Simon's Seat from Thruscross Reservoir

The route

This loop starts at Thruscross Reservoir in Nidderdale, climbs out of the Washburn Valley, and crosses the boundary into Yorkshire Dales National Park to take in Simon's Seat before returning. At 28.7km with 407m of ascent, it's the longest and most demanding route in this set, and the distance is spread across genuinely varied ground rather than one repeated climb.

The reservoir start

Thruscross Reservoir was built in 1966, flooding the former village of West End - in dry spells, remnants of the old settlement can still be seen as the water level drops. The reservoir sits in the southern part of Nidderdale, and the Yorkshire Water car park here is the obvious place to start, though it's pay-and-display by card or RingGo, with no cash option.

Simon's Seat

Simon's Seat tops out at 485m, a prominent outcrop of millstone grit on the eastern side of Wharfedale, and reaching it means crossing Barden Fell - open access land managed by Bolton Abbey Estate as grouse moor. There's no public right of way directly to the summit, so the approach follows a permissive route via the Valley of Desolation, and in poor visibility this stretch needs proper map skills rather than guesswork. The ground here is peaty and can be genuinely boggy underfoot, particularly after rain.

Access and hazards

Grouse shooting runs from 12 August to 10 December, with no shooting on Sundays, and outside that window the moor is open. One rule applies regardless of season: dogs are not permitted on Barden Fell, so this isn't a route to bring one along for. Combined with the distance and the remoteness of the high section, this is a route to save for good visibility and a day when you're confident navigating without obvious paths to follow.

Why it works

What makes this loop worth the effort is the contrast - flooded valley, working grouse moor, and a genuine Dales summit with a name and a history, all in one continuous run. It's a route for runners who've done the shorter Wharfedale loops and want to step up to something that demands more from both legs and navigation.