Walks in Rishworth
From easy city strolls to challenging trails, discover the best of Rishworth on foot.
Walk: Ryburn Reservoir and Baitings Reservoir
A great walk taking in the woods and fields in the Ryburn Valley between the Ryburn and Baitings Reservoirs, just near Ripponden. The Route what3words for start point: ///shredding.grades.erupted Start / FinishPoint: Yorkshire Water Car Park, Ripponden, Sowerby Bridge HX6 4LE Distance: 4 Miles GPX Route Map walkshireryburnreservoirandbaitingsreservoirDownload Walk Description Go to the top of the car park and cross the lane towards a stile into a field. Walk through this field on a level track and head towards the next stile. Cross this stile and continue on the path which heads through the trees alongside the edge of the water and eventually over a footbridge. Just before the end of Ryburn Reservoir, you reach Beeston Hall Rocks. The path now follows the feeder stream to a junction of paths. Ignore the left turn over the bridge, and carry on out of the wood the reach the embankment of Baitings Reservoir - following the path as it turns right into a car park. Leave via the steps or, if required, carefully via the entrance gateway – but take extra care as this is also a vehicle entrance. Turn left onto the pavement and continue for a short while when you reach the entrance to the permissive footpath on your left. Take the path and walk along the north edge of Baitings Reservoir. The section provides great views across the reservoir and the surrounding countryside. At the end of the reservoir, leave the path onto a road, and turn left to walk across Baitings Viaduct. Soon after crossing, turn left onto the permissive path to continue along the southern edge of Baitings Reservoir. When you reach the embankment, turn right, and then left at the next footpath, to head back towards Ryburn Reservoir. Just after a path joins from the left, the path turns a sharp right to meet another path. Continue along the track until you reach a stile. Cross over into the field and follow the boundary fence - which becomes a wall - downhill, until you reach some gates in the corner. Follow the yellow waymarker, through the gate into an enclosed path along the side of the next field. At the farm buildings, carry on and over a stile into a section of old walled track - but not into the open field. This track turns right through a squeeze stile at the side of an iron gate. Go through the gap and turn left straight away down the slope, keeping the wall on your left. At the bottom corner of the field, go over a stile and down through the wood to a footbridge. Cross the bridge, turn left and continue alongside the reservoir towards the dam. Cross the dam wall to return to the car park.
Walk: Scammonden Reservoir
An accessible wander around the Scammonden Reservoir, lodged between Worts Hill and Moselden Height near Huddersfield, in the shadow of the mighty M62 motorway. The Route what3words for start point: ///inert.skin.molars Start Point: Scammonden Water Car Park, Low Platt Lane, Huddersfield HD3 3FR Finish Point: Scammonden Water Car Park, Low Platt Lane, Huddersfield HD3 3FR Distance: 3 Miles GPX Route Map walkshirescammondenreservoirDownload Walk Description From the Wood Edge car park, nearest to the M62, walk towards the motorway and head through the gap in the fence onto a surfaced path. When the path forks, it doesn’t matter which one you pick, just follow it until you reach a fairly steep downhill path. Follow this path as it zig-zags down to just before the water’s edge. The path levels out, and then you turn left onto a permissive Yorkshire Water path running alongside the reservoir. Follow this for around half the length of the reservoir until you reach the sailing club. During construction of Scammonden Reservoir, the village of Deanhead was submerged and many buildings were demolished. Scammonden now holds a massive 7.8 billion litres of water. The path starts to rise to the left and goes through a gate. The path then meets another track coming down the hill on the left. Follow the path turning left down to the sailing club access road. Turn left on the access road and then turn first right to drop down towards the waterfront Near the bottom of the slope, turn left close to the high-water line and follow the path to the head of the reservoir passing through two gates which are close to each other. The path splits here, and you take the right-hand path, crossing a bridge to continue around the reservoir. After the bridge, follow the path on your left until you reach a tarmac ramp, just before the motorway. Veer right and follow the track with the fence on your right hand side over the dam embankment. At the end of the dam, retrace your steps up the zig-zag path to the car park. On the way home, why not take the Scammonden Road at Moselden Height (pictured below).