance hall, Golden Acre Park is now a popular park, featuring formal gardens and a large lake. The circular walk around the lake itself is great for families, being completely flat and fully accessible by pushchair. It includes the opportunity to feed the ducks and explore the woodland. For a route map click here.
In addition, Golden Acre is also connected to two additional areas which are often quieter and less well know. Adel Dam Nature Reserve lies adjacent to the park and is now fully accessible by pushchair (although the path is still rough in places). There are hides along the route, which may reward you with sitings of woodpeckers and birds of prey but a lot of patience will be needed. Find more information here.
Finally Breary Marsh, also adjacent to the Park contains another small loop that will take walkers through woodland and up to ‘Paul’s Pond’. Footpaths have recently been widened and resurfaced here, so it is now possible to get a pushchair around the route. You can find more information here.
This route around Swinsty Reservoir nestles in the stunning Washburn Valley and provides breathtaking views of the water and the surrounding landscape. The walk is 3 miles long and a podcast is available to accompany the route.
Where Swinsty (Distance: 5.45km) is relatively flat throughout, the path around Fewston (Distance: 6.9km) winds and bends over hills, lifting and dipping, both with well-maintained paths.
For further information and the route plans click here
Otley’s popular Gallows Hill Nature Area is a peaceful and increasingly diverse place, situated along a stretch of the River Wharfe in Otley. It is a habitat for a great many species of wildlife, most notably the Common Toads which can be found in the pond in large numbers. With on site car park and a pushchair and wheelchair friendly path around it, including a riverside walk. Local group the Friends of Gallow’s Hill help maintain the site that was once sewerage works until it was taken over by the council and turned into the wildly beautiful park it is today. The team have planted many trees in the park, including a community orchard with cherry, pear and apple trees. While strolling around, be sure to be as quiet as can be, you may come across a frog or a toad, or perhaps see a kingfisher flash over the pond.
This walk climbs through the woods and then up onto the hill beyond with excellent views back across the town to the moor before returning via an unexpected ghyll and brushing a seldom-visited village before returning along the valley. More details can be found here.
Route map here.
For nearly a thousand years Skipton Castle Woods provided fuel, building materials and food to the castle it surrounds. And the waterways that run through it gave power to local wool, corn and sawmills across two centuries.
The forest was carefully managed for firewood, timber and for hunting, while the beck provided fresh water and plenty of fish. But through all this management and heavy usage the spirit of the woods has never changed. It’s still one of the most beautiful, serene sites Spend a couple of hours following the valley of the Eller Beck, sit and admire some stunning views, soak up the peace and the history. You’ll go home recharged!
Printable Map can be found here
Meanwood Valley Trail is a 7-mile long trail that connects Woodhouse Moor to Golden Acre Park. But you can pick it up at any point, and do as much or as little as you want. It’s split into 3 parts (roughly 2-3 miles each), with the Meanwood Park section being the most pushchair friendly. It also has a play area. For more information have a look at the trail leaflet here
The Lines Way, developed along a disused railway line stretches for four miles and provides access to several wildlife sites. Leeds, Castleford and Pontefract Junction Railway, which the Lines Way is part of, was opened in 1878 and the Bowers Junction to Garforth section closed in 1969.. Happily, today it still provides a valuable route, albeit for walkers, cyclists and horse riders travelling under their own steam… The Lines has been developed into a recreational route, which links the settlements of Garforth and Allerton Bywater.. For more information click here
This stretch of the canal is always enjoyable as it’s easy terrain and the path passes through some lovely tree-lined countryside and by a couple of Locks. It is great for bikes too, although not safe for young children unsupervised as there are no barriers between the path and canal. Park up by Rodley Bridge and walk as much or as little of the canal as you like.
The park at Kirkstall Abbey is approximately 24 hectares in area and contains some exciting elements to explore, including the Abbey ruins and the riverside. It is part of the West Leeds Country Park and most footpaths are suitable for the majority of manual and electric wheelchairs. There are two routes around the Abbey grounds. The blue route is the long walk and takes about 45 minutes. The yellow route is a pleasant walk around the Abbey and should take about 15 minutes. There is also a play area on the opposite side of the road, adjacent to the Abbey House Museum. Download the route map here
Roundhay Park covers over 700 acres of parkland and has no less than 5 official walking routes, with something for everyone. You can do the Secret Gorge Walk to find the fairy-tale castle ruin or head around the Lake View loop and the dam. With plenty of space to ride bikes and play with new toys, it’s the perfect (but popular) place for a winter walk. For a map of all routes click here.