Burnsall Accessible Walk

This is a straightforward out-and-back along the River Wharfe: 700 metres each way in the current authority listing, which works out at roughly 1.4 km (0.87 miles) round trip. Mapped, the corridor measures about 725 metres one way, so the rounded figure is honest either way. Allow about an hour for the return if you want a relaxed pace and time to stop.

You start beside the private car park near Burnsall Bridge, pick up a short section of the Dales Way, and follow the river north past the village to the turning point at Loup Scar. The reward is simple and holds up in any season: open water, the bridge behind you, and benches along the way to sit and watch the Wharfe. Then you turn and retrace the same corridor back to the start.

Rated 2 out of 10, a green route for all. Formal guidance describes hard, smooth surfacing with any loose stones no bigger than 10 mm, a minimum width of 1 metre with passing places, and gradients no steeper than 1:10. The walk is essentially level with only minor elevation variation, with sampled points running around 148 to 161 metres above sea level, so treat this as a gentle riverside outing rather than any kind of hill day.

Suitable for wheelchair users, buggies and people with limited mobility, and assistance animals are welcome. The real limitation is two kissing gates on the corridor, which can be difficult for wheelchairs, pushchairs and larger mobility scooters. Worth checking your own dimensions and turning circle before you commit, or planning to travel with someone who can help at the gates.

Parking is the private Burnsall village car park near the start by the bridge, and there is a fee. The nearest RADAR and Changing Places toilets are at Grassington National Park Visitor Centre, about 3.7 miles (6 km) away, so many people build that into the same trip. Burnsall itself has pubs, a village shop and two cafes, which makes it easy to stretch a short walk into a proper morning or afternoon.

Ordinary dogs are fine on this public riverside route, with sensible control around livestock and wildlife. Birds worth watching for along the water include pied and grey wagtail, dipper, common sandpiper and oystercatcher. Bring binoculars if you have them; the benches make this a good spot to sit still and let the river do the work.