Hetton to Winterburn Reservoir  

Starting point  and OS Grid reference: Hetton Village (SD 926589) – on street parking.		Ordnance Survey Map OL2 Yorkshire Dales – Southern and Western area. Buy this map from List of OS Maps Commission from map sales is used to fund the website, so keeping it free to use.
Distance: 8 miles	Date of Walk: 23 November 2012
Ascent: Descent: See Walking Time Calculator	888ft (271m) 891ft (272m)
Traffic light rating:    (For explanation see My Walks page)
For advice on .gpx files see My Walks page	Click the PDF logo above to give a printable version of this walk without the photos.

To view route as a dynamic Ordnance Survey map click here.

Introduction: This easy 8 mile walk from Hetton starts off following Hetton and Flasby Becks to the tiny hamlet of Flasby, then curves round to follow Winterburn Beck and Winterburn Reservoir before returning to Hetton.

Hetton is a pretty Yorkshire Dales village whose main claim to fame is probably the Angel Inn, from where the walk starts. This pub is renowned for its quality food.

To get to Hetton, either turn north off the A65 in Gargrave or west off the B6265 Skipton to Grassington road at Rylstone (of Calendar Girls fame).

Parking at Hetton is on street.

Start: With your back to the Angel Inn, turn right and walk along its main street. At the road junction, take the left fork, following the road sign for Gargrave and Settle. Just after passing the national speed limit sign on the outskirts of the village, take the footpath across the fields off to the left indicated by a fingerpost to Flasby (SD 960586). Follow the direction of the arrow across a couple of fields until you reach the beck and turn right.

The route of the path is fairly clear and it more or less follows the beck to the outskirts of Flasby. Here just in front of a farm, go through a gate on to a tarmac lane and turn right (SD 947566). Follow this lane as it bends right behind the farm and at the road junction, go straight across and follow the footpath sign next to Flasby Top Cottage for “Winterburn 1½ miles”.

The path starts off to the right of the field wall. After about 100 yards, look out for a short length of wall on the right and shortly after this, the footpath switches to the left hand side of the wall.

The path goes over a gated stile into a large field where there is a wood over to the left. Head for the top right hand corner of this field. At the corner (SD 940577), stay in the same field but turn left to follow the fingerpost for Friars Head. At the field corner, go through the gateway then bear off right at 45° and head for the far corner of the next field. Turn left here and follow the wall to the road (SD 932576). Turn right here.

Follow the road for ¾ mile to Winterburn Hall, ignoring the road junction to the left over a bridge to Airton and Malham. At Winterburn Hall (about 150 yards after the road to Airton/Malham), turn left along the no through road, by the “Winterburn” sign (SD 935586).

This is the access road to the reservoir and you follow this to the dam passing through the grounds of Winterburn Wood farm, following the fingerpost for “Waygill 1 mile”.

Stay on the access road until you reach the drive to High Cow House. Here, turn right to cross a stone stile             (SD 944608). A notice tells you that the footpath was legally diverted in 1990. The path leads to the reservoir water’s edge where you turn left to follow the shore.

After passing through a walkers’ gate by some trees, there is a very handy bench for lunch up the short hill on the left.

Follow the water’s edge footpath and at the end of the reservoir, turn right over the bridge and follow the footpath up the hill. At the top, go through the gate straight ahead and follow the walled, broad bridleway south east back to Hetton. Ignore any tracks off.

At the road, turn right to return to your starting point.

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All information on this site is given in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of any damage, loss or injury which might result from acting on it.