A walk around Addingham

On By Little Miss TravellerIn Ilkley, North East, United Kingdom, West Yorkshire

The village of Addingham is situated between Skipton and Ilkley and just one mile from the Yorkshire Dales National Park close to Bolton Abbey making it an ideal starting point for numerous walks in the surrounding countryside.

The Dales Way Map
The Dales Way between Ilkley and Bowness–on-Windermere

The Dales Way long distance path starts in nearby Ilkley passing through the edge of Addingham along the River Wharfe on its way north to Bowness-in-Windermere in the Lake District covering a distance of 82 miles.

Dales Way signpost in Addingham
Signpost in Addingham leading to the Dales Way

We weren’t feeling so adventurous as to attempt the entire route, opting instead for a looped walk starting and finishing by the river.  Arriving into the village from the direction of Leeds we headed up North Street leading onto Bark Lane where we easily found a parking space close to the start of our walk.

Our walking route, anti-clockwise from Addingham suspension bridge
Path to riverside, Addingham
The zig zag path down to the riverside

A signposted gap in the stone wall leads onto to a zig-zag path that winds its way down to the riverside.  Here families were making the most of the warm, sunny afternoon enjoying picnics on the pebble beach and taking a paddle in the river.

Addingham beach
Riverside beach

Instead of going down to the beach ourselves we walked across the pedestrian suspension bridge.  A bridge was erected in 1897 to allow residents in the hamlet of Beamsley (population 150) to cross the River Wharfe enabling them to attend services at St. Peter’s Parish church in Addingham.

Addingham suspension bridge
Addingham suspension bridge

However, in 1936 disaster struck as the original bridge was washed away by floods and the current bridge was built to replace it.  The bridge is of an unusual design as its span is much greater than the river itself, presumably to prevent it from being washed away again.

Addingham Suspension Bridge
Crossing the suspension bridge

Nowadays the bridge is used mainly by people out for a stroll, dog walkers and to access the beach on the far bank of the river.  I would imagine that most of the parishioners in Beamsley now have cars and don’t need to walk two miles across fields to go to church.

Addingham countryside
Peaceful countryside walk between the fields

After crossing the footbridge we followed a path along the edge of a field.  Wharfedale is a delightful part of Yorkshire and as we walked along we enjoyed northerly views across to Beamsley Beacon.

Cycling on the Ilkley to Bolton Abbey road
Cyclists taking advantage of the quiet back roads

Continuing, we crossed a small stream which joined a narrow track between two dry stone walls that eventually brought us to a minor road by a sharp bend.  This old road links Ilkley with the beauty spot of Bolton Abbey and as few cars use it, is popular with cyclists.

Stone cottage Addingham
Farmhouse with stile access

Rather than continue further in this direction, we retraced our steps back to the river pausing to admire an attractive farmhouse that had its own stone stile access to the public footpath.

Addingham suspension bridge
Addingham suspension bridge

We returned to the other side of the river via the suspension bridge and then turned to the right following the river upstream joining a small section of the Dales Way footpath.  It’s a lovely section of the river with stunning views and is ideal on a warm day as the path is mostly shaded by overhanging trees.  The aroma of wild garlic filled the air and everything looked so lush and green after a week of constant rain.  Fortunately though, the paths were quite dry and we only needed to step around the occasional muddy puddle.

Olicana Park Addingham luxury cabins
Olicana Park luxury cabins

It wasn’t too long before we arrived at Olicana Park which comprises luxury alpine style cabins, traditional stone cottages and static caravans all for holiday rental.  The entire site is located in a tranquil spot with its own private beach.

Olicana Park Addingham
Access to the private riverside beach

It was such a pity that due to the ongoing lockdown restrictions it was closed otherwise we would have called into their Hamilton’s Cafe/ Bistro overlooking the river for tea and cakes.  We were unaware of Olicana Park’s existence before but will definitely be returning once things are up and running again as it looks absolutely lovely.

Hamilton's Cafe/Bistro, Olicana Park, Addingham
Hamilton’s Cafe/ Bistro, Olicana Park

Sadly being unable to partake in afternoon tea we wandered on a little further before heading up High Mill Lane towards the village centre.  Along the slightly busier B6160 we spotted an old milestone tucked under a hedge on a narrow grass verge.  I’m a real fan of these old way markers and it is so pleasing to see them restored and freshly painted.

Milestone marker, Addingham
Milestone marker in the village

Not only does this road boast a milestone but also a ‘Ducks Crossing’ road sign warning motorists to be on the lookout for pedestrians with webbed feet who might be crossing the road.

Ducks Crossing sign, Addingham
Ducks Crossing sign in the village

A wander through the village centre followed, its old stone cottages looking at their best with doorways adorned with rambling roses and neat gardens ablaze with colour.

Stone cottages, Addingham
Attractive stone cottages

We spotted an old traditional red phone box which since taken out of use has been adopted by Addingham Civic Society as a village information point.  It’s now equipped with shelves and normally contains leaflets on local activities, events, clubs and societies but was cordoned off when we passed due to the pandemic.

Addingham Information Point Telephone Kiosk
Addingham re-purposed phone box

Our afternoon stroll then looped back onto North Street which meets with Bark Lane where we had left the car.  Despite all cafes and pubs being closed there was the welcome appearance of an ice cream van parked along the road.

Farmhouse Ice Cream Van, Addingham
Ice cream – perfect on a hot day

Our gentle stroll had been very pleasant and one I’d happily recommend if you are visiting the area.  To access Addingham by public transport take either the X84 between Leeds and Skipton or the 62 service that operates between Ilkley and Keighley.

