BOLTON Abbey is a place to visit all year-round.

And this 4.7 mile circular route through Strid Wood is great for this time of year, with plenty of autumn colour.

There are also some lovely viewpoints en route.

The walk starts at the Cavendish Pavilion - Bolton Abbey's riverside restaurant, which was built in the style of a Victorian railway station and has been welcoming guests since the 1890s.

It then goes into Strid Wood, which favours the native sessile oak. It thrives on the wetter, less fertile acidic soils of the area. The mixture of trees and the changing nature of the river provides an ideal habitat for a rich variety of birds, plants, animals and insects.

In the 19th century, large numbers of visitors were taken in carriages to see The Strid, which is dangerous because of its great force of water, depth and strong undercurrents.

Legend has it that the Boy of Egremont, the son of Lady Alice de Romilly, drowned in the Strid and, as an expression of grief, his mother granted land to the Augustinian Canons in 1154 to build the Priory.

However, the tale is unlikely to be true as the boy's signature appears on the Priory's deeds.

The walk also visits picturesque Barden, with its imposing ruined tower.

It was the principal hunting lodge of the ancient Forest of Barden and home of the 10th Lord of Skipton, more commonly known as the Shepherd Lord.

The ruined tower overlooks the Priest's House, built in the early 16th century which the Shepherd Lord built for his private chaplain.

Step by step

1. From the car park, walk upstream past the Cavendish Pavilion and into Strid Wood. A panel with all the colour-coded woodland nature trails and their distances is located to the right of the gate.

2. Follow the Green Trail up stream to the Strid.

3. From the Strid, bear left up to Lady Harriet's Strid. One of the many resting spots created by the Rev William Carr and the 6th Duke of Devonshire when they opened Strid Wood to the public in 1810. Continue up steam on the high path.

4. The park forks. Bear right along the river's edge to continue to Barden Bridge. Bear left for refreshments.

5. If you wisah to cut short your walk, cross the river at the Aquaduct. The ornate bridge was built to hide the pipe that carried water from Nidderdale to supply the cities of West Yorkshire.

6. Or continue upstream and cross at Barden Bridge. Follow the Orange Trail back along the river and through Strid Wood to the Cavendish Pavilion.

Fact file

Starting point: Cavendish Pavilion, Bolton Abbey.

Length: 4.7 miles. Allow two hours and 20 minutes.

Going: easy, with the Green trail suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs

Parking: Sandholme car park, Bolton Abbey (charges apply)

Refreshments: Bolton Abbey, the Strid Wood car park and Barden Tower