Ripley Round - 9 miles

The walk starts from the village centre of Ripley and passes through the villages of Hampsthwaite, Birstwith, Burnt Yates and then the hamlet of Bedlam (!), making use of the Nidderdale Way and following the river Nidd en route. There are a couple of steady climbs but other than that, it’s a straightforward walk, given its length. Subject to the weather, expect some muddy sections at this time of year.

The walk makes use of woodland & riverside trails, field crossings & countryside paths, quiet roads and surfaced paths. We also traipse through a private garden, a churchyard and along a medieval pathway. One of the highlights of this walk is a delightful cobbled packhorse bridge.

On reaching Hampsthwaite, we will have our morning break on the village green, where you will also find an information panel.

PARKING: The main car park on the edge of the village is pay & display (with toilets). The fee is £3.50 for six hours which gives sufficient time to complete the walk and have after-walk refreshment. If you take your parking ticket with you to the pub, tearoom or village store, you will get £1 refunded from your parking. There are several places in & around the village where you can park for free. The car park camera checks you
in/out of the car park. There are several places in & around the village where you can park for free.

From the car park, take the pedestrian exit heading towards our meeting point in the village centre.

MEETING POINT: stone monument in the village centre in front of the Boars Head. Postcode is HG3 3AY.

The walk will be led at a steady pace: not too fast, not too slow. Please be ready to start walking at the advertised time.

Walk fee: £3. No dogs please. Bring packed lunch/drink/snacks with you.

After-walk refreshment options: Boars Head Hotel or Castle tearoom (gets busy) or a new option: the village store/ice-cream parlour has relocated to the rear of the Boars Head and now has a café too.

I have no formal walk leader or first-aid qualifications and the Group does not have insurance. When you RSVP for any walk, you accept that you remain responsible for your own safety at all times. You are required to respect the walk leader and be mindful of the safety of others. Please keep to the pace of the group and don’t go off ahead even if you think you know the route.