Where can you find a suspension bridge, ski lift cable cars and a riddle attached to a church? There’s always something appealing about exploring places on boundary edge,s and the village of Addingham is one of those. Travel along the A59 and fight the impulse to follow the brown tourist signs towards Bolton Abbey and deeper into Wharfedale, and instead go in the opposite direction at the roundabout where you’ll come to Addingham.
The village used to be called ‘Long Addingham’ because it grew up around three centres. It’s easy to see why as you walk up the elongated main street which seems to go on and on.
It’s a pleasure to stroll along though, past the handsome houses and mill conversions which show how important the textile industry was in the late 18th century; ancient cut-throughs such as Sugar Hill and Druggist Lane; and the beautifully well-tended public garden areas where you can sit and watch the world go by.
Weave your way through the back streets and you’ll come to a quiet lane that goes under the old railway line. Follow the Dales Way footpath heading towards Bolton Bridge and you’ll notice a couple of cable cars nonchalantly residing on the terrace of the bistro housed in one of the ski-style lodges of the caravan park. Beyond that, the footpath re-joins the riverside where you can appreciate a quiet section of the Wharfe as it meanders along.
Double back and carry on the Dales Way in the other direction, past the weir and along a wooded path and you’ll come to the suspension bridge which leads to trails heading upwards towards the prominent ‘king of the castle’ landmark, Beamsley Beacon.
On the edge of the village is St Peter’s church sitting on a knoll and reached by walking through the Church Orchard, a field where excavations have uncovered an Iron Age ditch, an Anglo Saxon burial ground and evidence of a Medieval manor house. Dawdle a while and see if you can solve the Anglo Saxon riddle on one of the information boards.
It’s a mark of how important Addingham once was on the Turnpike trading route heading towards Skipton that five pubs were built to accommodate travellers. Happily, four are still in operation including the Craven Heifer where you can book a room themed around Yorkshire legends including the cricket-styled interior of Fred Trueman’s room!
Words & photo by Amanda Brown