Swinsty Reservoir dog walker finds ‘nail board trap’ near car

A dog walker claims that someone is deliberately trying to damage cars near to Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs.

Derek Johnson parked his car on the grass verges near the woods to the south of the reservoirs on Sunday.

After returning from a walk with his gun dogs, a jogger warned him that she had found a nail board near her car.

He checked around and found two of the boards in close proximity to his car, so took the picture you can see above.

While he did not report the incident to the police, a nearby farmer said that he had called the police earlier that day.

Read more:

There has been a longstanding issue with the number of cars parking at the reservoirs since the first lockdown when many flocked to the area for their daily exercise.

We approached North Yorkshire Police for comment but received no reply by the time of publication.

Mr Johnson told the Stray Ferret:

“My dogs need to have a lot of space to run around so come to the reservoirs quite regularly and haven’t had an issue before.

“After the walk someone told me they found one of these nail boards so I checked around. I found one under my tyre and another a few yards away.

“It’s such a stupid thing to do. If someone has an issue with us using the reservoirs to exercise then they should tell us, not do something like this.”

Graham Hebblethwaite, the chairman of Washburn Parish Council, told the Stray Ferret:

“If someone is doing this to try and trap cars then that is horrendous. At first I thought it could be discarded bits of pallets but it looks like freshly cut pieces.

“This is not the message we want to send out to people who come here. We are asking people to keep an eye out for these nail boards.”

Young farmer given chance to run Washburn Valley farm

Yorkshire Water has appointed a new tenant for a farm it owns near Swinsty Reservoir, as part of a scheme to encourage young farmers and sustainable land management.

The company announced the starter scheme last year amid concerns about the lack of farmers aged under 40.

It revealed today it has appointed 23-year-old Robert McAneney as the first tenant under the new scheme.

Yorkshire Water will rent Scow Hall Farm in the Washburn Valley to Mr McAneney for five years.

It will then help him find a permanent residency and rent the farm to another tenant for five years as part of the company’s Next Generation programme.

Mr McAneney grew up on his family small-holding and currently works on an arable and Christmas tree farm in Darlington.

Read more:

View of Swinsty Reservoir from Scow Hall Farm

He plans to keep a flock of Oxford Down sheep and Cheviot mules alongside other livestock at Scow Hall Farm.

Mr McAneney said:

“I’m really excited to start this new chapter. When I got the call from Yorkshire Water I was at work, out in the fields ploughing – my life changed overnight, and I immediately started planning what I want to do at Scow Hall Farm.

“To have this kind of opportunity at this age is amazing, and the team at Yorkshire Water have been really supportive. I’m most looking forward to being able to develop Scow Hall Farm into a more sustainable farm and increase my flock to substantial numbers.”

Yorkshire Water’s Next Generation programme was created as part of its Beyond Nature scheme, which supports farmers with sustainable land management.

Council warns against driving to Harrogate district beauty spots

Harrogate Borough Council has told residents not to drive to beauty spots for exercise in a bid to reduce coronavirus infection rates.

The council said in its latest newsletter that driving to Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs, and Stainburn Woods “is not acceptable.”

All are popular spots for district residents to visit, with many likely to drive there over this coming weekend.

However, those that do are running the risk of a fine according to the borough council.

Read more:

North Yorkshire Police is also actively approaching people in the car parks and asking them where they are from.

Graham Hebblethwaite, chair of Washburn Parish Council, told the Stray Ferret:

“It has calmed down quite a bit now. The police are going into the car park, talking to people and finding out how far they have driven.

“I do fear that when the better weather returns that people will be back in their droves.”

The council’s newsletter, under a section called ‘exercising within the rules’, said:

“The lockdown laws do allow you to get out for daily exercise, but you must stay local to where you live. Please start and end your exercise from home.

“In the context of the lockdown, “local” means staying inside the boundaries of your village or town and not travelling somewhere to take a stroll or walk the dog.

“Driving to the other side of the district, into the Nidderdale AONB or to either of the national parks is not acceptable. If you do, you run the risk of a fine.”

We also requested clarification from North Yorkshire Police, which can hand out fines, and were sent a comment from Superintendent Mike Walker:

“If someone has travelled multiple miles to exercise, an officer has the option to encourage adherence or enforce the regulations.

“We do not expect people to travel multiple miles in a car to exercise in North Yorkshire.”

Muddy footpath at Swinsty closed amid safety fears

Yorkshire Water has closed a temporary footpath at Swinsty reservoir that has drawn complaints about it being too muddy to use safely.

The footpath was introduced last month while maintenance works takes place on the usual route.

The closure will continue until the £6m works are completed in summer 2022.

It means there will no longer be a circular walking route at the popular beauty spot, which many people from the Harrogate district visit over the festive period.

The Stray Ferret reported how a pregnant woman had to be rescued by a passing family after she struggled to walk the diversion.

The company has employed marshals over the break to offer advice to visitors on safety issues, including parking if the car parks become full.

