The Washburn Valley

The Washburn Valley forms the southern third of Nidderdale National Landscape.

With no major towns or villages the Washburn Valley is a peaceful place to explore and a popular destination for a Sunday walk and pub lunch.

Its main features are the four reservoirs running the length of the valley from the moorland around Thruscross Reservoir, through Fewston Reservoir and Swinsty Reservoir close to the hamlets of Fewston and Timble to the gentler rolling hills at Lindley Wood Reservoir.

The area is a great place to explore and offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities – with a great range of walks, lots of wildlife, mountain biking opportunities, fishing and the site of the only dam release canoeing facility in England.

There is a circular walk around each reservoir and car parking provided by Yorkshire Water at all but Lindley Wood.

The Washburn Heritage Centre holds regular exhibitions and has its own café close to Swinsty Reservoir.

At Thruscross Reservoir you may get a glimpse of the village of West End which is revealed when the waters are low during very dry periods of weather.

** Please note that the tourism information on this website is designed to provide an overview of opportunities in the area. The Nidderdale National Landscape team do not have the facilities or resources to deal with individual tourism enquiries and these should be directed to the tourist information office at Nidderdale Plus or one of the other local Tourist Information Centres.