Burnsall, Loup Scar and the Hebden Swing Bridge

Burnsall to Barden Bridge by Appletreewick

Seven and a half miles and around four hours down one bank of the Wharfe and back up the other, through Appletreewick and on to the seventeenth-century bridge at Barden; it is easy walking on the flat, though the meadows are heavy going in winter and flood after prolonged rain. Start at Burnsall bridge car park, on the 74 bus route between Skipton and Grassington, and note that the same bus serves Appletreewick if you want to shorten it. There is water the whole way and several shallow gravel bays where a dog can swim safely, though keep well clear of the fast channel under Barden Bridge and keep the lead on for the grazed meadows, where there are cattle and calves on the Appletreewick stretch; the riverside field boundaries are crossed by a long series of narrow stone squeeze stiles, a real obstacle course for a broad-chested dog and the one reason to think twice about this walk.