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This Bolton Abbey circular walk includes the Bolton Abbey Priory Church, the Priory ruins, the Strid, and a beautiful walk alongside the River Wharfe. There are plenty of places to stop for refreshments along the way.
Today's walk is a circular walk from Bolton Abbey in the Yorkshire Dales. Before we start, let's have a look at what we will be walking past today.
We have a look around the Priory Church, and the Augustinian Priory ruins by the river Wharfe, where you can take as much time as you wish to look around the Bolton Abbey Priory ruins and inside the Priory church itself, before moving on to pass by the Cavendish Memorial. We then head on beside the River Wharfe, which is followed for most of today's walk, first upstream and then back down the other side.
After walking through the very large Riverside Car Park, we arrive at the Cavendish Pavilion, where you can stop for refreshments. Opposite the Cavendish Pavilion is the Cavendish Bridge. Besides the pavilion, there is also a shop and toilets here. We head along through the beautiful Strid wood, filled most of the year with birdsong, as we head alongside the River Wharfe.
We soon arrive at the Strid. The Strid at Bolton Abbey is a narrow and dramatic stretch of the River Wharfe, renowned for its beauty but feared for its hidden dangers of strong currents underneath.
After continuing on alongside the River Wharfe, we reached the Aqueduct Bridge, which was built around 1790 and originally formed part of an aqueduct supplying water to Bolton Hall. and nearby buildings. You can see the onward path to Barden Bridge and the return path back to the Aqueduct Bridge. We cross over Barden Bridge and then head back down the other side of the river to follow the riverside path.
We head back past the Aqueduct Bridge and then on through Strid Wood on the path that keeps just above the River Wharfe. Every so often, the path heads back down to the side of the river. Continuing along the path, we soon reach a money tree.
After that, we soon arrive at the stepping stones across the River Wharfe. But as they are mainly underwater today, we cross the river by the wooden bridge.
With one last look across to the priory ruins and then across the River Wharfe. We head back to the Bolton Abbey car park. Stay watching until the end so you can see where to eat and drink, either before, during or after your walk. Back at the start, this large Bolton Abbey car park is the first of four car parks that will be encountered on today's walk.
The others are the Riverside car park, the Strid car park and the Barden Field car park. The Barden Field car park is only open on weekends and bank holidays from April to August. There is a charge per car to park in any of the car parks, but all of the proceeds from the car parks are reinvested in the estate to help maintain and preserve Bolton Abbey.
Most of the fees are reinvested in footpath repairs and maintenance, visitor safety, litter collection and recycling, along with toilet cleaning and maintenance. Subject to space being available, you can move your car from one car park to another. You can book and pay for the car park online, and it's cheaper to book and pay for the car park more than one day in advance.
As this is a circular walk, you can use any of the car parks, and as you will see with bridges across the River Wharfe, you can create many shorter versions of this walk. Some of which are suitable for wheelchairs and prams. We leave the Bolton Abbey car park between the visitor shop and the Bolton Abbey information boards. The 'What's on 2024 guide', I presume, will be updated soon, as it's March 2025 now.
You can see from the board the various colour-coded walks from Bolton Abbey around the Priory up to the Cavendish Cafe alongside the River Wharfe and on up to the Strid and beyond. The final board shows what you can see, including the River Wharfe, the stepping stones and the Priory, all of which we will pass on today's walk.
On the other side of the village shop, should you need them, there are some toilets. We follow the Priory church and ruins sign out to the right and just head along the pavement. We walk along to the village green, where we will find the Tea Cottage and Tea on the Green cafes. More on them and other places where you can eat and drink later in the walk.
Cross over the road and then turn left to head along the pavement. If you look through the hole in the wall on the right, you can see some steps and in the distance, the priory ruins. We will use these steps towards the end of the walk.
But for now, just continue along the pavement until you reach the next wall gap. Here we turn right down the driveway towards the Priory Church and ruins. As the drive splits, take the right-hand fork.
Over to the right. You can catch glimpses of the early morning sun reflecting off the River Wharfe. We just keep straight on the along the road until we reach the priory at Bolton Abbey.