If you have enjoyed reading this post you may also like:

Bolton Abbey, Wharfedale – a winter break

A Walk on Ilkley Moor

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74 thoughts on “A walk around Addingham”

  1. It’s a nice part of the world – I see that Bolton Abbey’s open again (although you have to park in one car park and not move your car!) so I might head over that way soon 🙂 . Assuming nothing else happens!

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    1. Bolton Abbey is one of my favourite places for a walk. I don’t think it would matter too much which car park you are in although we’ve always parked along the river by the Pavilion but that was before these rules came in to effect. If it’s busy you could just drive on three mikes to Addingham and walk along the Wharfe there. Enjoy the good weather and thanks for your much appreciated thoughts.

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      1. Linda Robinson

        I live in the village of Addingham so I was delighted to read your excellent review. We have a very thriving civic society my husband has been chairman for some time so he was happy to see the telephone kiosk and marker posts both of which he painted, featuring in your report. I have since read all of your other reviews which Ioved so thank you so much for sharing your travels.

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  6. I love these strolls here in the UK. Since lockdown, I have seen so much of the countryside and hikes and walks and it is so peaceful and pretty. Sadly Yorkshire is a bit far away, but maybe I will be stopping there in the future at some point. We always take some food and drinks with us when we go for a walk or hike. The other day we got lost and the walk took an extra 1.5 hours!

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    1. It’s good that you are also enjoying walks out in the countryside. I’m sure it’s attractive where you’ve been walking too but try and visit the northern part of Yorkshire sometime as to gorgeous. Thanks for commenting Anna.

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  8. Addingham looks fabulous, not heard of it before so must try and remember the name. That suspension bridge is great and the luxury lodges look so good although I assume the price may be luxurious too. Such a shame coffee shops aren’t yet properly open isn’t it, I think they are the places we miss the most at the moment.

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    1. Wharfedale is yet another lovely part of the country. Perhaps you’ll manage to get to Housesit in these parts one day! Last night we ventured out to our local pub for our evening meal and a drink. I’ll never take little things like that for granted any more , we were so happy to be eating out at last.

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        1. I hope so, the pub was fairly quiet but hopefully people will gradually start gaining confidence and return. Our high street has certainly been busier since cafes opened. Just wish the weather would improve, so dreary for July. Is it the same down in Devon?

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    1. Thanks Sue, it’s a very pretty village. I wouldn’t mind tackling the full trail as long as the forecast was good and I had a series of country inns and cosy B & Bs booked ahead as I’m not a camping sort of person! Last night we ate out at our local pub and loved it, I actually felt a little emotional realising that life was slowly returning to normal. How we’ll never take simple things for granted again! Just wish this rain would go away, every day for about two weeks now it’s been dreary. That’s an English summer for you.

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    1. Thanks Alison it was such a lovely afternoon out and hopefully we will return there for lunch soon. Yesterday I went to the hairdressers for the first time since 12th February and then last night we ate out in our local pub. Just little things that we usually take for granted but one’s I appreciated so much – first steps to normality!

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      1. Very nice, yes it does make you appreciate small things more
        My hairdresser didn’t close at all here in Perth although I did put off going till I couldnt stand it anymore
        We have been so lucky here but we are prisoners so to speak 😆 and still no end in sight

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words John, you made my day with your positive thoughts. I use a Lumix TZ80 camera that I’ve had for three or four years. I’m really happy with it as it’s easy to use and compact enough to carry round in my handbag. Marion

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  13. That was a great blog. Years ago a friend of ours moved into the area and I’ve been a couple of times since. As you said, it’s a great base for walking. Or just sitting by the river!
    It’s a long time since we went. A return is long overdue!

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  14. Thanks for sharing a little slice of Yorkshire 🙂 I bypassed Addingham on a walk a few years ago – I did a chunk of the Dales Way from Ilkley to Bolton Abbey (and back!). I’d love to go back and do more of the Dales Way when things return to normal. Venturing beyond East Anglia is a bit tricky at the moment without a car!

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    1. Hi Rosie, Thanks for your lovely comments. I’m also tempted to do more of the Dales Way too as I’ve completed the same part as you, actually less as we just walked from Bolton Abbey to Ilkley! Hopefully it won’t be too long before we can all start travelling by train again. East Anglia is so nice too, somewhere I’d love to return and explore more of!

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  19. Such bright sunny photos it’s too cold lately in South Africa. I find it very unusual when the river side is called a beach since I’n from Cape Town. For a moment I was wonder huh what beach haha. Wonderful post!

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    1. I’d quite like to do the full walk just as long as I’d pre-arranged some cosy places to stay along the way. Long distance walks are so weather dependent aren’t they. One week it could be ideal and the next wet and windy! Hope you’ve had a nice weekend. M x

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  22. I’m always looking for places our youngsters can escape to from Leeds City Centre, Marion, and this looks a nice little spot. I’m sure we’ve had a wander in the village at some point. 🙂 🙂 Glad to see you still getting out and about.

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    1. So nice to hear from you Jo. Yes, we’re still getting out and about and taking trips in the car now when the weather is nice. It’s a lovely stretch of the Wharfe in Addingham and I’m sure your grandchildren would enjoy a paddle in the river. Hope things are getting back to a near normal for you in the Algarve and it won’t be too long before you can be re-united with your family again. You must be really missing them as nothing replaces a hug, does it! Marion x

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