Route diagram, drawn from the recorded track — for the shape of the walk, not for navigation. Carry OS Explorer on the hill.
Four flat, largely traffic-free miles along the old Leeds and Thirsk railway between Ripley and Harrogate's Bilton edge, crossing the Grade II listed seven-arch Nidd Gorge viaduct. Firm surface the whole way, so it suits older dogs, prams and wet-weather days. It is a shared path with bikes and horses, so keep dogs close and under control; ice cream and the castle await at the Ripley end.
A neat two-and-three-quarter-mile loop of about an hour and a quarter from the cobbled market square, past the castle lakes and the little waterfall and out through Hollybank Wood, with 80 metres of climb on estate tracks and woodland paths that drain well in winter. Park in the village car park behind the Boar's Head; the 36 bus between Harrogate and Ripon stops on the green, and the Nidderdale Greenway ends here if you would rather arrive on foot. Deer and sheep graze the estate parkland so dogs stay on the lead past the castle, though the wood itself is a good place to let a reliable dog off for a while.
Coaching inn on the cobbles of the Ripley Castle estate, in a village that is dog friendly almost by charter. Select courtyard rooms come with dog beds, bowls, a bone in a basket and treats for twenty pounds per dog per night, and dogs are welcome in the bar and snug; call before booking as dog rooms are limited.
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