We are eventually going to continue the walk by heading straight down the road ahead. But before we do, we'll have a look around the Priory church and ruins. Many people call this building Bolton Abbey, whereas this is actually the Priory church on the left, which is still in use today, and the ruins of an Augustinian priory on the right.
Bolton Abbey is the name of the village itself. Bolton Priory, nestled in the Dales, has a history stretching back to 1154, when it was founded by Augustinian monks under the patronage of Lady Alice De Rumilly. For centuries, it was a place of devotion and learning, but the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539 left it in ruins and stripped it of its assets and wealth.
However, thanks to Prior Moone, the nave of the priory church was saved. He successfully negotiated with Thomas Cromwell's commissioners to keep it as a place of worship for the local community, ensuring that religious services continued uninterrupted to this day. It is one of the few places where worship has continued uninterrupted since medieval times. Whilst much of the monastery fell into decay, the church still thrived, blending its medieval grandeur with the warmth of a parish church.
The ruins, with their weathered arches and crumbling walls, stand as a reminder of a lost monastic world. The site has long captured the imagination of poets and artists, including William Wordsworth, who found inspiration in its beauty. One of the most famous legends tied to the priory is that of the boy of Egremont. Young William de Romilly, son of the priory's benefactress, drowned in the treacherous Strid, a narrow stretch of the River Wharfe that we will pass later on.
His grieving mother, Alice, gifted more land to the priory in his memory. The Strid remains a dangerous spot, and the story still serves as a warning to visitors who walk the riverbanks. Adding to the Priory's mystique is the tale of a ghostly monk said to wander the ruins at dusk. According to legend, a monk who broke his vows and fell in love was caught and sentenced to a lifetime of penance.
His tormented spirit is still believed to haunt the ruins, appearing near the Old Chapter House. Many have reported eerie whispers and an unsettling presence in the fading light. But the drama, history, legend, or the haunting beauty of the setting. Visitors to Bolton Priory find themselves immersed in a place where the past lingers at every turn.
The Priory Ruins and the Bolton Abbey estate have long inspired artists and writers, with J.M.W. Turner and Edward Landseer capturing their beauty in renowned paintings. William Wordsworth's poem The White Doe of Rylstone was influenced by his visit, while the Bronte sisters are believed to have toured the site during Landseer's stay. Charlotte Bronte later exhibited a drawing of the Abbey.
The site has also appeared in films and TV, including The Sporting Life in 1963 and the BBC's Gunpowder in 2017, showcasing its lasting cultural significance. Opposite the Priory is a plaque showing how Bolton Priory looks now and before the dissolution.
We are now looking at the front of the Priory Church, and from the signs, you can see that you're welcome to go in and have a look around. From the Priory Church door, walk along the slowly rising track away from the Priory.
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Pass through the wooden gate, and then continue along the pavement by the side of the wooden fence. As you approach the Memorial Fountain, take time to look back from this elevated view over the River Wharfe to the ruins of the priory.
The Cavendish Memorial Fountain is a drinking fountain built as a memorial to Lord Frederick Cavendish, who, after just being appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland, was murdered by the Irish National Invincibles in 1882. This memorial fountain was erected in 1886.
Just past the Memorial Fountain, the footpath splits. We take the right-hand fork here to head down the steps. If you look just ahead on the road, you can see the entrance on the right to the Riverside car park.
At the bottom of the steps, pass through a wooden gate and head along the path that stretches out ahead in the direction of the River Wharfe. If you are new to walking, check out our Walking Essentials and other kit guides, the links for which are below. Besides gear guides, we also have many useful blogs on our website.
Upon meeting the fence just before reaching the River Wharfe, pass through the wooden kissing gate, and head along the wide gravelled riverside path.
The path passes through the very large Riverside car park. There are various picnic areas alongside the Riverside car park, and as you can see from the flat paths, they have disabled access.
You will see shortly the far end of the car park. The car park also has a large cafe, toilets, ice cream and a gift shop. This walk is great in winter when you can see more with the leaves off the trees. But my favourite time to do it is in late spring when many plants have burst into bloom and the woods come alive with birdsong.
