Scarhouse
Start and finish Scar House Reservoir SE 068 766
Distance 24km (15 miles)
Toilets Scar House Reservoir
Pubs and cafes Ramsgill, Lofthouse, How Stean, and Middlesmoor
Nearest train station Harrogate (a long way off)
An all weather classic with barely any tarmac. Starting at the head of Nidderdale this
classic tour takes you up onto stony tracks high above the valley, before dropping down a
rubble slope to Bouthwaite. A section through farmland back up the valley, then leads to a
climb to Middlesmoor, and the superb descent back to the reservoir.
ROUTE DESCRIPTION
1. Head out over the reservoir dam and turn left up the cobbly climb to a hut. At the
hut turn right on to a grassier track, follow this for 1.5km. After two steep valley dips
you will climb gradually toward a drystone wall.
2. At the wall do not go through the gate, turn 90 degrees left and climb for 200m until
you reach another gate in the wall further up. Go through this gate and follow the
obvious doubletrack for 4km until you reach another gate. Go through this gate and
carry on the same bearing for 1.8km, the track gets rocky as it descends to a stone
building. Pass by the building and stick to the track as it bends 90 degrees left and
joins the road after 500m.
3. Turn left at the road, after 100m turn right on to farm road. After 800m of this track
turn right down (initially grassy) doubletrack. Follow this obvious track for 3km until
you reach a gate.
4. Go through this gate and carry on the same bearing joining another farm road. After
1km turn right and head downhill to Bouthwaite (on a wide and increasingly rubbly
track).
5. Continue straight on along the tarmac road, cross over the river and meet another
road in Ramsgill. Turn left on the road then after 50m turn right on to a gravel road
until you reach a white gate on your right (signposted Nidderdale Way). Go through
this gate and follow the bridleway signs for 3km through grassy farmland until you
join a metalled farm road, follow this for 500m until you reach to a large concrete
farmyard.
6. Pass through this farmyard and after 100m turn right over the river, as you meet
another (bigger) road turn left and the climb up to Middlesmoor. Pass through the
village and keep straight on as the tarmac stops and becomes farm road (which in
turn becomes rocky track). Stick to this obvious track for 4km to Scar House
reservoir with an excellent rocky descent to finish.
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