THIS walk loops around John O' Gaunt's Reservoir through pleasant woodland and fields and passing the ruin at Haverah Park Top.

THE Washburn Valley is a special place for many people.

The area is part of the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is a mini Lake District, with its many reservoirs.

And they are the focus of this week's walk, provided by Yorkshire Water.

It starts at Swinsty Reservoir, which is near Fewston (just off the A59 Harrogate to Skipton Road), and circles John O' Gaunt's Reservoir.

John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, was Lord of the Manor of Knaresborough for 28 years until 1399 and the remains of his hunting lodge are nearby.

For more information about Yorkshire Water walks or activities, visit yorkshirewater.com/recreation

Step by step

1. From Stack Point car park on the eastern side of Swinsty Reservoir, exit the gate onto the road and turning right across the causeway (take care, there is no pavement) over an inlet to the reservoir. At the end of the causeway turn left crossing the road onto a grassy track between the reservoir and a wood.

2. After a few hundred metres, follow this old walled track to the right, up hill, away from the reservoir. At a 'Y' junction take the left fork keeping to the wall on the left, go through a wall, over a small stream to a gate into a field. Head diagonally left to a stile beside a field gate, now keeping close to the wall on the left, continue to another field gate leading into a lane next to a sheep shed. At the end of the short lane cross the main road and go across the car park of the Sun Inn.

3. Walk along the lane passing a house on the left with its garages and where the lane bends slightly to the right look half left for the waymarker posts and the path downhill to a gate in the wall. Pass through and head diagonally left across two fields separated by a broken wall to a kissing gate in the far corner. Cross the ditch by the footbridge and go straight ahead to the gate in the opposite corner by a further ditch. Follow the waymarkers as the route heads uphill through a rough field towards a small wood. Pass through a gate with a step stile uphill past two stone gate posts on to a sunken lane.

4. Follow this lane (an ancient earthwork) to a further gate and after some distance with minor ups and downs the path turns left through a gateway onto a track. In approximately 50 metres turn right through an open gateway continue ahead crossing two ditches and two pastures. Passing a ruined farm building on the left head for two benches overlooking Haverah Park and the reservoirs. Cross several more pastures.

5. Keeping parallel to and above John O'Gaunts Reservoir go through a gate and descend through woodland to the end of the dam between the two reservoirs. Cross the stile next to the gate and go over the dam.

6.At the far side of the dam, go through a small gate on the right; walk up the side of a sunken lane to the buildings at Haverah Park Top.

7. Pass the buildings and head downhill back towards the head of John O'Gaunt's Reservoir. After a short descent and just after a holly tree on the left go left over a step stile in the fence.

8. Head back uphill with a large gully on the left towards East End Manor (the original line of the public footpath has been diverted around the manor garden and is waymarked). At the end of the garden boundary go through a gap and keeping a wall close on your right proceed to a field gate with a pedestrian gate at the right hand end and a ladder stile next to this. Cross the next field diagonally to a step stile in the wall crossing the field to a stile near a gate in the southernmost corner. Cross the stile and keeping close to the wall on the right cross two more pastures via a stile between them to Brown Bank Farm.

9. Go through a gate into the farm yard, go straight ahead until you reach the end of the buildings. Here go right round the end of the buildings and through a gate into a large pasture, sloping downhill. Go half left aiming for a large holly tree and a small concrete footbridge over the stream in the bottom.

10. Cross the bridge and cross the stile in the wall immediately in front into a field. Keep close to the wall on the left, crossing several more fields until you arrive back at the gate on the left.

11. Go through this back to the lane which returns you to the Sun Inn (at point 3). Here you can either retrace the start of the walk back to the car park or, for a little variety, turn left along the wide verge of the B6451, and then turn right along Smithson's Lane and so back to the car park.

Fact file

Start point: Stack Point car park on the eastern side of Swinsty Reservoir. Please note there is a 2.2m height barrier.

Distance: Four miles.

Terrain: mainly flat and on surfaced paths. However, they can become muddy in wet weather.

OS Map: Pathfinder 663 - Harrogate