As you approach the end of the Riverside car park, you can see the Cavendish Bridge over the River Wharfe and the Cavendish Pavilion ahead.
Pass through either of the gates to reach the Cavendish Pavilion. The Cavendish Pavilion is an ideal spot for refreshments or a bite to eat during your walk or visit, offering delightful riverside views and an idyllic setting. It is quiet now, but it can get very busy, and as you can see, they have a one-way system that they operate through the cafe.
Whether walking and exploring the grounds or simply coming in here to relax, it is a charming place to pause and soak up the scenery. Fresh sandwiches and homemade cakes are prepared daily on site, providing tasty options after a stroll along the River Wharfe. It's easily accessible and it's just a short stroll from the Riverside car park. There's outdoor seating perfect for enjoying sunny days, surrounded by nature.
Opposite the Cavendish Pavilion is another sign showing you the layout where you are and highlights the various walks, points of interest and car parks available. The next board will give you more information about the Strid, which we will pass by shortly.
And then the final board tells you what to look out for in winter and the What's On guide for last year. We will just have a quick look at the view from the bridge. You can use these bridges that we pass to cut your work short or create shorter, flatter loops if you want, as the walk is a circular one up and down the River Wharfe.
We are following the sign here for the Strid Wood Nature Trail. Next to the Cavendish Pavilion, there are some toilets and a shop. Talking about shops. If you buy anything online from Amazon or outdoor retailers like Go Outdoors, Cotswold Outdoor, Ordnance Survey, Ellis Brigham, etc., please click through to those websites using the links in our description below. It doesn't cost you any more for whatever you buy, but we do earn a small commission, which helps fund our Walks4all YouTube channel and website.
We walk on, along the wide gravel path, and as you can see, there are some substantial, well-made seats along this walk from time to time, the names of which are on a further information sign near the Strid Wood car park. As the path splits, we follow the green arrow along the flatter, broader path at the first fork. By examining the trail maps on the signs, we can see where these alternative paths lead to and you can go and explore diversions deeper into the woods if you wish.
Shortly afterwards, another path with the purple arrow, this time, diverts down to the right. This path goes along the riverbank of the Wharfe and meets us a little further on, but it is not disabled or pram-friendly. We just continue straight ahead. As I mentioned before, at this time of year, whilst there is a general lack of birdsong, you do get good views down to the River Wharfe with the leaves off the trees.
At the next path junction, ignore the left-hand path, which is heading slightly uphill with the blue and red arrows, and just follow the path straight on, which is heading slowly downhill. At this path junction, the purple path that left a short time ago also rejoins us via the steps from the right.
After a while, we pass by a 'money bench' by the side of the water. Shortly before we reach the Strid, another information board sets out the names of the various seats, points of interest, and different walking trails. The green trail that we have been following since the Cavendish Pavilion, the yellow Cumberland Trail, which starts in the Strid car park, the blue trail that we saw a sign for off the Green Trail, and the Orange Trail, which again started at the Cavendish Pavilion.
The purple trail that we passed earlier, which headed down to the riverbank from the Green Trail, and finally, the red trail that we again saw leaving the Green Trail. The choice is yours. Just after the information board, you can see signs of the end of the Strid, with the water moving a little faster.
Continue on for a few more metres to reach the viewing point for the Strid. Note the danger sign on the tree, as the Strid, sadly, has claimed lives in the past. You need to be aware of slippery rocks, especially on days like today when ice is around. The water here is reasonably calm today, but I've seen it running through much higher and faster. The Strid at Bolton Abbey is a narrow and dramatic stretch of the River Wharfe, renowned for its beauty but feared for its hidden dangers.
Over thousands of years, the swirling action of small stones caught in hollows, eroded the softer limestone beneath, creating potholes that eventually joined to form a deep, churning chasm. Today, the river rushes through this narrow gap with astonishing force, hiding deadly undercurrents beneath its deceptively calm surface. Visitors often underestimate its dangers, but the Strid has claimed several lives over the centuries, giving it a fearsome reputation.
