Fewston Reservoir ~ Easy Walk

Distance: 3.75 miles   Time to complete walk: 2 hours

Safety Tips:  A very safe walk. Dogs should be kept on a lead. Be aware there are two reservoirs beside each other and this walk is around Fewston Reservoir.

A nice and simple walk around the periphery of Fewston Reservoir. A great introduction to walking and ideal if located in the Harrogate area or visiting Harrogate for the day. Great for bird watchers and dog owners, the walk can be completed all year round.  

 

The Fewston Reservoir walk

Getting There

From Middlesbrough take the A19 south to meet the A1 southbound. Look out for Junction 47 and take this turn off from the A1 to Harrogate which is the A59. Go through Harrogate and follow the A59 signed to Skipton. There are a number of turn offs for Fewston and these can be very narrow roads. All the turn offs are on the left off the A59. Follow the road until you reach Swinsty Moor & Fewston Reservoir Car Park. The car park has toilet facilities and is the start of the walk.

 

 

Map of the Fewston Reservoir Walk

 

 

The Walk 

 

From the car park turn right and follow the road that crosses the dam. Follow the road until you come to the house at the end.

 

 

  

Follow the road to the right of the house and look for some steps immediately to the left and climb to the top.

 

 

Climb the steps

 

Turn left at the top and ignore the gate to the left as this path is for anglers and not walkers. Follow the path into the trees but keeping close to the reservoir.

 

 

Follow the path into the trees

Follow this path for about a mile,(you will pass marker 1 on the map) keeping to the left at a fork to keep you close to the reservoirs edge. Towards the end of the path you will eventually converge onto the A59 briefly.

 

View of the reservoir

 

Stay to the left at a fork in the path

 

 

Go up some steps onto a path beside the A59 and turn left to cross a bridge. Go down some steps to a small car park and then turn left again.

 

 

Follow the path next to the A59

 

Descend the steps to the car park

 

Follow the path to the left which swings around the bay of the reservoir. (you will pass marker 2 on the map) Keep an eye out for birdlife here,  I spotted finches and a robin.

 

 

 

Views of the reservoir

 

 

Look out for birdlife

 

 

 

 

Follow the path

 

Keep to the path and follow it round the reservoir. (You will pass by marker 3 on the map) Continue over a bridge and as you come back to the end of the reservoir, look for a sign and a path to the right. Follow this path to the road and the car park again.

 

 

Follow the path to the right back to the car park

 

Car park

 

 

Fewston Reservoir

 

 

Fewston Reservoir is located in the Washburn valley north of Otley and west of Harrogate in Yorkshire, England. It was built in 1879. The capacity is about 3.5 million cubic metres. It can be found from the A59 road.
The overflow from the reservoir feeds directly into the adjoining Swinsty Reservoir. Formerly, this overflow was encircled by a metal walkway from which floodboards could be lowered, but this has since been removed.
The reservoir was built by the Leeds Waterworks Company under the management of Robert Brooks. Consultants were Thomas Hawksley of Westminster and Edward Filliter of Leeds. Work began in 1874 and was completed in 1879.
Early in the work, Fewston Mill was demolished, as was West House Mill at Blubberhouses, with the stone going to build a wall around the reservoir.Much of the machinery, including the locomotives for the narrow gauge railway, came from the construction of neighbouring Swinsty Reservoir.