We have stopped here several times as it's just perfect for a break from the motorway. Quick to reach from the M5; easy, free parking; excellent cafe serving breakfasts and lunches as well as cakes, snacks etc, dogs allowed inside and out, and doggie treats on the menu; lots of picnic tables and benches; plenty of off lead walking in woods and fields; accessible toilets; regularly refilled dog water bowls. In school holidays it gets very busy but the cafe is so well run you still don't have to wait long for food.
Our elderly collie had a great time sniffing around, while the lab jumped straight into the water. As described, there's no scope for a long walk here but it's pretty and interesting. The cafe is extremely dog friendly and site volunteers and staff very helpful. Good food too.
Beautiful woodland and river walk. You would never guess you were within reach of the A1, all we could hear was birdsong and the river. The bluebells and wild garlic were out on our visit, and our lab had great fun splashing in the river while our elderly collie mooched along the well defined paths sniffing. It was a lovely way to finish our holiday on the way home, felt like a getaway in itself.
Stopped off at lunchtime in summer holidays and it was very busy around the lake (disappointing for my water loving lab that dogs are not allowed off lead around the lake!). Once we headed into the fields it was much quieter and lots of room for the dogs to have a run. Looked in the cafe which had nice looking cakes but little in the way of sandwiches or similar for lunch.
This is a good stop off, with a great choice of places to eat for the humans and a decent off lead run for dogs. The fencing/footpath route seems to have changed around the church since the original listing. You need to take a path through the churchyard to take the route described here. We went in December and it was very muddy - labrador made a flying leap into a huge puddle - but the dogs let off lots of steam ready for the onward journey.
DWD: Great review - thank you. The route through the churchyard is best in muddy weather, and is a public footpath. The route as written is the Heart of England Way and is still correct but very slippery and muddy after prolonged rain!
We've been here twice - once in November when it was perfect. Big open spaces for dogs to run, easy parking and a good cafe. Then we went on a sunny September Saturday and it was full to bursting with people having picnics etc - not safe to let a labrador off lead 😂. The cafe was also very busy and we had to wait for ages to be served
After the canal basin the path is on a busy road - not ideal with a nervy collie. But stick with it and in five minutes you are on an idyllic tow path complete with bird watching hides looking over the neighbouring wetlands. Easily accessible from Ripon centre.
Beautiful Riverside and woodland walk. We stopped off on a Saturday and it was not busy, just a few other dog walkers. Safe for the dogs to run off lead and play in the river. We walked for an hour but you could go much further as there is a network of paths onto nearby fields as well. There is a picnic area in the car park but nicer to head down to the river and have your picnic there.
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Very dog friendly pub
The pub staff are so friendly and our dogs were actively welcomed, not just tolerated. Good pub food, quick service, and gravy bones for the dogs. We didn't walk far as it was raining but it felt like a proper break from the motorway although very close by.