Its captivating yet perilous nature has inspired numerous artists and writers, particularly in William Wordsworth's poem The Force of Prayer, which recounts the tragic tale of the young boy of Egremont. It has also appeared in travel, literature and local folklore collections, underscoring its charm and menace. Victorian artists regularly portrayed the Strid, capturing its wild beauty on canvas and enhancing its reputation of one of Yorkshire's most striking natural landmarks.
Back at the viewpoint, head back onto the path and turn right, continuing on in the same direction. About 20 yards further on, at some fencing, you can continue on the left-hand fork, which is flatter, wider and easier to walk on. Alternatively, you can follow the fence around to the right, which we will do today. Both paths again join back together a little further on.
This path is rougher, but in winter it affords better views down to the River Wharfe. As the path gets rougher underfoot, there is some fencing to the right of the path, as there is a steep drop-off. At the end of the fencing, the path rejoins the other path.
Continue along the gravel path with the wall over to the left. As we meet another fork in the path, the green path splits. You can take the left-hand path if you want to visit the Strid Wood Tearooms and car park, or the right-hand path heads onto Barden Bridge. We will take the right-hand path here, but as you will see shortly, the paths can be taken as they meet up again further on.
As I was heading down the section of path, I met some of the Path Maintenance team who said the path ahead was closed for maintenance. A little further on, at another fork in the path, you can see where the path was closed. If you are doing this walk, just carry straight on here. As we can't do today, I'll show you a detour which comes out about 100 yards further down this path had we been allowed to walk down it.
So back to the last fork in the path. We'll take the left-hand fork towards the Strid Wood Tearooms and Car Park this time. Then, after a few yards, take the left-hand fork...the right-hand fork here simply heads down to where the path was closed. On this path, you pass by another seat with a view, this time looking down onto the River Wharfe.
Continue on past the fence and buildings on your left, and you soon reach a junction of paths. Straight on here, you can visit the Strid tearooms or get back to the Strid car park if that's where you parked. We will ignore that, though, and head down the wide gravel path to the right, signed towards Barden Bridge.
The path heads back down to the River Wharfe. Upon meeting the River Wharfe, we will turn left in a moment. But first, if you look to the right, you can see another closed path barrier. If you could walk along the path here after about 100 metres, you would meet the path closed barrier where we started this detour. So you've only missed a short section of the walk.
We head along the riverside path to follow the river upstream, following the Barden Bridge footpath sign. Cross over the wooden bridge and continue along the side of the River Wharfe.
The next bridge is called the Aqueduct Bridge. The Aqueduct Bridge at Bolton Abbey is an elegant stone structure crossing the River Wharfe, built around 1790. The bridge originally formed part of an aqueduct supplying water to Bolton Hall and nearby buildings. I believe it carries water now from the reservoirs at the top of Nidderdale to the cities in West Yorkshire.
Constructed from local stone, it features elegant arches and seamlessly blends into its woodland surroundings. This crossing point allows you to shorten your walk if you choose not to walk to Barden Bridge.
However, as you can see, we will have to use it today as the path to Barden Bridge is again closed for maintenance. The path from this point to Barden Bridge a few hundred metres further on, is very easy to follow, as it just runs along the side of the river. You just go underneath the bridge and follow the path.
So, for our little diversion, we will head up onto the bridge. Looking back, you can see the path that we just walked along, and on the left is the return path we will take down the other riverbank.
Looking upstream, you can see the path we would normally be walking on up to Barden Bridge. But today we'll head up the other side of the river. So if the path does happen to be shut when you visit, head up the other riverbank. At the bottom of the steps, turn left to head along the gravel track.
If you look across to the other side of the River Wharfe, you can see the path that you would normally walk up parallel to this one, but on the other side of the water. After about 600m, we reach Barden Bridge. Up to the left, from Barden Bridge, is Barden Tower, which can be visited if you want a short detour.
Barden Tower served as one of six hunting lodges in the main administrative seat for the Barden hunting forest. In the late 15th century, Henry Clifford, known as the Shepherd Lord, reconstructed the lodge, making it his primary residence.
He also constructed the priest's house beside the chapel in 1515, which is now a restaurant and wedding venue. Assuming you walked up the other path on the other side of the river, head up the few steps and then out onto the road, and then turn right to cross over the bridge.
