Strid Wood bursting with autumn colour

Every journey begins with a single step, so the saying goes. The act of planting one foot in front of the other to start moving isn’t complicated. It doesn’t come with any rules. There’s no right or wrong way and you can be as quick or as slow as you like. Walking is one of simplest pastimes you can get into.

So, where’s the problem? If we’re completely honest with ourselves it’s probably us thinking we don’t have the time or worse still thinking it’s time not well spent if we’ve got something more important to do. The way we live these days, it’s a trap we can all fall into. But would you still feel the same if you had to make time for your well-being?

A timely reminder

World Mental Health Day this month is a timely reminder to us all that our health should never be taken for granted and we all deserve a little time to switch off and recharge. So, make it a mission of yours to begin a new journey that declutters the mind, literally takes you away from the busyness of modern day life and connects you with nature.

To help you, try this little exercise. Imagine you’re in the middle of a wood. All around you are trees displaying a kaleidoscope of autumnal colours – reds, oranges, yellows and browns. Shafts of light then stream down through the canopy reaching the ground and as they do, you feel the warmth of the sun on your face.

Now that’s sight a sore eyes! Bolton Abbey poking through the unmistakeable autumnal landscape

Only this isn’t something we’ve made up. This is real and you can find your place of sanctuary or tranquillity right here at Bolton Abbey.

Your first step

We’ve got around 85 miles of paths for you to find your way around. And while that’s obviously a bit too much to digest all at once, as your first step why not try something that won’t make you feel too guilty about the amount of time you’re going to spend?

Bolton Abbey has several trails you can embark on and they all vary in time and length. If you’re new to this place, don’t worry. You’ll get a visitor leaflet with a map when you arrive and our trails are clearly signposted, so no excuses! But if you’re looking for a circular walk that’s relatively short, then we can recommend one part of the estate that really brings out the best in autumn.

Strid Wood is an area that runs up both sides of the River Wharfe, capturing some truly breathtaking scenery.

Nature’s revolving door

Here, you’ll encounter a mixture of young and mature trees from Beeches and Oaks to Sycamores and Elms. In fact some of them have lived to a ripe old age and been around for up to 300 years. And while it might be a time of year when these trees begin to shed their leaves as the temperature drops, autumn also sees a very different and less conspicuous living organism flourish.

One of nature’s recyclers, fungi or toadstools as most people would know them just seem to turn up as if by magic, appearing in all kinds of places around the roots of trees, decaying leaves, bark and twigs.

With something like 15,000 species in the UK alone, we’re not going to name them all here. But keep your eyes peeled, because they can be pretty elusive and who knows you might find some hidden gems.

The Fly Agaric is probably the one we recognise the most from fairy tales, with their red domes and white speckled dots. But also look out for the ones that wouldn’t look out of place in a horror film and pretty much describe how they look, like the Candlesnuff Fungus, or the Jelly Ear or what about Dead Man’s Fingers!

Hardly flattering we know, maybe that’s just as well. They might be delicate, but many are poisonous so please don’t touch them. They’re a vital piece of our ecosystem and without them many plants just wouldn’t survive, threatening our own existence.

Strid Wood is one of most popular spots here at Bolton Abbey 

The Fly Agaric, probably the one toadstool we’re all familiar with from our childhood

A boiling cauldron

Along with the trees and the fungi, one abiding memory you’ll have after your visit is the stretch of water known as the Strid. Seen as something remarkably beautiful but far too dangerous to get anywhere near, the river narrows here considerably forcing through phenomenal amounts of water. And even though it can sometimes look so gentle and benign when the river’s low, don’t let that fool you because beneath the surface it’s a boiling cauldron of strong underwater currents that show no mercy.

Some of the birds that stay during the summer may have already migrated, but there’s every chance our local residents such as the Mallard, maybe even a Dipper or a Grey Wagtail will make an appearance.

Others like the Song Thrush, Kingfisher, Tawny Owl, Yellow Hammer and Great Spotted Woodpecker also make up some of the 40 species that live here all year round. And don’t think on these warmer days the butterflies aren’t around either. The Red Admiral may hang around long enough before migrating, while the Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock may still be pretty busy making sure they have enough food for the winter and finding a cosy place that’ll keep our the cold.

The Great Spotted Woodpecker, one of our many residents during the autumn here at Bolton Abbey

The Strid unleashes vast amounts of water especially when the river’s flooded as it is here

One for you romantics

Whether you’re walking up or down the river, you’ll come across a number of spots where you can rest and relax. One of them inspired the master of romanticism himself William Turner to produce one of his well-known sketches. This spot known as Pembroke Seat shows Barden Tower in the distance through a clearance in the overhanging trees which would be wonderful to see at this time of year, especially against a blue skyline.

It’s not too far from The Strid walking on the left hand upstream. But just remember to take the trail that veers away from the river, and while there’s something of a short climb, the view is a spectacular one. In fact, to get more of a panoramic view, choose the red and blue trails up the left bank. Please use our map to guide you.

While these trails are well maintained throughout the year by our fantastic grounds maintenance team you need to know they’re are steeper and narrower than the riverside walk, making them less accessible for anyone with mobility issues.

Completing the first leg

Once you pass this point, you’ll eventually walk back down to the river’s edge and come across an aqueduct. Here you can cross the river and head back on the other bank. This ornate bridge was built to hide the pipe that carries water from Nidderdale to supply the cities of West Yorkshire.

But if you’d rather carry on, continue past the aqueduct until you get to Barden Bridge which is just another half a mile of so upstream to complete the first leg of your walk. About two and a half miles in total from your starting point at the Cavendish Pavilion, it’s a walk that’ll take you little more than an hour.

Easy to see why the artist Turner would have picked this spot for one of his sketches on the Bolton Abbey estate

For many visitors arriving at Bolton Abbey, The Cavendish Pavilion would be the ideal starting point for a walk through Strid Wood

Here’s your first chance to stand over the river and take some pics. Notice the distinct contrast between the green fields you can see on the left looking downstream and the wooded area you’ve just walked through on your right.

Making your way now back towards the Cavendish Pavilion and on the home straight so to speak you’ll walk along the edge of the river. The Wharfe is a spate river, meaning it can rise and fall quickly depending on any rainfall further up the valley. And while this is natural and beautiful, as you’ll have seen at The Strid, it also makes the river very dangerous and unpredictable too.

Very close to Barden Bridge, you’re now at the half way point of your walk. Time to cross the river and head back down through the open green fields on the opposite bank.

Time to reflect

Going beyond the aqueduct, you’ll discover how the walk changes from a relatively flat landscape by the river through open fields, to one that begins to climb up and away from the river bank through Strid Wood once again. But, just like the steeper trails on the other bank walking up, you’re never too far away from the river and you’ll still have plenty of opportunities to stop at various resting spots.

And that’s all there is to it! Back to where you started at the Cavendish Pavilion and in the space of around two and a half hours. Just by taking that first step, look at what you’ve achieved and reflect on the time you’ve spent, knowing you’ve been taking care of what actually matters most…your health.

To find out more how you can spend your time here including some of our upcoming events, please go to our website: https://boltonabbey.com/

It needn’t be as grand as this but now that you’ve reached the end of your autumnal walk at Bolton Abbey,  go and treat yourself. You deserve it!