Bolton Abbey, just at the foot of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, is one of the most atmospheric places I have ever visited. We love visiting in summer and my husband and I had one of our first dates here! I am sure our little one will cringe over that in years to come every time we drag him back!
This summer we took him on our favourite and very easy walk. The day was a far from perfect Yorkshire summer's day - overcoats and wellies at the ready! We always park in the village at the first marked car park. It is £6 per vehicle to park all day. This ticket allows you to park in the Strid car park and Cavandish Pavilion, although we always manage to walk to these places. You are given a map upon entering the car park which is fine for following the footpaths.
The Abbey is really popular and is just a gorgeous setting. The river winds it's way through the valley with adventurous stepping stones or a bridge to cross. On our most recent visit we took our pushchair and found that the paths were fairly easy to navigate, if a little steep in places! (Cue discussions over who gets to push up hill!) I think we only had to lift it up steps in one or two places, but I'm sure if we had looked harder there would have been ways around this. We followed the path over the river and through the woodlands to Cavandish Pavilion. For some reason I am really squeamish about the trees that have had coins stuck into them. To me they look like scales so I always walk past with my eyes shut (wimp!) At Cavandish Pavilion there is a cafe, gift shop and toilets (including baby change). The path continues up into Woodland, which is fantastic in spring and summer; lots of birds to see and bluebells in the woods. This path is signposted to the Strid. I remember the Strid from when I was little - my younger sister described it as a 'beer stream' because if its colour and the froth that accumulates through the rapids. I also remember hiding in hollow trees with my brother - it's a great place for kids!
The sheer magnitude of the Strid is impressive. The path gets a little rocky beyond the Strid, but we managed to lift the pushchair over the worst bits and followed the path on along the river side. All in all, we did an 8 mile circular walk. Our legs felt it the next day, but it is always worth it. Stunning scenery, plenty of places for picnics and a rare opportunity to bbq by the side of the river (at Cavandish Pavilion) A fantastic family day out.
www.boltonabbey.com