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said it expected Swinsty to be busy over the festive period and the diversion south of the reservoir, which went through farmer’s fields, had become too muddy.

Read more:

Yorkshire Water is encouraging walkers wanting a circular route to visit Fewston instead.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:

“As a result of ongoing engineering work at Swinsty reservoir the circular route around the reservoir is no longer available.

“We have put up signs around the site to inform people of the closures. The circular walk around nearby Fewston reservoir is still available.

“Additionally, extra colleagues will be on hand at Swinsty over the festive period, which is expected to be busier than normal, monitoring car parking at the site and advising people of the closures.”

An updated map of the current walking routes at Swinsty is below:

Pregnant woman rescued from Swinsty Reservoir diversion

A pregnant woman had to be rescued by a passing family after she struggled to walk the Swinsty Reservoir diversion on Saturday.

Helen Riley, who is in the early stages of pregnancy, thought she was going for a quick stroll on her usual route around the reservoir.

She set out in the afternoon with some firm walking boots and soon found the diversion but did not realise how muddy it has become. She said:

“Some of the route is simply impossible to walk. If that family wasn’t there to help I don’t know what would have happened. I was in tears when I eventually got back.”

Yorkshire Water introduced the diversion last month. It is due to be in place for 18 months while £6 million safety works take place.

Read more:

The company warned the route was uneven and “sometimes wet” and therefore unsuitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.

However, many readers have expressed concerns about its suitability and Helen told the Stray Ferret the warnings do not fully reflect the reality:

“The rain, the cows and the number of walkers have made the route difficult to walk. My boots were covered in mud and it came up to my shins at some points.”

Yorkshire Water is diverting excess water from the reservoir to Lindley Wood reservoir to protect the embankment from flood erosion.

A spokesperson for the company told the Stray Ferret:

“We’re aware that the diversion footpath at Swinsty reservoir has become slightly difficult to navigate – with some areas very muddy.

“We are speaking to North Yorkshire County Council about ways they may be able to improve the public right of way.”

Yorkshire Water also encouraged anyone worried about the diversion route to visit other nearby reservoirs, such as Fewston and Thruscross.

Swinsty reservoir footpath diversion ‘too muddy to walk’

A visitor to Swinsty reservoir last weekend has complained that the new temporary footpath is already too muddy to walk.

Yorkshire Water announced last week the footpath would close for 18 months to allow it to undertake £6 million safety works.

The company warned the route was uneven and “sometimes wet” and therefore unsuitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.

It added walkers should wear “suitable footwear” but it seems even those with sturdy boots and wellies may need to find a new walk for the time being.

Read more:

A Stray Ferret reader, who asked to remain anonymous, contacted us on Sunday to say his family walk deteriorated into a quagmire. The reader said:

“This diversion is really not well thought out. We will not be doing it again as the ground is only going to get worse over the coming months.

“I am surprised that Yorkshire Water has suggested the route. It needs reassessing as it is not fit for purpose.”

‘Swinsty is the busiest it has ever been’

The reservoir, in the Washburn Valley, is a popular location for families and dog walkers in the Harrogate district.

Graham Hebblethwaite, the chairman of Washburn Parish Council, today told the Stray Ferret it had never been busier – and this was causing problems.

“I have lived here for all my life and this is the busiest that it has ever been. Lots of people are parking on the verges and wrecking them.

“That leads to issues with the emergency services trying to get through. It also means that locals have been clashing with visitors.”

Mr Hebblethwaite even said some locals were planning to move to escape the issues.

Yorkshire Water is diverting excess water from the reservoir to Lindley Wood reservoir to protect the embankment from flood erosion.

A spokesperson for the company told the Stray Ferret:

“We’re aware that the diversion footpath at Swinsty reservoir has become slightly difficult to navigate – with some areas very muddy.

“We are speaking to the North Yorkshire County Council about ways they may be able to improve the public right of way.”

Yorkshire Water also encouraged anyone worried about the diversion route to visit other reservoirs, such as Fewston and Thruscross.

 

Swinsty Reservoir footpath to close for 18 months

Yorkshire Water it to close a footpath at Swinsty reservoir and introduce diversions over the next 18 months as part of £6m safety works.

The reservoir, in the Washburn Valley, is a popular location for families and dog walkers in the Harrogate district.

Work on the reservoir’s east bank spillway is due to start on Monday next week and be completed by summer 2022.

The project will divert excess water from the reservoir to Lindley Wood reservoir to protect the embankment from flood erosion.

Read more:

Yorkshire Water said in a statement:

“As the route is on uneven and sometimes wet ground, it is not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs – walkers are advised to wear suitable footwear and keep dogs on leads.”

Mark Allsop, customer liaison advisor at Yorkshire Water, said:

“This ensures that the reservoir can continue to play its part in supplying drinking water to the homes of millions of customers in Yorkshire.

“The investment will reinforce the structure and protect the area in the face of extreme weather.”

The water company worked with local landowners and North Yorkshire County Council to map out the footpath diversion.