grew largely during the Industrial Revolution, but its greatest claim to fame is that it sheltered Archbishop Wulfhere of York (from 854 to 900), who fled here when the Vikings began their campaign of terror against Christian people in the 9th century.
The village is situated at the Aire Gap on a principal route through the Pennines, and there was a settlement here long before the archbishop’s arrival. It was later known as ‘Long Addingham’ because it was based around three separate locations – the church, the old school area and the green – rather than a single centre like most other villages. Until the advent of the textile industry in the late 18th century, the village developed as a farming community. The last working textile mills closed in the 1970s, although nearby Low Mill opened for wool processing in 1999.
Communication links improved vastly with the arrival through the village in 1888 of the Ilkley to Skipton railway (which closed in 1966).
There has been a church in Addingham for over 1100 years. The present building, set in an open field, has nave roof, arcade and chancel dating from the 15th century, with a gallery of 1756. The church is dedicated to St Peter and is one of a few in this region with a blue-faced clock. This is a fashion started by the old established clockmaking firm of William Potts and Sons of Leeds. Beginning with Bradford cathedral, the firm has since been asked to paint the dials of several clocks. The blue paint for St Peters is a specially mixed colour known as ‘Potts Blue’, it having been discovered that numerals in gold leaf are even more legible on a blue background than on black.
As the road bends, leave it by branching right, down steps, heading back to the Wharfe. Ignore the footbridge on the right, to Beamsley, and continue upriver. From this point, there is a fine view across intervening fields to Beamsley Beacon. When the ongoing path forks, branch right to return to the riverbank. Press on to another small mill redevelopment at High Mill, which for a moment deflects the route away from the river. Just beyond High Mill the route enters the site of Olicana caravan park. Follow the main drive until, at a signpost, you can turn right to return to a Wharfeside path.
Soon, through a gate, the way leaves the caravan site and goes forward across two pastures beyond which the path rises gently onto the top of a wooded slope, and then to a stile giving onto a narrow path above the river. From the end of the path the route descends steeply back to the riverside grounds of Low Park.
Low Park was once part of the parkland grounds of Farfield Hall. From this stretch of the river, where fishermen try to catch trout or grayling, there are splendid views to the wooded hillside of Beamsley Beacon. The beacon commands the surrounding countryside as a beacon should, and as one of a chain of bonfires was used in medieval times to signal events across the north of England.
The Wharfeside path is never in doubt and requires little description. It leads eventually to a ladder-stile spanning a wall, and then upfield to a low step-stile beyond which the path rises through a small copse to steps leading up to the B6160. Cross the road with care and go through a gate opposite to the rear of the Farfield Friends Meeting House.
Farfield Friends Meeting House
Farfield Friends Meeting House is one of the earliest Quaker meeting houses, and is still largely in its original form. It has not been in regular use since the early 19th century.
Walk around the meeting house to follow the access drive to Lobwood House for a few strides. Immediately after a gate, leave the access by branching right onto a permissive path over a through-stile (signposted for Bolton Bridge). Over the stile, keep to the wall on the right, heading down the farm access towards the B6160. Just on reaching the B-road, go left over a stile in a corner, and then pleasantly across two pastures to a gate and stile giving onto a short path leading down to the B-road. Take great care against approaching traffic, and cross to the right-hand side once a narrow and intermittent footpath appears there.
Keep along the B-road to a point about 100m before the roundabout junction with the A59, and there leave the road by turning right through a gate and crossing a footbridge to follow a path through a small area of scrubland, after which you pass beneath the A59 road bridge. Keep on across a small paddock to walk alongside the gable of Ferry House, going up steps to meet the former A59 near the original Bolton Bridge. A short way to the left lies the Devonshire Arms Hotel, a bar and tea room.
The Devonshire Arms Hotel as we see it today (tea room nearby) was built in the early 17th century, although there would have been a place of hospitality on this site for much longer than that given the trade that would have focused on the domain of Bolton Priory.
It came into the ownership of the 4th Duke of Devonshire in 1753 as part of the Bolton Abbey Estate. It was further developed by the 5th Duke, a man well ahead of his time, who realised the importance of visitors to the area and ensured many miles of footpaths were established so that visitors could admire the splendid views. The area attracted poets and artists alike, including Wordsworth and Turner.
During the 19th century, the Royal Family would stay at Bolton Abbey for grouse shoots and the Devonshire Arms, which was often used for hospitality, expanded, so that by 1840 it could stable 20 horses and four carriages.
Canine fun in the River Wharfe
Go through a metal gate opposite and onto a riverside path (signposted for Bolton Priory). Keep on to a metal kissing-gate, where the priory comes fully into view, and from the gate continue along a green path that crosses a wide riverside pasture and then rejoins the riverbank. Now simply parallel the river to the bridge that spans the Wharfe close to the priory.
BOLTON ABBEY OR BOLTON PRIORY?
Wayfarers travelling up the Wharfe may be a little confused by the proliferation of signs pointing to ‘Bolton Abbey’ or ‘Bolton Priory’, and perhaps wonder if there are two buildings here. This is not so – the village is called Bolton Abbey, but the monastic ruins overlooking the River Wharfe are those of Bolton Priory, although they are often referred to as Bolton Abbey.
Bolton Abbey remains; still an impressive building
There are two possible explanations for how this came about, although there is no evidence for either being correct. Firstly, in medieval times priories were not as important or as rich as abbeys, and so it is possible that a canon, wanting to make a better impression in London or York, spoke of the ‘abbey’ rather than the ‘priory’. The second possible explanation is simpler, namely, that when the railway first came to the region, a mistake was made on the London–Midland Railway timetable, and the name Bolton Abbey has stuck ever since.
Cross the footbridge spanning the Wharfe at Bolton Abbey (there are stepping stones nearby, but they are precarious and rarely passable) and immediately go left, taking the lower of two paths. The lower route cuts across riverside pasture – our first taste of the Wharfe’s true left bank – and follows the base of a slope and a line of oak trees to a gate. Beyond, a path continues more clearly, directly above the river, to which it shortly diverts, and then heads upriver.
Stepping stones across the Wharfe at Bolton Abbey
The path stays with the river for a while before climbing into the wooded slopes above to a children’s adventure play area, then to follow a route through stands of beech, oak, holly and sycamore. Keep an eye open for a ‘money’ tree – a fallen tree into which people have hammered coins. They have no mystique or legendary significance, so far as I can tell.
The ongoing path undulates and finally emerges briefly onto Storiths Lane. Turn left and cross Pickles Beck by ford or footbridge, and immediately go left on a path heading back towards the river, to another path going right through a gate and onto a broad path leading to the Wooden Bridge at Cavendish Pavilion. Cross the bridge (though there is a perfectly acceptable