To enter back into the Bolton Abbey estate, just come back in through this gate from the road. Ahead, you can see the entrance to the Barden Bridge car park. We head to the right here, to walk down the path we just walked up to head back towards the Aqueduct Bridge.
Upon reaching the bridge, we just walk straight on along the gravelled path. Passing by this stone, double seat soon after. The path on this side of the river is much narrower and undulates a lot more than on the other side. The path rises slowly to pass back into Strid Wood.
As I mentioned before, winter allows great views down to the river with no leaves on the trees. But if you are here in spring or summer, you get wonderful birdsong all day. You need to take more care on this path, as from time to time, there are drop-offs to the side.
Over to the right. You can look down onto the Strid. Continue along the path, passing a stone shelter at one point. Then after a while, it drops back down to the side of the river. The path pulls in close to a road before crossing over a wooden bridge.
Over the bridge, the path almost touches the road by a footpath sign. Continue along the gravel path following this sign for Cavendish and Bolton Abbey.
The path is concreted for a section as it runs directly alongside the River Wharfe. The islands you're looking at here are called Lud islands. The path rises slowly again now, before dropping down to a gate.
Pass through the gate and head on towards Cavendish Bridge, which we were on earlier. The Cavendish Pavilion can again be seen on the other side of the River Wharfe. Pass through the gate and head up the short, fenced path.
If you need more refreshments or toilets, they are just across the bridge. If you wanted to extend your walk, you could also visit the Valley of Desolation or Simon's Seat. We ignore them for now and head down to then pass through this next gate, before heading again along the riverside path.
Over the River Wharfe, you can see the Riverside car park that we walked through earlier in the walk. Not much further on. We arrive at a short section of wall. Pass over the stone stile, or go through the gate to its right. And then turn left.
Proceed past the ford over Pickles Gill Beck, and then just continue for a short distance to cross it via the wooden bridge. Once over the bridge, head to the road and then turn left along it for about 20m.
We leave the road here to pass through the wooden gate, to head along the gravel path, which initially slowly climbs. The path offers views down to the River Wharfe to the right, and there are some wonderful tree formations on the left of the path.
On a bend, we then pass by another 'money tree'. Continue walking along the path, where, after a bench with a view, you arrive at another path junction. You have a choice here. The path straight on does afford a higher view back across to the Priory. But today, we will take the right-hand path to head back down to the river. Both paths meet up again about 600m further on. The path we are taking here is part of the Dales Way, which passes through the Bolton Abbey Estate.
The Dales Way is a 79-mile walking route from Ilkley in West Yorkshire to Bowness on Windermere in Cumbria, and follows a largely low-level path winding through the stunning Yorkshire Dales National Park, with much of the route following the River Wharfe, before heading into the rolling Howgill Fells and finally reaching the Lake District. There are a few hilly sections.
Here you can stop and have a game of noughts and crosses. Keep on walking along the riverside path until you reach a wooden gate with Bolton Priory now visible again ahead. Pass through the gate and head on to the wooden balancing poles and beams ahead.
Again, you have a choice here. The main Dales Way path heads straight on to the left of the beams towards the trees. Or you can head right, taking a small loop around the water's edge. Again, both paths join back together not much further on. Today, I'll head around the water's edge, which affords decent views over to the right of the priory.
If you are interested in the Dales Way, highlights of the walk include, obviously, Bolton Abbey, along with the vibrant market town of Grassington and the secluded beauty of Dentdale, home to the cobbled streets of Dent Village. Further along, the trail moves into Sedbergh, known as England's Book Town, before offering stunning views of the Lake District as it approaches its final destination of Bowness on Windermere.
There is a good Cicerone book I came across, which describes the route in detail, and I have included a link to that in the description box below. You can pick off sections of it to walk it at your leisure, or plan what is usually a 5 to 7-day walk, to walk it all in one go. At the end of this loop by the trees, the path rejoins the path we left by the wooden balancing pole and beams.
And then a few yards further on, it joins back up with the path we left about 600m back when we took the right-hand fork to drop down to the water. Head down the steps towards the stepping stones and the bridge. The water is a little high today to head across the stepping stones as each one is almost fully submerged. But when the water level is lower, you will see many people wandering back and forth across them in the summer.
