Our drawing of the route, over road and path data from OpenStreetMap. It shows where the walk goes and what it goes through. It is not a survey and not a navigation aid — carry OS Explorer on the hill.
Two and a half easy miles combining the community-owned meadows of Long Lands Common with a stretch of the surfaced Nidderdale Greenway, an hour and a quarter with no stiles, no gradient and no reason to turn back in bad weather. The start is the Greenway entrance off Bilton Lane in north Harrogate, roadside parking only and no charge, and the Greenway runs all the way to Ripley if you want to make a longer day of it. The Common is thirty acres of young woodland and rough grass bought by local people in 2021 and dogs are welcome off lead across it, though there are no ponds or becks so carry water in summer; the Greenway half is hard-surfaced and shared with cyclists, so a lead is sensible on that section.
Scandinavian cafe on Oxford Street famed for cinnamon buns, skillingsboller and open sandwiches. Dogs are welcome inside and out during the daytime and staff make a genuine fuss of them; a civilised alternative to the town's no-dogs tearooms.
Three and a half miles of woodland and old railway on the north edge of Harrogate, about an hour and three quarters, with one steep set of steps down into the beck valley and a steady climb back out. Start from the Nidderdale Greenway access off Bilton Lane, where there is free roadside parking and the number 2A bus reaches Bilton from the town centre; the Greenway itself is tarmac and stays clean in any weather, which is the point of it. Dogs are off lead all the way through the Woodland Trust ground at Bilton Beck and Rudding Bottoms, there is no livestock, and the beck runs clear enough to drink from all year, though the woodland floor turns to deep mud between November and March while the viaduct crossing stays firm underfoot.
Four miles and about two hours from the top of the Valley Gardens out through Cardale Woods to the gritstone outcrop of Birk Crag, returning down the wooded ravine of Oak Beck, with roughly 100 metres of climbing on rooty woodland paths that hold mud through the winter. Start from the Harlow Carr end of Valley Gardens or the roadside parking on Cornwall Road; the 6 and 24 buses both put you within a few minutes' walk. The woods are the best off-lead ground within walking distance of Harrogate town centre and Oak Beck gives a clean drink, but the crag itself drops away suddenly, so call a dog back well before the top.
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