Visit NIDDERDALE

Fishpond Wood
Fishpond Wood
Fishpond Wood:
Flagship Heritage Site
Fishpond Wood Icehouse
One of the most remarkable
features of Fishpond Wood is an
early 19 th century icehouse, rarely
seen for the last hundred years
because no path ventures near it.
It has now been repaired, an old
path restored, and is now open for
viewing.
Th e icehous e
Want to find
out more? Come along
to our event:
Family Fun at Fishpond Wood
Saturday 11 June
11am to 2pm
Full details on p48.
It was one of Nidderdale’s earliest tourist attractions, but has guarded its secrets closely
for the better part of a century. Now Fishpond Wood, in Bewerley near Pateley Bridge,
is again throwing open its gates, and its long and colourful history, to the public.
There’s a temptation to think of woods as wild places,
untamed by human hand. But you don’t have to wander
far into Fishpond Wood before you notice signs of
previous human activity.
There has been a wood on this site since at least the
Middle Ages, perhaps much longer. For centuries the hills
around the village would have rung with the sound of
the woodman’s axe as the trees were managed for fuel,
building materials and toolmaking. Mysterious mounds
and dells among the trees show that Fishpond Wood once
also echoed to the sound of pickaxe and shovel as men
quarried for stone.
Fishpond Wood was
owned by the Yorke
family of Bewerley Hall,
one of Nidderdale’s
most influential land
owning dynasties. In the
18 th century John Yorke
set about refashioning
the wood to suit contemporary ideals of the picturesque.
He replanted parts of the wood and laid out a network of
woodland walks. He may also have dammed a stream to
create the pond that gives the wood its name, although
according to popular belief the pond was originally the
work of the monks of Fountains Abbey.
By the time Fishpond Wood was inherited by John
Yorke’s nephew, also John, it was becoming a popular
tourist attraction. But it was the arrival of the railway in
Nidderdale in the mid-19 th century that put Fishpond
Wood on the tourist map. Special trains brought visitors
from neighbouring industrial centres to visit the gardens
at the Yorke’s home, Bewerley Hall, before promenading
up through the trees to take pleasure boats out on the
pond.
The Yorke family lost their estates after the First World
War, and Fishpond Wood sank back into obscurity.
Although walkers on public footpaths through the wood
continued to enjoy its tranquil atmosphere, the rest of
Fishpond Wood remained out of bounds to visitors until
2012, when it was bought by its current owner, Peter
Brambleby. As an NHS doctor and a former Director
of Public Health for North Yorkshire, Peter was keen
‘Fishpond Wood, a delightful retreat, where man’s efforts, in
the formation of the lake, have most nearly imitated nature.
Encircling the pond is a footpath, shaded by fine beeches,
which at places overhang the road, and, dipping the tips of
their branches into the water, form natural arches.’
E. Bogg, From Edenvale to the Plains of York, 1895
for more people to
experience the benefits
to health and wellbeing
that spending time in
the woods can bring.
In 2014 he and the
Upper Nidderdale
Landscape Partnership,
along with a dedicated team of conservation volunteers,
set about opening up the wood to visitors and restoring
the look and feel of John Yorke’s designed landscape.
The woodland walks have been re-established, the
pond has been dredged, and the trees brought back into
management for the sake of wildlife conservation.
Whether you have an interest in archaeology, a love
of woodland or simply a hankering for an hour or
two’s peace and fresh air, you are very welcome to visit
Fishpond Wood.
Explore ....
Why not take a walk to explore this beautiful and tranquil site for yourself. You can either walk from Pateley
Bridge through Bewerley and back, or take a more circular route. Both walks pass the restored 15 th century
Bewerley Grange Chapel which is certainly worth a visit.
A public right of way runs through the wood and is joined by a series of permissive paths. These are
highlighted on a panel at the entrance and can be downloaded from uppernidderdale.org.uk, along with an
audio trail that guides you through some of the highlights of this special place.
Fishpond
Wood
© Crown copyright and database rights 2016 Ordnance Survey 100019628
Fishpond Wood is one of four flagship heritage sites being conserved and brought to life under the
Heritage Lottery funded Upper Nidderdale Landscape Partnership Scheme (2014–2018).
To find out more visit uppernidderdale.org.uk
P
Pateley
Bridge
Walk length
The full circular
walk and the walk
to Fishpond Wood
and back through
Bewerley are both
approx. 1.25 miles
(2km).
We suggest you
allow 1-2 hours to
enjoy the walk and
the woodland.
Important
information
• Please keep to
the paths.
• Stout footwear
is advisable as
the wood can be
muddy.
• Please use
Ordnance Survey
Explorer map
298 to plan your
route fully.
42 www.nidderdaleaonb.org.uk
Visit Nidderdale AONB 2016
43