Six Dales Trail: Swinsty to Heyshaw

On Sunday 18th July we took on the second leg of the Six Dales Trail, a 6-7 mile day trip through the beautiful Washburn Valley between Swinsty and Heyshaw. Our walking group was made up of volunteers Andy, Loz and Christine and Open Country members Paul, Allen, Roberta, Daniel, Charlotte, Dave and Karl. Sam from Open Country took the same walking group out on the first leg of the trail from Otley to Swinsty Reservoir on Sunday 4th July.

Open Country Walking group on the Six Dales Trail

The Six Dales Trail is a classic ‘up hill and down dale’ walk with excellent views over Nidderdale. The countryside was thriving with wildlife too and we saw lots of Curlews and Lap Wings. We took a lunch break at Thruscross Dam and spent some time watching the canoeists practising below the sluice gates of the dam.

There were some very poorly maintained styles along the route, some blocked with tyres and other rubbish, especially on the approach to Heyshaw which made for an adventurous descent. Thankfully we had help from our volunteers to overcome any access difficulties for our members.

Our pleasant Sunday walk into the countryside wasn’t particularly eventful, but it was a day trip that most would take for granted. By helping people with disabilities to access the countryside on day trips like these, we give our members a sense of independence, improve their quality of life and have lots of fun along the way.

You can look at photos of our Six Dales Trail walks on our Facebook fan page photo album.

Do you want to join us for a lovely walk into the countryside?

We plan to do the full six dales over the course of the summer, running into October, if you want to join in the fun, you can find out more on our events calendar or contact us.