Scar House and Nidderdale

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Walk directions

Walk past the dam and along the side of the reservoir. Just before a gate turn sharp left. The stony track climbs below crags then zig-zags up to open moor. Continue to a gate. A few paces beyond, go right through another gate.

Follow a path down to a wall and bear left. The undefined path goes through heather, roughly parallel to the wall, to a track. Turn left, cross two cattle grids, then turn right, down to a gate. Walk down the field to a gate just right of a house.

Descend to a gate left of a ruined barn. Bear right through a gateway, then bear left through another gate to pass right of another barn. Continue in the same direction into woodland. A clearer path joins from the right; bear right, slanting down to the riverside.

Follow the path above the river, then through fields to a ladder stile and follow the edge of woodland to a gate and Nidderdale Way sign. Turn right down steps to cross a footbridge over the river. Follow the path to a lane and go left, passing How Stean Gorge entrance, to a stone bridge.

Follow the lane over the bridge to a T-junction and turn right. At a lay-by on a bend go through a kissing gate. Follow the path beside a cricket ground. Cross a lane and go over a bridge. Bear right and then pass between buildings to Lofthouse.

Turn left uphill. As the road bends right, go left on a level grassy track, signed 'Scar House Res'. Ignore branches to the right and follow the main track through five gates to Thrope Farm. Keep straight ahead through two more gates until a waymarked sunken path slants down to the river. Cross to a waymarked gate. Follow a path above the river, going over a stile in the fence on your right, then join a track towards a farm.

Pass metal sheds, then bear left to a metal gate beside a house. Follow the track to the riverbank and continue upstream. Eventually you will reach a footbridge over the river. Cross, go over the stile, turn left and continue along the riverside. At New Houses go through a gate, cross a lane and continue along the riverside track.

Where the track bends right, go ahead through three stone stiles and continue to a wooden stile. Climb slightly, then bear left to a gate. Descend to another gate, then bear right to a farm. Go ahead through two gates between the buildings to a track which climbs and bends right to pass another house.

Climb to a gap between high walls. Continue uphill, with a broken wall on your right, to a gate. Turn right. At a crossing track turn left, uphill, and follow the track until it crosses another track, directly above the dam. Descend to the dam and cross it to return to the car park.

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Location

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Additional information

Terrain - Moorland tracks, field paths and lanes, 13 stiles

Landscape - High hills of Upper Nidderdale, farmland and riverside

Dog friendliness - On leads on farmland; dogs are not permitted on access land between points 1 and 3

Parking - Signed car park at top of reservoir access road

Toilets en route - By car park at the start and in Lofthouse

Walks in North Yorkshire

About the walk

Opened in 1936, Scar House is one of a string of reservoirs in Nidderdale that serve the city of Bradford, 30 miles (48km) to the south – the others include Angram, to the west, and Gouthwaite, down the valley towards Pateley Bridge. There is still evidence around the dam of the remains of the...

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Been on this walk?

Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.

Find out more

Walking in Safety

Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.

Learn more

Get an AA guide

Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.

Learn more

About the area

North Yorkshire, with its two National Parks and two designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is England’s largest county and one of the most rural. This is prime walking country, from the heather-clad heights of the North York Moors to the limestone country that is so typical of the Yorkshire Dales – a place of contrasts and discoveries, of history and legend.