The Roberts Family

Easy Walks In And Around Skipton
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Skipton is a vibrant market town on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. As a walking centre it caters for all abilities and tastes. For the fit and keen, some of the UK's best waking country is within easy reach. But these walks can be demanding. Our intention here is to describe some more accessible walks.

Skipton is a nice place to be. There are many pubs, restaurants and shops. And best of all, for walkers, public transport is excellent. There are plenty of trains, buses and taxis. I like to get a bus out of town, then walk back in.

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I have just a handful of simple walks for now. I hope to add more as the months pass.

(I have recently added a 'current location indicator' to my OS map pages. Regerettably, it is only as accurate as the geo-location service of the phone it's running on. And on my iPhone it is not always as accurate as I would like. So use with caution.)


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Up 'n' Over: (3.6 miles, circular. Along the canal, through the park, up hill through a housing estate, then back through Skipton Castle Woods.)

This is our default walk. We do this this any day we are not doing anything different.

From the canal junction we walk up the canal in the Liverpool direction, then through Aireville Park. From the park it's up hill through a housing estate in order to get to the top end of Skipton Castle Woods.

The woods are a secret delight and a Skipton 'must see'. We walk the length of them - a little muddy in places - then back into town down the Springs Branch canal.

This takes us an hour and a quarter.


Skipton To Addingham: (6.3 miles, one-way. Uphill on to Skipton Moor, then along the Dales High Way 'Roman Road' bridle path to Addingham. Excellent views. Potentially muddy,)

A more demanding walk.

An easy but long climb up on to the 'shoulder' of Skipton Moor then along the Dales High Way 'Roman Road' bridle path to Addingham.

Excellent views over to Embsay Moor and beyond because you are high up. Always a bit of mud, but potentially very muddy after lots of rain.

Takes around 2 hours 45 minutes. Bus back to Skipton.


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Canal towpath - in the Leeds direction.
Choose how far you want to walk.

We have now walked all of the towpath between Skipton and Leeds - over several days, of course! With the noted exception, the towpath is in good condition all the way.

Obvious staging posts are Kildwick, Bingley and Saltaire.

We like to walk one way and get bus or train the other. The excellent public transport make this easy to do.


Canal towpath - in the Liverpool direction.
Choose how far you want to walk.

So far, we have walked as far as the Foulridge Tunnel - not in one go, though! The towpath is in good condition throughout.

Obvious staging posts are Gargrave, Barnoldswick and Foulridge.

We like to walk one way and get bus or train the other. The excellent public transport make this easy to do.