Harwet one

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

Another great walk. Easy to follow when downloaded to OS App. Good variety of tracks, trails, meadows and woodland. Marked as 4 star because of slightly dangerous crossing of A658 from Rudding to Follifoot. We decided to use the path alongside the wall on Rudding Lane. Turned right after the rugby club and used the underpass to Follifoot approx 200/300 yards on the left. Otherwise a lengthy but enjoyable walk.

This is a great walk passing through woodland, farmland and along an old railway line. Short sections follow roads with no footpaths. Most is easy walking and the route is not difficult to follow. There are several opportunities for refreshments at the start, end, and along the route (pubs in Harrogate, Crimple Valley, Follifoot, Spofforth and Wetherby, all serving food) and there are a number of benches along the route for walkers to sit on if required. At the time of walking for this review (July 2021) there were no cows in any of the fields through which the path passes, but on other occasions cows have been present.

The route needs little description but it may be worth mentioning the following points:
1.The path that descends through Bathing Well Wood is not very obvious but is signposted from the main path (see photo). If you miss it, it does not matter too much because there are other routes through the wood too.
2. The path in the Crimple valley closely hugs the river bank and does not follow the concrete roadway (see photo) before it goes under the viaduct (see photo)
3. When walking on the path from Rudding Lane to Follifoot, keep the golf course on the left and wall for Rudding Park on the immediate right. At one point the wall veers to the right and it is easy to mistakenly walk straight on along a track that crosses the golf course (see photo).
4. The wooden stiles either side of the A658 Harrogate bypass are quite steep (see photo)
5. At the bottom of Green Haggs Lane turn left on the farm track then very shortly left again at the signpost (see photo).
6. As mentioned in a previous review, direct access to Quarry Mill Lane is not possible from the old railway because it is in a cutting. The path to Quarry Mill Lane is obvious if you are looking for it and slopes upwards on the right 100 yards before the Quarry Mill Lane bridge (see photo).

This is a lovely and easy walk passing through some beautiful scenery on a mixture of metalled and grassy paths. The part of the route along the Harrogate Ringway Footpath descending to Crimple Beck has many exposed tree roots and can be rather muddy. Several steep stiles may cause problems for people with poor mobility. There are some short sections of road walking, along minor roads with fast moving traffic, though there are narrow paths along the grass verges for most of this way. Two areas need care - crossing the Harrogate bypass (the A658) and where the path crosses a stile onto Haggs Lane (WayPoint 209, Grid Reference 341512) where you are very close to the road and hidden from fast moving cars travelling east by a bend in the road. There is a handy bench at Follifoot Church and both Follifoot and Spofforth have a pub and shop if refreshments are needed.
Approaching Wetherby the route shows a R turn from the old railway line onto a bridleway crossing the railway (waypoint 392, grid reference 397491. The bridleway actually runs on a bridge several metres above the the railway line. To access the bridleway it is necessary to fork off the railway line 20m before the bridge and follow a gently rising path to join the bridleway beyond the bridge.

I found this to be a pleasant and an easy to follow walk. (using the OS Map app on my phone). There are a couple of short (300 metres) sections on paths alongside B roads and the route crosses over the A658. The majority of the walk is in picturesque countryside and I would definitely walk it again!.

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