Head on to and pass over the bridge. The bridge affords great views of the weir off to the left, and to the priory ruins and the River Wharfe on the right. At the end of the bridge, pass through the wooden gate and head up the wide gravelled path, directly opposite.
If you have any comments about this walk or notice anything has changed when you are there, please let us know in the comments below. The route of today's Bolton Abbey walk, along with an OS map and downloadable GPX file for your mobile or GPS device, is available on our Walks4all website, the link for which is down in the description below.
Over to the left, the Dales Way footpath leaves us here to continue heading down the side of the River Wharfe.
As the gravel path ends, head up the steps towards the gap in the wall, which we looked through right at the very start of the walk. Pass through the wooden gate in the wall gap and turn left along the pavement. We are almost at the end of our walk now, so we'll have a look in more detail at where you can eat and drink during or after your walk on the way around.
We did see the Cavendish Pavilion and although we didn't see it, there is another tea room in the Strid car park that we were very close to at one point. That offers soup, sandwiches, afternoon teas, savouries and homemade baking. There is also a selection of gifts, and dogs are also welcome. Just as an aside, as you can see, buses do stop here that run from Grassington to Ilkley.
The Tea Cottage, recently renovated at the end of 2023, serves all-day breakfasts, brunch, lunch and homemade bakes along with a range of drinks. Dogs are allowed inside and out. It has a delightful garden with wonderful views across to the Priory and the River Wharfe.
Opposite across the green is another tea room, aptly named Tea on the Green. Here they serve coffee, freshly baked pastries, homemade scones, soups, traybakes, deli sandwiches and paninis, all using local ingredients wherever possible. After passing those, we head back along towards the village shop and car park, where you can see the Yarn Fairies have been at work.
If you want more choice, there are three more places where you can eat and drink. About a half mile down the road at Bolton Bridge, you can either drive there or simply extend your walk and follow the Dales Way footpath along the river until you reach them. The first one is the Devonshire Arms Brasserie and Bar, which is part of the Devonshire Arms Hotel next door.
The brasserie serves up locally sourced dishes and modern takes on traditional favourites. They have a well-stocked bar offering local ales and a variety of wines. It does get quite busy, so you may have to book, and I believe you must book if you want to take dogs inside, as there are a limited number of dog-friendly tables.
If you have a taste for fancier, more expensive food, next door to the brasserie, is the 40-room luxurious Devonshire Arms Hotel and Spa. This again sells a wide range of food and drinks. More information on the opening times and menus are available on their website.
Just past these, a short stroll down the road is the Abbey Tearooms. They offer a wide selection of snacks, hot meals and refreshments and have some parking at the back of it. Dogs are welcome.
Before we end today's walk, we've put together a short fly-through of today's walk created on the Ordnance Survey app to give the walk and the area a little more perspective. We started the walk from the Bolton Abbey car park, and then headed out across the green and on and down to the Priory.
After we'd looked around the Priory, we passed the Cavendish Memorial before heading on across the field to reach the River Wharfe. We passed through the Riverside car park before arriving at the Cavendish Pavilion and Bridge. We then continued on through Strid Wood, to reach the Strid itself.
To the left here you can see the Strid wood car park that we didn't quite pass on the walk, but we got very close to. Just a little further on, we met at the Aqueduct Bridge, and then, assuming the path remains open, you can go up the left-hand side to reach the bridge, Barden Bridge.
You would then normally cross over the bridge, and then pass back through the gate, to enter alongside the Barden Bridge car park, and then head back down the side of the river Wharfe. We passed back past the Aqueduct Bridge and then entered Strid Wood on the more undulating path. We passed back by the Cavendish Bridge.
We arrived again at the path junction. I've kept the path going along the Dales Way here, but with video, we went around the headland. We then crossed over the bridge and headed up alongside the Priory to head back through the hole in the wall and across the village green and back to the car park. If you look in the top left of the map here, you can see Bolton Bridge, where the additional three premises were, where you could eat and drink. That ends our walk for today.
