Angram is at the head of Nidderdale, the top reservoir in the chain that Yorkshire Water own in the valley. The organisation has recently made a path around it so you can do Angram and nearby Scar House reservoirs together.

So we pulled up one average morning, grey clouds above our heads. At the loos a swallow had a nest right on the steps. The Scar House water was cut by breeze and we took the fast track out along it as we did three years ago.

A man had said the water was above summer needs, but it was not quite brimming, with a rocky skirt of ten or twenty feet. High pastures rise, bare but for a wedge of trees, and redshanks swooped in quickly to the rushes by our feet. Canada geese launched from the shore, a raft of others floated the deeps and here and there a walker strode round the open scene.

Benches are at intervals and then comes Angram Dam, with a turret of a valve tower and castellated ramps. It has thirteen overflow arches and holds a million million gallons, and the water forks out with two tentacles to draw the rain in from Great Whernside.

First we crossed the southern fork near a weir, on a narrow wooden bridge where a beck comes in. And then the path, quite rough and peaty, curves to a sandy beach with a view that's a treat - across the water, half a mile straight to the dam.

At the next fork there is a gully where the infant River Nidd comes in, again there is a weir and this time the bridge is bolted on. The small flow cascaded brightly and came out from reeds and purple flowers.

Soon we reached a fine old track where pipits flurried on a fence and then we reached the high dam wall where oystercatchers skimmed.

Now you see the Scar House Dam with ten proud arches. There is a high road and a low road back, this time we took the water's edge. Field walls dip below the surface, old railway sleepers rot in the grass, lapwings and more oystercatchers paddled in the shallows with their young.

Finally there's the Scar House Dam to cross, a spectacular 600 yards. A bright green spinner blew off the water and landed at our feet, then blew off downstream, a tasty morsel for the martins wheeling over the chasm of trees.

A plaque or two honours the construction from 1921 to 1936, and named are the burghers of the then Bradford Corporation. Nice to see a newish memorial to 'The Public Works People' who tramped and camped and endured 'toil and hardship' to make our reservoirs, roads, railways and canals, from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries.

Many thanks to them, and for the vision of the burghers and engineers, and, of course, to Yorkshire Water for the path.

Directions:

When in doubt look at the map. Check your position at each point. Keep straight on unless otherwise directed.

Path from Picnic Area beside car park, signed 'To Reservoir'. Tarmac track beside Scar House Reservoir. Stile/fieldgate to track beside Angram Reservoir (some stiles).

Pass weir, 50 yards, footbridge on right, right to narrow grassy path around head of reservoir.

At wire fence turn right before it, downhill for 50 yards, footbridge above weir, 11 o'clock uphill for 100 yards, right to narrow grassy path with two footbridges.

At dam, grassy path (signed), picks up a wall to its right, stile, ladderstile, stile.

Ladderstile/fieldgate to walled track, immediately right, ladderstile/fieldgate, down to water, stile on left to path beside reservoir. Right over dam.

Fact File:

Distance: Six miles

Time: Three hours

General location: The Dales

Start: Scar House Dam

Right of way: The route is along public rights of way and permissive paths

Date walked: Friday, July 9, 2004

Road route: From Pateley Bridge six miles on the Nidderdale road to Lofthouse. Leave Lofthouse on the Middlesmoor Road, immediately bridge and right at Yorkshire Water signs

Car parking: Free car park

Lavatories: Car park.

Refreshments: Inn at Lofthouse. On seasonal weekends only, teas at house below Scar House Reservoir (homemade signs)

Tourist & public transport information: Grassington TIC 01756 752774

Map: Based on OS Explorer OL30 Yorkshire Dales northern and central areas

Terrain: Reservoirs in deep valley

Points of interest: In the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Difficulty: Half a mile of uneven ground

Please observe the Country Code and park sensibly. While every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers set out at their own risk.

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 11:06 Saturday, July 17, 2004