Best Yorkshire Blackberry Walks!

Sep 6

Who loves to pick Blackberries?

Luckily, the Yorkshire Dales is just PACKED full of those tasty hedgerow treats, so if you (like me) LOVE a blackberry hunt with the kids then you are in the right place!

Those gloriously glossy, juicy berries are just ripe for the picking in and around August (sometimes later, or earlier dependant on the Spring that we’ve had!) and let’s face it, you don’t have to look far for a cluster of brambles. You’ll find them in most hedgerows, or verge-sides! But you know what?! What’s better than just foraging for wild blackberries, is foraging for wild blackberries with a glorious Yorkshire Dales view!

So here are our absolute best family friendly blackberry walks, in and around the Yorkshire Dales! Get those purple stained fingers ready for picking!

Ilkley Moor, White Wells and Ilkley Tarn

You gotta lead with the best right?!

Well we think that this walk is just the PERFECT early Autumn walk. Not only are the lower slopes of Ilkley Moor absolutely HEAVING with wild blackberries, but Wells Road, where the walk begins, is lined with massive Horse Chestnut trees, so you can go crazy conker collecting too!

The walk also leads to the historic White Wells spa building, which is literally oozing with history, so go and check out the bath itself and grab a hot chocolate from the cafe. It’s a great place for a brew with a view and… dare you dip?

The waters of White Wells Spa have been known for centuries to be good for you and whilst we might not attach the medical significance to the water like the Victorians, it’s a super experience that’s just good for the soul! You can dip in the crystal clear water fed directly by the OG Ikley Moor spring for the price of that hot chocolate!

Help! The moaning has begun!

If blackberry picking and conker collecting isn’t enough? Why not try our free printable scavenger or colouring sheets!

Check out the full Ilkley Moor to White Wells route here. Or find the pushchair friendly Ilkley Tarn version here!

Child standing amongst blackberry bushes picking blackberries in late summer — Picking blackberries in Ben Rhydding Nature Reserve

Ben Rhydding Nature Reserve

This is a wonderful spot for a late Summer wander! Found just outside Burley in Wharfedale, between that and Ben Rhydding, the old gravel pits have been saved and returned to nature!

Expect to find birds, butterflies and pondlife in their plenty! You might even be lucky enough to spot otters on the river. Park up at Moss and Moor garden centre (they permit parking for use of the nature reserve) and grab yourself a coffee for your blackberry walk! There are thousands of berries and also spots to collect conkers too!

You can find all the details of this walk in full on our Ben Rhydding Nature Reserve page!

Child sat looking at a large rock perched on top of a smaller rock on top of a hill — One of the epic Norber Erratics

The Norber Erratics

Head over to Clapham in North Yorkshire and you’ll be in Ingleborough territory!

The second highest mountain in the Yorkshire Dales is quite frankly epic and the areas surrounding it are some of our favourite places to visit EVER! This walk takes you from Clapham village out to some incredible rock formations.

Essentially the massive rock you can see above is REAAAALLLY old in geological terms. Millions of years old. The one underneath, is pretty young in comparison! These precariously perched big rocks sit on top of the smaller rocks because they were moved there by ice in the last ice age. When the ice melted, they were essentially stranded on top of the smaller ones, creating the crazy spectacle we see today!

The walk back from the erratics to Clapham takes you along a track that is lined with blackberries!

Want to know more? Head to our Norber Erratics page!

West Burton waterfall in Wensleydale — A great waterfall blackberry picking walk in Wensleydale

West Burton Waterfalls

Located in Wensleydale, this fabulously epic set of waterfalls is the home to the well known Cauldron Falls (on account of the swirly plunge pool directly in front of it) and would you believe it…..

Is a pretty epic blackberry walk too! At the beginning of this walk there are plenty to be found along the verge side, so pack up your cool box and go!

You can find them on our West Burton Waterfalls page!

Otley Chevin, Surprise View

The Chevin is the name broadly given to the steep bank of woodland on the slopes above the West Yorkshire town of Otley, but take yourself right up to the top, and you’ll find a rocky outcrop, which is called Surprise View.

The views are quite literally breath-taking, and on a clear day, you can see as far as York Minster in one direction and the Yorkshire Dales in the other.

But not only is this place home to an absolute corker of a late Summer/ Early Autumn walk, the slopes below and around Surprise View are packed with wild blackberries!

Our favourite walk here takes in the views, the blackberries, and the woodland (obviously the best place to be in Autumn!) but not only that, it takes in the rope swings too!

You’ll find our Chevin Swings Walk here!